A rapid solid-phase extraction method for measurement of non-metabolised peripheral benzodiazepine receptor ligands, [18F]PBR102 and [18F]PBR111, in rat and primate plasma

ObjectivesTo develop a rapid and reliable method for estimating non-metabolised PBR ligands fluoroethoxy ([18F]PBR102)- and fluoropropoxy ([18F]PBR111)-substituted 2-(6-chloro-2-phenyl)imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-3-yl)-N,N-diethylacetamides in plasma.MethodsRats and baboons were imaged with PET up to 2 h postinjection of [18F]PBR102 and [18F]PBR111 under baseline conditions, after pre-blocking or displacement with PK11195. Arterial plasma samples were directly analysed by reverse-phase solid-phase extraction (RP-SPE) and RP-HPLC and by normal-phase TLC. SPE cartridges were successively washed with acetonitrile/water mixtures. SPE eluant radioactivity was measured in a γ-counter to determine the parent compound fraction and then analysed by HPLC and TLC for validation.ResultsIn SPE, hydrophilic and lipophilic radiolabelled metabolites were eluted in water and 20% acetonitrile/water. All non-metabolised [18F]PBR102 and [18F]PBR111 were in SPE acetonitrile fraction as confirmed by HPLC and TLC analysis. Unchanged (%) [18F]PBR102 and [18F]PBR111 from SPE analysis in rat and baboon plasma agreed with those from HPLC and TLC analysis. In rats and baboons, the fraction of unchanged tracer followed a bi-exponential decrease, with half-lives of 7 to 10 min for the fast component and >80 min for the slow component for both tracers.ConclusionsDirect plasma SPE analysis of [18F]PBR102 and [18F]PBR111 can reliably estimate parent compound fraction. SPE was superior to HPLC for samples with low activity; it allows rapid and accurate metabolite analysis of a large number of plasma samples for improved estimation of metabolite-corrected input function during quantitative PET imaging studies.