Improved automated synthesis of [18F]fluoroethylcholine as a radiotracer for cancer imaging.

[(18)F]Fluoroethylcholine has been recently introduced as a promising (18)F-labelled analogue of [(11)C]choline which had been previously described as a tracer for metabolic cancer imaging with positron emission tomography (PET). Due to the practical advantages of using the longer-lived radioisotope (18)F (t(1/2)=110 min), offering the opportunity of a more widespread clinical application, we established a reliable, fully automated synthesis for its production using a modified, commercially available module. [(18)F]Fluoroethylcholine was prepared from N,N-dimethylaminoethanol by iodide catalyzed alkylation with 1-[(18)F]fluoro-2-tosylethane as alkylating agent, resulting in a total radiochemical yield of 30+/-6% after a synthesis time of 50 min. The specific activity of [(18)F]fluoroethylcholine was >55 GBq/micromol and the radiochemical purity 95-99%.

Demonstration of pulmonary beta2-adrenergic receptor binding in vivo with [18F]fluoroethyl-fenoterol in a guinea pig model.

PURPOSE: The new beta2 radioligand (R,R)(S,S) 5-(2-(2-[4-(2-[18F]fluoroethoxy)phenyl]-1-methylethylamino)-1-hydroxyethyl)-benzene-1,3-diol ([18F]FE-fenoterol; [18F]FEFE), a fluoroethylated derivative of racemic fenoterol, was evaluated in vivo and ex vivo using a guinea pig model. METHODS: Dynamic PET studies over 60 min with [(18)F]FEFE were performed in nine Hartley guinea pigs in which a baseline (group 1, n=3), a predose (group 2, n=3; 2 mg/kg fenoterol 5 min prior to injection of [18F]FEFE) or a displacement study (group 3, n=3; 2 mg/kg fenoterol 5 min post injection of [18F]FEFE) was conducted. RESULTS: In all animal groups, the lungs could be visualised and semi-quantified separately by calculating uptake ratios to non-specific binding in the neck area. Premedication with non-radioactive fenoterol and displacement tests showed significant reduction of lung uptake, by 94% and 76%, respectively. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate specific binding of the new radioligand to the pulmonary beta2-receptors in accordance with ex vivo measurements. Therefore, [18F]FEFE seems to be suitable for the in vivo visualisation and quantification of the pulmonary beta2-receptor binding in this animal model.

Synthesis and evaluation of (S)-2-(2-[18F]fluoroethoxy)-4-([3-methyl-1-(2-piperidin-1-yl-phenyl)-butyl-carbamoyl]-methyl)-benzoic acid ([18F]repaglinide): a promising radioligand for quantification of pancreatic beta-cell mass with positron emission tomography (PET).

18F-labeled non-sulfonylurea hypoglycemic agent (S)-2-(2-[(18)F]fluoroethoxy)-4-((3-methyl-1-(2-piperidin-1-yl-phenyl)-butylcarbamoyl)-methyl)-benzoic acid ([(18)F]repaglinide), a derivative of the sulfonylurea-receptor (SUR) ligand repaglinide, was synthesized as a potential tracer for the non-invasive investigation of the sulfonylurea 1 receptor status of pancreatic beta-cells by positron emission tomography (PET) in the context of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. [(18)F]Repaglinide could be obtained in an overall radiochemical yield (RCY) of 20% after 135 min with a radiochemical purity higher than 98% applying the secondary labeling precursor 2-[(18)F]fluoroethyltosylate. Specific activity was in the range of 50-60 GBq/micromol. Labeling was conducted by exchanging the ethoxy-moiety into a 2-[(18)F]fluoroethoxy group. To characterize the properties of fluorinated repaglinide, the affinity of the analogous non-radioactive (19)F-compound for binding to the human SUR1 isoform was assessed. [(19)F]Repaglinide induced a complete monophasic inhibition curve with a Hill coefficient close to 1 (1.03) yielding a dissociation constant (K(D)) of 134 nM. Biological activity was proven via insulin secretion experiments on isolated rat islets and was comparable to that of repaglinide. Finally, biodistribution of [(18)F]repaglinide was investigated in rats by measuring the concentration of the compound in different organs after i.v. injection. Pancreatic tissue displayed a stable accumulation of approximately 0.12% of the injected dose from 10 min to 30 min p.i. 50% of the radioactive tracer could be displaced by additional injection of unlabeled repaglinide, indicating that [(18)F]repaglinide might be suitable for in vivo investigation with PET.

Efficient synthesis of 2-bromo-1-[18F]fluoroethane and its application in the automated preparation of 18F-fluoroethylated compounds.

An efficient synthesis of 2-bromo-1-[18F]fluoroethane from commercially available 1,2-dibromoethane and its integration into an automated preparation device was developed for the routine synthesis of 18F-fluoroethylated compounds. The 1,2-dibromoethane was reacted with the [18F]fluoride/Kryptofix 2.2.2./carbonate complex in acetonitrile at 70 degrees C for 3 min resulting in 60-70% radiochemical yields. The crude reaction mixture was diluted with water, loaded on a LiChrolute EN-cartridge, eluted with acetonitrile and passed through an AluminaB-cartridge. This method provides 2-bromo-1-[18F]fluoroethane with 98% radiochemical purity and <0.1 micromol of 1,2-dibromoethane within 10 min, thus avoiding a purifying distillation step. This method was easily integrated into an automated system for the routine synthesis of 18F-fluoroethylated compounds.