Fluorinated benzamide neuroleptics--III. Development of (S)-N-[(1-allyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl]-5-(3-[18F]fluoropropyl)-2, 3-dimethoxybenzamide as an improved dopamine D-2 receptor tracer

We have prepared five new analogs (n-propyl, iso-propyl, allyl, n-butyl, and iso-butyl) of the dopamine D-2 receptor antagonist, FPMB which result from modifications of the ethyl group at the pyrrolidine nitrogen in FPMB. As expected, all new derivatives showed higher apparent lipophilicity (log kw), with iso-butyl being the most lipophilic (log kw = 2.52), followed by the allyl derivative (log kw = 2.43). The allyl group showed the largest increase in affinity (from 0.26 nM for the ethyl substituent to 0.03 nM for the allyl substituent, almost 10-fold), followed by the n-propyl substituent which showed approximately five-fold better affinity than did the ethyl substituent. Radiosynthesis of (S)-N-[(1-allyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl]-5-(3-[18F]fluoropropyl)-2, 3-dimethoxybenzamide ([18F]fallypride) was carried out by nucleophilic substitution reaction of (S)-N-[(1-allyl-2-pyrrolidinyl) methyl]-5-(3-tosyloxypropyl)-2,3-dimethoxybenzamide with no carrier added 18F-. [18F]Fallypride was obtained in approximately 20-40% yields (EOS/EOB, decay corrected) in specific activities of 900-1700 Ci/mmol after reverse phase HPLC purification in 60 min from EOB. High striatal uptake (upto 2.5% injected dose/g) of [18F]fallypride in rats was observed with striatal/cerebellar ratios of 17, 42, 63 and 122 at 30, 60, 90 and 120 min post-injection, respectively. PET experiments with [18F]fallypride in a cebus monkey showed a brain uptake of 0.10% injected dose/cc. In rhesus monkeys [18F]fallypride showed rapid specific uptake in the striata (0.04-0.06% injected dose/cc) with striata/cerebellum ratios of approx. 3.0 at 14 min, 5.0 at 35 min and 8 at 70 min post-injection. Specifically bound [18F]fallypride was displaced with haloperidol (1 mg/kg) with a half-life of 18 min in the rhesus monkey.