Labeling and evaluation of N-[11C]methylated quinoline-2-carboxamides as potential radioligands for visualization of peripheral benzodiazepine receptors.
Matarrese M, Moresco RM, Cappelli A, Anzini M, Vomero S, Simonelli P, Verza E, Magni F, Sudati F, Soloviev D, Todde S, Carpinelli A, Kienle MG, Fazio F.
The novel quinoline-2-carboxamide derivatives N-[methyl-11C]-3-methyl-4-phenyl-N-(phenylmethyl)quinoline-2-carboxamide ([11C]4), (+/-)-N-[methyl-11C]-3-methyl-N-(1-methylpropyl)-4-phenylquinoline-2-carboxamide ([11C]5), and (+/-)-N-[methyl-11C]-3-methyl-4-(2-fluorophenyl)-N-(1-methylpropyl)quinoline-2-carboxamide ([11C]6) were labeled with carbon-11 (t1/2 = 20.4 min, beta+ = 99.8%) as potential radioligands for the noninvasive assessment of peripheral benzodiazepine type receptors (PBR) in vivo with positron emission tomography (PET). The radiosynthesis consisted of N-methylation of the desmethyl precursors 3-methyl-4-phenyl-N-(phenylmethyl)quinoline-2-carboxamide (4a), (+/-)-3-methyl-N-(1-methylpropyl)-4-phenylquinoline-2-carboxamide (5a), and (+/-)-4-(2-fluorophenyl)-3-methyl-N-(1-methylpropyl)quinoline-2-carboxamide (6a) with either [11C]methyl iodide or [11C]methyl triflate in the presence of tetrabutylammonium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide in dimethylformamide. The radioligands [11C]4, [11C]5, and [11C]6 were synthesized with over 99% radiochemical purity in 30 min, 30 +/- 5% radiochemical yield, calculated at the end of synthesis (EOS) non-decay-corrected, and 2.5 +/- 1.2 Ci/micromol of specific radioactivity. Inhibition studies in rats following intravenous pre-administration of 1-(2-chlorophenyl)-N-methyl-N-(1-methylpropyl)-3-isoquinolinecarboxamide (PK 11195, 1) showed high specific binding to PBR of [11C]4, [11C]5, and [11C]6 in heart, lung, kidney, adrenal gland, spleen, and brain. The biological data suggest that [11C]5, [11C]6, and particularly [11C]4 are promising radioligands for PBR imaging in vivo with PET.