The synthesis of a new cardiac sympathetic nerve imaging agent N-[11C]CH3-dopamine and biodistribution study

In this study, we synthesized and characterized N-[¹¹C]methyl-dopamine ([¹¹C]MDA) for cardiac sympathetic nerve imaging. [¹¹C]MDA was synthesized by direct N-methylation of dopamine with [¹¹C]methyl iodide and purified by semi-preparation reverse high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The total synthesis time was 45 min including HPLC purification. The radiochemical yields of [¹¹C]MDA was 20 ± 3 %, without decay correction. The radiochemical purity was >98 % and the specific activity was about 50 GBq/mmol. The biological properties of [¹¹C]MDA were evaluated by biodistribution study in normal mice. PET imaging was performed in healthy Chinese mini-swines. Biodistribution study showed that [¹¹C]MDA had high myocardium uptake. PET/CT imaging showed [¹¹C]MDA had clear and symmetrical myocardium uptake, which was blocked obviously by injecting imipramine hydrochloride. [¹¹C]MDA would be a promising candidate of radiotracer for cardiac sympathetic nervous system imaging.     

Microfluidic reactions using [11C]carbon monoxide solutions for the synthesis of a positron emission tomography radiotracer

Microfluidic technology has been used to perform [(11)C]carbonylation reactions using solutions containing [(11)C]CO in the form of the complex, copper(i)tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate-[(11)C]carbonyl (Cu(Tp*)[(11)C]CO). The synthesis of the model compound [(11)C]N-benzylbenzamide and the known tracer molecule [(11)C]trans-N-[5-(2-flurophenyl)-2-pyrimidinyl]-3-oxospiro[5-azaisobenzofurane-1(3H),1'-cyclohexane]-4'-carboxamide ([(11)C]MK-0233), a ligand for the neuropeptide Y Y5 receptor, have been performed using this technique. Following semi-preparative HPLC purification and reformulation, 1262 ± 113 MBq of [(11)C]MK-0233 was produced at the end of the synthesis with a specific activity of 100 ± 30 GBq μmol(-1) and a >99% radiochemical purity. This corresponds to a decay corrected radiochemical yield of 7.2 ± 0.7%. Using a 3 mL vial as the reaction vessel, and following semi-preparative HPLC purification and reformulation, 1255 ± 392 MBq of [(11)C]MK-0233 was produced at the end of the synthesis with a specific activity of 100 ± 15 GBq μmol(-1) and a >99% radiochemical purity. This corresponds to a decay corrected radiochemical yield of 7.1 ± 2.2%.     

Efficient synthesis of [¹¹C]ramelteon as a positron emission tomography probe for imaging melatonin receptors involved in circadian rhythms

Ramelteon (TAK-375) is a novel melatonin receptor agonist that is used for clinical treatment of insomnia. The present report describes radiolabeling of ramelteon with the short-lived positron-emitter 11C (T(1/2)=20.4 min) by 2 methods. One method was [11C]methylation of an acetoamide precursor and the other was [11C]acylation of the corresponding amine precursor. First, [11C]methylation method showed the low reproducibility together with the production of many kinds of side products from which the [11C-methyl]Ramelteon was separated with chemical purity of <28% and radiochemical purity of >98%. Whereas, the [11C]acylation method showed high efficiency and reproducibility with a good radiochemical yield (22-43%, decay corrected), high chemical and radiochemical purities (>99% each), and high specific activity (43-162 GBq/μmol) (n=5) after HPLC purification. [11C]Ramelteon is a potential positron emission tomography (PET) probe for imaging the melatonin receptor.     

A facile preparation of ammonium [<Superscript>14</Superscript>C]thiocyanate

Summary An attractive and simple method has been developed for the preparation of ammonium [¹⁴C]thiocyanate from [¹⁴C]thiourea which eliminates the necessity of handling highly hazardous potassium [¹⁴C] cyanide. [¹⁴C]thiourea was isomerized to ammonium [¹⁴C]thiocyanate by heating the aqueous solution of thiourea (12%) in a sealed tube at 160 °C for 24 hours. The product formed was purified by silica-gel column chromatography. A radiochemical yield of 92.7% was obtained based on [¹⁴C]thiourea. The specific activity of the product obtained was 53.3 mCi/mmol (1.97 GBq/mmol) and the radiochemical purity was greater than 99%. This method has not been reported so far for the production of this labeled compound.     

N-[11C]methyl-1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-butanamine (MBDB): synthesis, quality control and biodistribution

N-[¹¹C]methyl-1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-butanamine ([¹¹C]MBDB) 3 was prepared by methylation of the demethyl precursor BDB with [¹¹C]CHI. The radiosynthesis was optimized with regard to temperature, reaction time and amount of precursor, best results (i.e., 84% radiochemical yield, based on [¹¹C]CH₃I activity) were obtained using 3 mg BDB at a reaction temperature of 130 °C in 8 minutes. With respect to a facilitated workup routine, productions were performed with 0.6 mg BDB at 110 °C for 10 minutes, yielding more than 50% of 3. The radiochemical purity of the final tracer solution was >98%, the specific activity was determined to be 300 GBq/mol (8000 Ci/mmol). Biodistribution, studies in rats showed two major metabolic pathways as indicated by an increasing liver uptake (9.1% ID/organ at 5 minutes to 21% ID/organ at 30 minutes) and a high urine activity (up to 16% ID/g). In brain tracer uptake was more than 1%, with a brain to blood ratio of almost 12 resulting from a very rapid blood clearance of 3.     

Optimization of the production of [61Cu]Diacetyl-bis(N 4-methylthiosemicarbazone) for PET studies

Summary Copper-61 produced via the ^natZn(p,x)⁶¹Cu nuclear reaction was used for the preparation of [⁶¹Cu]diacetyl-bis(N⁴-methylthiosemicarbazone) ([⁶¹Cu]ATSM) (4) using a house-made ATSM ligand. After a proton irradiation of an electroplated zinc layer by 22 MeV protons at 180 mA for 3.2 hours, ⁶¹Cu was recovered by two-step chromatography using a cation and an anion exchange column. About 222 GBq (6.00 Ci) of ⁶¹Cu²⁺ was obtained with a radiochemical separation yield of more than 95% and a radionuclidic purity of better than 99%. Colorimetric methods showed that traces of chemical impurities in the product were below the accepted limits. The [⁶¹Cu]ATSM production was optimized for reaction conditions (buffer concentration and temperature) with a radiochemical yield of higher than 80%, radiochemical purity of better than 98% and a specific activity of about 246 Ci/mmol. The produced [⁶¹Cu]ATSM is a PET radiotracer for hypoxia imaging with an intermediate half life and a satisfactory quality, suitable for future PET studies.     

An improved method for the preparation of [<Superscript>14</Superscript>C]thiourea of high radiochemical purity

Summary An improved method for the preparation of [¹⁴C]thiourea of high radiochemical purity is described. [¹⁴C]thiourea is prepared by the barium cyanamide route and is purified by vacuum-sublimation. The labeled product showed ammonium [¹⁴C]thiocyanate as a radiochemical impurity in the range of 2-4%. This was further purified by silica-gel column chromatography to get the product having more than 99% radiochemical purity.     

The analysis of radiolysis impurities in <Superscript>18</Superscript>F-FDG and methods of repurification

To investigate the radio impurity in the radiolysis of ¹⁸F-FDG at high radiodose and radioconcentrated solutions and develop methods of repurification. The radiolysis of ¹⁸F-FDG was analyzed by TLC. The radio-impurity was confirmed by biodistribution and small animal PET/CT studies. ¹⁸F-FDG was unstable at high radioconcentrition over 37 GBq/mL or under basic condition. TLC, biodistribution and PET/CT all indicated that the main autoradiolysis byproduct was free fluoride ion. The radiolyzed ¹⁸F-FDG was repurified by solid-phase extraction (SPE) column. The repurified ¹⁸F-FDG had a radiochemical purity (RCP) of over 99% and significantly lower bone uptake than that was before repurification (P = 0.0003). There was a positive correlation between the recovery yield and the purity of ¹⁸F-FDG (R ² = 0.66).     

A novel strategy for the preparation of the injectable PET/CT radiopharmaceutical (-)-[11C]-(1R,2S)-meta-hydroxyephedrine ((-)-[11C]HED

Positron emission tomography (PET) had been applied in clinical early diagnosis of various tumors and other diseases. The methylated synthetic conditions of (-)-[¹¹C]-(1R,2S)-meta-hydroxyephedrine ((-)-[¹¹C]HED), considered as one of the most important radiopharmaceuticals for PET, were optimized through single factor and orthogonal design methods. Here, we reported an improved purification protocol. The radiochemical yields of the final product were over 45% (decay-corrected and based on [¹¹C]methyl iodide) (n?=?50). The radiochemical purities and chemical purities were over 99% (n?=?50) and 97% (n?=?50), respectively. The automatic radiosynthesis procedure of (-)-[¹¹C]HED with relatively high radiochemical yield was convenient and reliable.

     

(11)C] Carbon monoxide in selenium-mediated synthesis of (11)C-carbamoyl compounds

Using either amines, amino alcohols, or alcohols in selenium-mediated synthesis with [(11)C]carbon monoxide, 3 ureas, 6 carbamates, and 1 carbonate were labeled. Tetrabutylammonium fluoride ((TBA)F) was discovered to form a soluble and reactive complex with selenium and drastically increase the radiochemical yields. Of the selected carbamoyl compounds, one was a receptor ligand, one was an enzyme inhibitor, and one was a muscular relaxant pharmaceutical. The (11)C-target compounds were obtained in radiochemical yields ranging from low to almost quantitative and with specific radioactivity up to 1300 GBq/micromol. The radiochemical purity of the final products exceeded 98%. In one case, the corresponding (13)C-substituted compound was produced to verify the position of the (11)C-label. In a typical experiment starting with 16.4 GBq [(11)C]carbon monoxide, 7.0 GBq of LC-purified 5-phenyl-1,3-oxazolidin-[2-(11)C]-2-one was obtained within 20 min from start of the carbonylation reaction (84% decay-corrected radiochemical yield). The presented approach is an interesting alternative to the use of [(11)C]phosgene in labeling chemistry.     

Rapid synthesis of C-labeled FK506 for positron emission tomography

The present study describes a rapid synthesis method for labeled [¹¹C]FK506 for positron emission tomography (PET). A one-pot reaction from [¹¹C]CH₃I, involving a Wittig reaction as the key carboncarbon bond formation was developed. The chemical process was accomplished using a designed, fully automated synthetic apparatus, and an injectable solution of [¹¹C]FK506 was obtained in only 34 min from [¹¹C]CH₃I. The decay-corrected radiochemical yield based on [¹¹C]CH₃I was 11.9%, and the specific activity was 39.8 GBq/μmol.     

Aryl triflates and [11C]/(13C)carbon monoxide in the synthesis of 11C-/13C-amides

Palladium(0)-mediated carbonylation reactions using aryl triflates, amines, and a low concentration of [(11)C]carbon monoxide were used in the syntheses of 13 (11)C-labeled amides. Lithium bromide was used as an additive to facilitate the reaction. The (11)C-labeled products were obtained with decay-corrected radiochemical yields in the range of 2-63%. The radiochemical purity of the final products exceeded 98%. As an example, a reaction starting with 1.79 GBq [(11)C]carbon monoxide gave 0.38 GBq of LC-purified N-isopropyl-4-nitro-[(11)C]benzamide within 27 min from the start of the carbonylation reaction (54% decay-corrected radiochemical yield). The specific radioactivity of this compound was 191 GBq/micromol, 35 min after the end of a 10 microAh bombardment. N-Benzylisoquinoline-1-((13)C)carboxamide was prepared and analyzed by NMR for confirmation of the labeling position. The triflates 16, 20, 21, and 22 were synthesized from the corresponding alcohols and trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride. The reference compounds 30a and 30b were prepared from the corresponding carboxylic acids and benzylamine. The other nine reference compounds 32a to 32i were synthesized from the respective acid chlorides and amines. The presented report shows that the sometimes more easily obtainable aryl triflates can be a useful alternative to the commonly used aryl halides in palladium(0)-mediated synthesis of (11)C/(13)C-amides.     

Preparation and biodistribution of [67Ga]-DTPA-gonadorelin in normal rats

Gonadorelin was successively labeled with [⁶⁷Ga]-gallium chloride after residulation with freshly prepared cyclic DTPA-dianhydride. The best results of the conjugation were obtained by the addition of 1 mg of a gonadorelin to a glass tube pre-coated with DTPA-dianhydride (0.33 mg) at 25 °C with continuous mild stirring for 1 hour. Radio thin layer chromatography showed an overall radiochemical purity of >90% at optimized conditions after labeling. HPLC showed a radiochemical purity more than 95% (specific activity = 400–450 GBq/M). The stability of the radioconjugate was tested in presence of human serum at 37 °C. Preliminary in vivo studies in normal rats were performed to determine the biodistribution of the conjugate up to 48 hours. The breast and ovaries uptakes were significantly high in first 15-minute post injection which is in agreement with the other reports regarding the presence of specific GnRH receptors. This tracer can be used in detection of GnRH receptor biodistribution in various diseases and malignancies.     

Full automatic synthesis of [<Superscript>18</Superscript>F]THK-5351 for tau protein PET imaging in Alzheimer’s disease patients: 1 year experience

[¹⁸F]THK-5351, a new candidate for tau protein imaging, is based on an aryl quinoline structure. We report the full automatic synthesis using disposable cassettes under pH controlled [¹⁸F]fluorination. After the trapping of 88.5 ± 21.9 GBq of [¹⁸F]fluoride, it was eluted with potassium methansulfonate (KOMs) (pH 7.8)/K₂₂₂. After drying, 3 mg of the precursor was added to 1 mL DMSO and subjected to [¹⁸F]fluorination at 110 °C for 10 min. After hydrolysis, the final product was purified by HPLC. The overall radiochemical yield was 31.9 ± 11.1% (n = 22), satisfying all quality control criteria. It was stable for up to 6 h with high radiochemical purity as 99.8 ± 0.5%.     

Development of [<Superscript>64</Superscript>Cu]-DOTA-anti-CD20 for targeted therapy

Copper-64 was produced as a by-product of ⁵⁵Co via ⁶⁴Ni(p,n)⁶⁴Cu by 15 MeV proton bombardment of ^natNi resulting in a thick target yield of 5.31 MBq/μAh (143.5 μCi/μAh) and a radiochemical separation yield of 95% (radionuclide purity >97% after 25 hours of bombardment). Rituximab was successively labeled with [⁶⁴Cu]-CuCl₂. N-succinimidyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA-NHS) was prepared at 25 °C using DOTA and N-hydroxy succinimide (NHS) in CH₂Cl₂ followed by the addition of 1 ml of a Rituximab pharmaceutical solution. Radiolabeling was performed at 37 °C in 3 hours. Radio thin-layer chromatography showed an overall radiochemical purity of 90–95% at optimized conditions (specific activity=30 GBq/mg, labeling efficacy; 82%) using various chromatography systems. The final isotonic ⁶⁴Cu-DOTA-Rituximab complex was passed through a 0.22 μm filter and checked by gel electrophoresis for radiolysis control. Stability of the final product was checked in the formulation and in presence of human serum at 37 °C.     

Synthesis of (S)-N-[methyl-11C]nicotine and its regional distribution in the mouse brain: a potential tracer for visualization of brain nicotinic receptors by positron emission tomography.

A nicotine agonist, 11C-labeled (S)-nicotine, was synthesized by N-methylation of (S)-nornicotine with [11C]-methyl iodide in dimethylformamide-dimethylsulfoxide in order to study nicotinic receptors in the human brain by positron emission tomography. The radiochemical yield of this N-methylation reaction was more than 90% within 5 min. After purification by high performance liquid chromatography the radiochemical purity of the product was more than 99% and the specific radioactivity was 7.4-11.1 GBq/mumol. The regional distribution of (S)-[11C]nicotine in the mouse brain after intravenous injection was compared with that of (R)-[11C]nicotine. After injection of (S)-[11C]nicotine, the regional uptake of radioactivity was in the following order: cortex greater than thalamu approximately hippocampus greater than striatum greater than hypothalamus greater than cerebellum. Moreover, (S)-[11C]nicotine was displaced from the brain by unlabeled (S)-nicotine, but unlabeled (R)-nicotine caused no change in uptake. In contrast, (R)-[11C]nicotine showed a lower brain uptake and lesser regional differences in radioactivity.     

Development of radiogallium–ethylenecysteamine cysteine complex as a possible renal imaging agent

[⁶⁷Ga]-ethylenecysteamine cysteine ([⁶⁷Ga]ECC) was prepared using freshly prepared [⁶⁷Ga]GaCl₃ and ethylenecysteamine cysteine (ECC) for 30 min at 90 °C (radiochemical purity ≈97 ± 0.88% ITLC, specific activity: 210 ± 5 GBq/mM). Stability of the complex was checked in human serum for 24 h at 37 °C. Partition co-efficient of the tracer in octanol:saline mixture was determined (log P; 0.8). The biodistribution of the radiolabeled compound in vital organs of wild-type rats were compared with that of free Ga³⁺ cation up to 48 h. Initial biodistribution results showed significant kidney excretion of the tracer comparable to that of homologous ^99mTc compound.     

Preparation and biodistribution of [111In]-rHuEpo for erythropoietin receptor imaging

Human recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) was successively labeled with [¹¹¹In]-indium chloride after conjugation with freshly prepared cyclic DTPA-dianhydride (ccDTPA). The best results of the conjugation were obtained by the addition of 100 i.u. of an EPO pharmaceutical solution (in phosphate buffer, pH 7.5) to a glass tube pre-coated with DTPA-dianhydride (0.01 mg) at 25 °C with continuous mild stirring for 30 minutes. Radio thin layer chromatography (RTLC), instant thin layer chromatography (ITLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed overall radiochemical purity of higher than 95% at optimized conditions (specific activity = 1.2–1.5 GBq/mg, labeling efficiency 80%). Preliminary in vivo studies in normal rat model was performed to determine the biodistribution of the radiotracer up to 1 hour using scarification. The high kidney uptake of the tracer was consistent with the reported EPO receptor distribution.     

An efficient synthesis of ([F]fluoropropyl)quinoline-5,8-diones by rapid radiofluorination-oxidative demethylation

Since many molecules bearing quinoline-5,8-dione or fused 1,4-quinone moieties possess a wide spectrum of biological activities, efficient methods for incorporation of fluorine-18 (F-18) into quinoline-5,8-diones have received considerable attention in positron emission tomography (PET) molecular imaging studies. In this paper, we describe an efficient synthetic route for the regioselective preparation of fluoropropyl-substituted quinoline-5,8-diones on the C3, C4, and C6 positions by tert-alcohol media fluorination, followed by oxidative demethylation of the corresponding dimethoxy compound using N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) in the presence of catalytic amounts of sulfuric acid. Moreover, F-18 labeled [¹⁸F]fluoropropylquinoline-5,8-diones [¹⁸F]21-23 were prepared from the corresponding mesylate precursors by a method of rapid and efficient one-pot, two-step reactions: radiofluorination using TBA [¹⁸F]F generated under no-carrier-added (NCA) conditions; oxidative demethylation, resulting in a 45% radiochemical yield of [¹⁸F]21-23 (decay-corrected) with a total synthesis time (including HPLC purification) of 75 min and high radiochemical purity (>99%), as well as high specific activity (∼230 GBq/μmol).     

Radiosynthesis of [18F]-5-[2-(2-chlorophenoxy)phenyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-yl-4-fluorobenzoate: A labeled ligand for benzodiazepine receptors

5-[2-(2-Chlorophenoxy)phenyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-yl-4-fluorobenzoate 6a, the non-classic benzodiazepine ligand, has been shown to elicit a significant anticonvulsant activity against pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsion. In order to perform biological studies, we decided to prepare the [¹⁸F]-labeled compound. This compound was prepared in no-carrier-added (n.c.a) form from 5-[2-(2-chlorophenoxy)phenyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-yl-4-N,N,N-trimethylanilinium triflate 5 in one step at 125 °C in Kryptofix 2.2.2/[¹⁸F] and DMSO as the solvent followed by column chromatography. The synthesis took 20 minutes with an overall radiochemical yield of 70-75% (EOS) and a specific activity about 74 GBq/mmole and chemical-radiochemical purity more than 95%. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.