Brain Uptake of the Acid Metabolites of F-18—Labeled WAY 100635 Analogs

The 5-HT1A ligands [F]FPWAY and [18F]FCWAY are metabolized in vivo to [18F]fluorobenzoic acid (FB) and [18F]fluorocyclohexanecarboxylic acid (FC), respectively. To quantify the penetration of these acids into the brain, dynamic positron emission tomography studies were performed in rhesus monkeys with [18F]FB and [18F]FC. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of arterial blood samples showed no metabolites for [18F]FB, whereas [18F]FC was rapidly metabolized to [18F]fluoride. A model with one tissue compartment and vascular radioactivity was used to analyze gray matter time-activity curves. For [18F]FC, an additional term was added to account for [18F]fluoride skull spillover into the brain; this term accounted for 70% to 90% of the measured radioactivity concentration at 90 minutes. For [18F]FB, mean gray matter parameters were as follows: K1, 10 ± 3 μL · min−1 · mL−1; distribution volume V, 0.052 ± 0.006 (mL/mL). For [18F]FC, the values were as follows: K1, 15 ± 4 μL · min−1 · mL−1; V, 0.29 ± 0.06 mL/mL. The V values were consistent with a physiologic model that included brain-to-blood pH difference and the plasma free fraction of the acid. Simulations based on [18F]FCWAY human data showed that [18F]FC uptake produces significant biases in V estimates in regions with low specific binding. These results can be used to correct the tissue [18F]FCWAY time-activity data for brain uptake of [18F]FC using the measured [18F]FC input function.