1‑(4‑[18F]Fluorobenzyl)-4-[(tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)methyl]piperazine: A Novel Suitable Radioligand with Low Lipophilicity for Imaging σ1 Receptors in the Brain

• Published in: Journal of medicinal chemistry Vol. 60; no. 10; pp. 4161 - 4172
• Main Authors: He, Yingfang, Xie, Fang, Ye, Jiajun, Deuther-Conrad, Winnie, Cui, Bixiao, Wang, Liang, Lu, Jie, Steinbach, Jörg, Brust, Peter, Huang, Yiyun, Jia, Hongmei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 25.05.2017
• ISSN: 0022-2623; 1520-4804
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b01723

We have designed and synthesized novel piperazine compounds with low lipophilicity as σ1 receptor ligands. 1-(4-Fluorobenzyl)-4-[(tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)­methyl]­piperazine (10) possessed a low nanomolar σ1 receptor affinity and a high selectivity toward the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (>2000-fold), σ2 receptors (52-fold), and adenosine A2A, adrenergic α2, cannabinoid CB1, dopamine D1, D2L, γ-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA), NMDA, melatonin MT1, MT2, and serotonin 5-HT1 receptors. The corresponding radiotracer [18F]10 demonstrated high brain uptake and extremely high brain-to-blood ratios in biodistribution studies in mice. Pretreatment with the selective σ1 receptor agonist SA4503 significantly reduced the level of accumulation of the radiotracer in the brain. No radiometabolite of [18F]10 was observed to enter the brain. Positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed suitable kinetics and a high specific binding of [18F]10 to σ1 receptors in rat brain. Ex vivo autoradiography showed a reduced level of binding of [18F]10 in the cortex and hippocampus of the senescence-accelerated prone (SAMP8) compared to that of the senescence-accelerated resistant (SAMR1) mice, indicating the potential dysfunction of σ1 receptors in Alzheimer’s disease.