PET radioligands for the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT)

The vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) is a glycoprotein responsible for the accumulation of acetylcholine into pre-synaptic vesicules of cholinergic neurons. Cholinergic innervation has been shown to be decreased at the earlier stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, the expression of VAChT has been correlated with the severity of the dementia and has been considered as a significant diagnostic target for AD. To this end numerous radioligands based on the vesamicol scaffold have been developed for imaging the VAChT using positron emission tomography (PET). Among the various radioligands only a small number have been evaluated in vivo in non-human primate and human. Despite promising in vitro, ex vivo and first in vivo studies, most of them are unsuitable for clinical use in humans due to poor selectivity over σ receptors, low extraction from the blood, slow brain kinetics or fast metabolism. To date (-)-[(11)C]OMV (1), (-)-[(11)C]MABV (2), (-)-[(18)F]-FEOBV (6), (-)-trans-2-hydroxy-3-(4-(4-[(18)F]fluorobenzoyl)piperidine)tetralin (8) and [(18)F]FBMV (12) are promising radioligands for the VAChT, though further validation is required to confirm their clinical usefulness.

Detection and quantification of remote microglial activation in rodent models of focal ischaemia using the TSPO radioligand CLINDE

PURPOSE

Neuroinflammation is involved in stroke pathophysiology and might be imaged using radioligands targeting the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO).

METHODS

We studied microglial reaction in brain areas remote from the primary lesion site in two rodent models of focal cerebral ischaemia (permanent or transient) using [125I]-CLINDE, a promising TSPO single photon emission computed tomography radioligand.

RESULTS

In a mouse model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), ex vivo autoradiographic studies demonstrated, besides in the ischaemic territory, accumulation of [125I]-CLINDE in the ipsilateral thalamus with a binding that progressed up to 3 weeks after MCAO. [125I]-CLINDE binding markedly decreased in animals pre-injected with either unlabelled CLINDE or PK11195, while no change was observed with flumazenil pre-treatment, demonstrating TSPO specificity. In rats subjected to transient MCAO, [125I]-CLINDE binding in the ipsilateral thalamus and substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) was significantly higher than that in contralateral tissue. Moreover, [125I]-CLINDE binding in the thalamus and SNr was quantitatively correlated to the ischaemic volume assessed by MRI in the cortex and striatum, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Clinical consequences of secondary neuronal degeneration in stroke might be better treated thanks to the discrimination of neuronal processes using in vivo molecular imaging and potent TSPO radioligands like CLINDE to guide therapeutic interventions.

Behavior and serotonergic disorders in rats exposed prenatally to valproate: a model for autism

In order to explore whether some aspects of the autistic phenotype could be related to impairment of the serotonergic system, we chose an animal model which mimics a potential cause of autism, i.e. rats exposed to valproate (VPA) on the 9th embryonic day (E9). Previous studies have suggested that VPA exposure in rats at E9 caused a dramatic shift in the distribution of serotonergic neurons on postnatal day 50 (PND50). Behavioral studies have also been performed but on rats that were exposed to VPA later (E12.5). Our aim was to test whether VPA exposure at E9 induces comparable behavioral impairments than at E12.5 and causes serotonergic impairments which could be related to behavioral modifications. The results showed significant behavioral impairments such as a lower tendency to initiate social interactions and hyperlocomotor activity in juvenile male rats. The serotonin levels of these animals at PND50 were decreased (-46%) in the hippocampus, a structure involved in social behavior. This study suggests that VPA could have a direct or indirect action on the serotonergic system as early as the progenitor cell stage. Early embryonic exposure to VPA in rats provides a good model for several specific aspects of autism and should help to continue to explore pathophysiological hypotheses.

In vitro autoradiography and in vivo evaluation in cynomolgus monkey of [18F]FE-PE2I, a new dopamine transporter PET radioligand

This study evaluated the in vitro and in vivo characteristics of a new dopamine transporter (DAT) radioligand, [(18)F]fluoroethyl(FE)PE2I, by autoradiography from postmortem human brain and by positron emission tomography (PET) in three cynomolgus monkeys. In the autoradiography experiments, high [18F]FE-PE2I accumulation was observed in caudate and putamen that was selectively abolished by GBR12909 or beta-CIT but not by maprotiline. High doses of citalopram (>5 microM) also inhibited [18F]FE-PE2I binding in the striatum. In vitro Ki of the radioligand was 12 nM at rodent dopamine transporter. [18F]FE-PE2I brain uptake measured by PET was approximately 4-5% of the injected dose, with highest uptake in striatum followed by midbrain and thalamus, lower uptake in neocortex, and lowest in cerebellum. Peak specific binding in striatum was reached approximately 40 min and in midbrain 20-30 min postinjection. The ratio-to-cerebellum was 7-10 in striatum and 1.5-2.3 in midbrain. BP(ND) measured with simplified reference tissue method using the cerebellum as reference region was 4.5 in striatum and 0.6 in midbrain. No displacement was shown after citalopram or maprotiline administration, while GBR12909 decreased the binding in striatum and midbrain to the level of cerebellum. [18F]FE-PE2I showed relatively fast elimination and metabolism with the presence of two metabolite peaks with similar retention time as the labeled metabolites of [11C]PE2I. [18F]FE-PE2I showed in vivo selectivity for the DAT and compared with [11C]PE2I, it showed faster kinetics and earlier peak equilibrium. The potential influence of the two radiometabolites on PET quantification requires further evaluation.

Synthesis, radiolabeling and preliminary in vivo evaluation of [18F]FE-PE2I, a new probe for the dopamine transporter

A new dopamine transporter (DAT) ligand, (E)-N-(3-iodoprop-2-enyl)-2beta-carbofluoroethoxy-3beta-(4'-methyl-phenyl) nortropane (FE-PE2I, 6), derived from PE2I (1), was prepared and found to be a potent inhibitor of rodent DAT in vitro. Compound 6 was radiolabelled with fluorine-18 (t(1/2)=109.8 min) for PET studies in monkeys. In vivo PET measurements showed a regional distribution in brain that corresponds to the known distribution of DAT. This binding was specific, reversible and the kinetics of [(18)F]6 binding in brain were faster than for its lead compound, [(11)C]1. The possible presence of a hydroxymethyl-radiometabolite formed by oxidation in the 3beta-benzylic position of [(18)F]6 warrants further detailed evaluation of the metabolism of [(18)F]6. [(18)F]6 is a potential radioligand for imaging DATs in the human brain with PET.

WITHDRAWN: Prenatal exposure to MDMA induces sex-dependent and region-specific modifications in brain dopamine systems at adult age in the rat

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Docking study, synthesis, and in vitro evaluation of fluoro-MADAM derivatives as SERT ligands for PET imaging

In order to predict affinity of new diphenylsulfides for the serotonin transporter (SERT), a molecular modeling model was used to compare potential binding affinity of new compounds with known potent ligands. The aim of this study is to identify a suitable PET radioligand for imaging the SERT, new derivatives, and their precursors for a C-11 or F-18 radiolabeling, were synthesized. Two fluorinated derivatives displayed good in vitro affinity for the SERT (K(i)=14.3+/-1 and 10.1+/-2.7 nM) and good selectivity toward the other monoamine transporters as predicted by the docking study.

PE2I: a radiopharmaceutical for in vivo exploration of the dopamine transporter

The membrane dopamine transporter (DAT) has a pivotal role in the regulation of dopamine (DA) neurotransmission involved in a number of physiological functions and brain disorders. Molecular imaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT), are relevant tools to explore the DAT, and we developed the cocaine derivative N-(3-iodopro-2E-enyl)-2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4'-methylphenyl) nortropane (PE2I) that has proved to be a very potent radiopharmaceutical to image the DAT by these techniques. Several methods are available to obtain PE2I labeled with iodine-123 or -125, carbon-11 and tritium. The pharmacological properties of PE2I have demonstrated that it has good affinity for the DAT (4 nM) and is one of the most selective DAT ligands. [(125)I]PE2I characterized postmortem in human brains has revealed very intense and selective binding in the basal ganglia. Ex vivo autoradiography in rats has shown that high level of [(125)I]PE2I accumulates in the striatum and also in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area. [(125)I]PE2I accumulation in the rat striatum is rapid, high, and selective, providing a maximum striatum/cerebellum ratio of 10 during the first 30 min post injection. Using SPECT or PET, rapid, high, and selective accumulation of PE2I was found in the caudate nucleus and putamen in monkeys, whereas rapid wash out from the cerebellum was observed. In vivo investigations in healthy humans have demonstrated that PE2I has high striatal uptake, low nonspecific binding, low radiation exposure, and a fairly short scanning time. A number of findings in various animal models of Parkinson's disease in rats and monkeys have demonstrated the high efficacy of PE2I for detection of reduction in the density of DAT, thus showing the potential value of PE2I for early diagnosis and evaluation of treatment of this disease. The excellent properties of PE2I are basis for the development of new DAT tracers for use in future PET explorations using fluor-18.