Preparation and pharmacological characterization of [76Br]-meta-bromobenzylguanidine ([76Br]MBBG)

[76Br]-meta-Bromobenzylguanidine ([76Br]MBBG) was prepared from the iodinated analog (MIBG) and [76Br]NH4 using a Cu(+)-assisted halogen exchange reaction. [76Br]MBBG was produced in a 60-65% radiochemical yield with a specific activity of 20 MBq/nmol. In rats, biodistribution kinetic studies showed a high uptake of [76Br]MBBG in heart tissues with its maximum of 5% ID/S at 2 h p.i.; whereas 4 h p.i., the maximum of the heart-to-lung concentration ratio of 8 was observed. Metabolic studies in rats indicated that [76Br]MBBG was rapidly metabolized in plasma. However in heart tissue, 25 h p.i., 85% of the radioactivity still represented unchanged radiotracer. Pharmacological studies in rats showed that the myocardial uptake of [76Br]MBBG was similar to that of norepinephrine. After pretreatment of the rats, the uptake of [76Br]MBBG was reduced 4 h p.i. to the following values: after desipramine (DMI) to 37%, after dexamethasone (DXM) to 88% and after 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) to 16%. These preliminary results suggest that [76Br]MBBG can be useful for the assessment of heart catecholamine reuptake disorders with PET.