Dopamine D1 agonist R-[11C]SKF 82957: synthesis and in vivo characterization in rats.

The active enantiomer R-SKF 82957 was labeled with 11C by N-[11C]methylation of the full dopamine (D1) agonist R-SKF 81297, using [11C]methyl iodide in the presence of N-ethyldiisopropylamine, in high specific activity, radiochemical purity and yields. Compared with the D1 agonist R/S-[11C]SKF 82957, R-[11C]SKF 82957 showed higher binding in the D1 rich regions, such as striatum and olfactory tubercles (approximately 1.7 times), thereby improving the tissue contrast. R-[11C]SKF 82957 exhibited high in vivo binding selectivity for D1 receptors in rats, because only high doses of D1 competitors, but not D2 or serotonin (5-HT2) blockers, significantly reduced the radioactivity levels in all brain areas. No labeled metabolites were detected in rat brain. These results indicate that R-[11C]SKF 82957 will provide more sensitive measurements of D1 receptors in in vivo studies than the racemic mixture.