Radioligands for the dopamine receptor subtypes

The actions of the predominant neurotransmitter in the brain, dopamine, are mediated by the postsynaptic dopamine receptors. The five dopamine receptor subtypes and their regulation have been associated with a large variety of psychiatric diseases. Therefore, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging studies using suitable and selective (18) F-labeled and (11) C-labeled dopamine receptor radioligands could provide valuable knowledge on the impact of receptor density on the pathogenesis and evolvement of neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases. This special issue subchapter provides a summary of the most important (18) F-labeled and (11) C-labeled radioligands for PET imaging of the dopamine receptor subtypes, their radiochemistry, and characteristics from in vitro and in vivo applications, considering not only the already established PET ligands but also the recently published preclinical work.

Single-step synthesis of [18F]haloperidol from the chloro-precursor and its applications in PET imaging of a cat's brain

We have established a convenient synthesis process for the synthesis of[18F]haloperidol using a single-step 18F-for-Cl exchange reaction and a new elution system for the preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using C18 bonded vinylalcohol copolymer gel (ODP) and a basic eluent. We successfully applied the product to cat-PET study and got clear images of the striatum, showing the usefulness of this synthesis.