Synthesis of [11C]sodium thiocyanate for in vivo studies of anion kinetics using positron emission tomography (PET).

Sodium thiocyanate (NaSCN) was labelled with carbon-11 for in vivo studies of anion kinetics using positron emission tomography (PET). The synthesis was complete in 35 min from end of bombardment using [11C]ammonium cyanide as the labelled precursor. [11C]NaSCN was produced by the reaction of [11C]sodium cyanide with elemental sulfur and subsequently separated by semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Radiochemical yields (isolated) were of the order of 25%. The specific activity was 18 GBq/mmol and the radiochemical purity better than 99%. A PET study performed in a healthy volunteer showed distribution of [11C]SCN- to areas corresponding to cortical fluid spaces known to be accessible to inorganic ions such as Cl-. An accumulation of the tracer was observed during the 70 min investigation, indicating at least three compartments of distribution.