Serotonin 2A receptor agonist binding in the human brain with [¹¹C]Cimbi-36

J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2014 Jul;34(7):1188-96. doi: 10.1038/jcbfm.2014.68. Epub 2014 Apr 30.

Abstract

[(11)C]Cimbi-36 was recently developed as a selective serotonin 2A (5-HT(2A)) receptor agonist radioligand for positron emission tomography (PET) brain imaging. Such an agonist PET radioligand may provide a novel, and more functional, measure of the serotonergic system and agonist binding is more likely than antagonist binding to reflect 5-HT levels in vivo. Here, we show data from a first-in-human clinical trial with [(11)C]Cimbi-36. In 29 healthy volunteers, we found high brain uptake and distribution according to 5-HT(2A) receptors with [(11)C]Cimbi-36 PET. The two-tissue compartment model using arterial input measurements provided the most optimal quantification of cerebral [(11)C]Cimbi-36 binding. Reference tissue modeling was feasible as it induced a negative but predictable bias in [(11)C]Cimbi-36 PET outcome measures. In five subjects, pretreatment with the 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonist ketanserin before a second PET scan significantly decreased [(11)C]Cimbi-36 binding in all cortical regions with no effects in cerebellum. These results confirm that [(11)C]Cimbi-36 binding is selective for 5-HT(2A) receptors in the cerebral cortex and that cerebellum is an appropriate reference tissue for quantification of 5-HT(2A) receptors in the human brain. Thus, we here describe [(11)C]Cimbi-36 as the first agonist PET radioligand to successfully image and quantify 5-HT(2A) receptors in the human brain.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Benzylamines / pharmacokinetics*
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Phenethylamines / pharmacokinetics*
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / pharmacokinetics*
  • Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A / analysis*
  • Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A / metabolism
  • Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Agonists / pharmacokinetics*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Benzylamines
  • Cimbi-36
  • Phenethylamines
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A
  • Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Agonists