Saturation analysis of specific 11C Ro 15‐1788 binding to the human neocortex using positron emission tomography

The 11C‐labelled benzodiazepine antagonist Ro 15–1788 (flumazenil) and positron emission tomography (PET) were used to determine quantitative characteristics of benzodiazepine receptor binding in the neocortex of healthy young men. Saturating doses of unlabelled flumazenil administered i.v., before or together with the ligand‐reduced 11C‐flumazenil accumulation in the neocortex by about 90 per cent. Saturating doses of unlabelled flumazenil had little effect on the accumulation of radioactivity in the benzodiazepine receptor‐poor regions such as pons or white matter. By giving graded doses of unlabelled flumazenil together with the tracer, saturation isotherms were obtained allowing the calculation of receptor density (Bmax) and equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) values on the basis of certain assumptions Bmax values were in the order of 90 pmol/g and Kd values in the order of 10 nM in the neocortex. Scatchard and Hill plots of the radioactivity data indicated that 11C‐flumazenil binds to saturable sites of a homogeneous population. The data indicate that intravenous doses of 1 or 2 mg flumazenil result in a benzodiazepine receptor occupancy of about 50 per cent. The method described should be useful for studying regional differences in benzodiazepine receptor characteristics in the living human brain in healthy subjects and neuropsychiatric disorders, and also in relation to treatment with drugs interacting with benzodiazepine receptors.