Evaluation of the importance of rebinding to receptors in slowing the approach to equilibrium of high-affinity PET and SPECT radiotracers

Abstract

The importance of rebinding to receptors in influencing the kinetics of in vivo binding of PET and SPECT radiotracers was evaluated by examining the binding of a high-affinity D1 receptor radiotracer, [3H]SCH 23390, in tissue homogenates, living brain slices, and in vivo. In rat striatal homogenates, [3H]SCH 23390 binding reached equilibrium with a half-time of 6 min. By contrast, in striatal brain slices incubated in [3H] SCH 23390, the radioactivity levels in the slice increased in a linear fashion over the 4-h incubation, with no indication of an approach to equilibrium at the termination of the experiment. In in vivo experiments, [3H]SCH 23390 was given as a slow intravenous infusion to mice, using a paradigm that kept the plasma concentration at a constant level. Under these conditions, striatal [3H] SCH 23390 levels increased in a linear fashion over the 4-h infusion period, similar to what was observed in the brain slices, and as in the slices there was no indication of approach to a steady state. However, when given instead as a single-bolus intravenous dose, the striatal [3H]SCH 23390 levels reached a peak only 15 min after injection. Calculations based on the slice experiments, in which the blood-brain barrier is absent, suggested that the rate-limiting step accounting for the failure of [3H]SCH 23390 levels to reach equilibrium was its hindered diffusion as a result of repeated rebinding to receptors. This phenomenon may also be important in vivo and should be considered as a factor in determining the time-course of binding of radiotracers in PET and SPECT experiments where either the receptor density or radiotracer affinity is high.