SYNTHESIS AND PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF L-6-[I-123]IODODOPA AS A POTENTIAL SPECT BRAIN IMAGING AGENT

L‐6‐[123I]Iododopa was synthesized by the exchange of 123I for bromine on L‐6‐bromodopa in buffer(pH 4) for 35 minutes at 97°C. The synthesis was complete in approximately 1 hour with a radiochemical yield of 50%, a specific activity of 65 Ci/mmol and a radiochemical purity of ≥95%. A non radioactive standard of L‐6‐iododopa was synthesized by the iododemercuration of a mercury‐dopa derivative using I2 in chloroform. It was shown that L‐6‐[123I]iododopa accumulated in the rat striatum with striatum:whole brain ratio of 1.36 at 1 hour and 1.11 at 2 hours. Copyright © 1990 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.