title: Cerebral metabolism of 6-[18F]fluoro-L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine in the primate.
abstract: The tracers 6-[18F]fluoro-L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (6-[18F]fluoro-L-DOPA) and L-[14C]DOPA were injected simultaneously into rhesus monkeys, and the time course of their metabolites was measured in the striatum and in the occipital and frontal cortices. In the striatum, 6-[18F]fluoro-L-DOPA was metabolized to 6-[18F]fluorodopamine, 3,4-dihydroxy-6-[18F]fluorophenylacetic acid, and 6-[18F]fluorohomovanillic acid. The metabolite pattern was qualitatively similar to that of L-[14C]DOPA. 6-[18F]Fluorodopamine was synthesized faster than [14C]dopamine. In the frontal cortex, the major metabolite was also 6-[18F]fluorodopamine or [14C]dopamine. In the occipital cortex, the major metabolite was 3-O-methyl-6-[18F]fluoro-L-DOPA. On the basis of these data, the images obtained with 6-[18F]fluoro-L-DOPA and positron emission tomography in humans can now be interpreted in neurochemical terms.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D007980:Levodopa / Q000378:metabolism; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C043437:fluorodopa F 18; D007980:Levodopa; C029253:6-fluorodopamine; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D004298:Dopamine