Biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of deuterium-substituted 18F-fluoromethyl-[1, 2-2H4]choline in healthy volunteers.
(11)C-choline and (18)F-fluoromethylcholine ((18)F-FCH) have been used in patients to study tumor metabolic activity in vivo; however, both radiotracers are readily oxidized to respective betaine analogs, with metabolites detectable in plasma soon after injection of the radiotracer. A more metabolically stable FCH analog, (18)F-fluoromethyl-[1,2-(2)H4]choline ((18)F-D4-FCH), based on the deuterium isotope effect, has been developed. We report the safety, biodistribution, and internal radiation dosimetry profiles of (18)F-D4-FCH in 8 healthy human volunteers.


METHODS
(18)F-D4-FCH was intravenously administered as a bolus injection (mean ± SD, 161 ± 2.17 MBq; range, 156-163 MBq) to 8 healthy volunteers (4 men, 4 women). Whole-body (vertex to mid thigh) PET/CT scans were acquired at 6 time points, up to 4 h after tracer injection. Serial whole-blood, plasma, and urine samples were collected for radioactivity measurement and plasma radiotracer metabolites. Tissue (18)F radioactivities were determined from quantitative analysis of the images, and time-activity curves were generated. The total numbers of disintegrations in each organ normalized to injected activity (residence times) were calculated as the area under the curve of the time-activity curve normalized to injected activities and standard organ volumes. Dosimetry calculations were performed using OLINDA/EXM 1.1.


RESULTS
The injection of (18)F-D4-FCH was well tolerated in all subjects, with no radiotracer-related serious adverse event reported. The mean effective dose averaged over both men and women (± SD) was estimated to be 0.025 ± 0.004 (men, 0.022 ± 0.002; women, 0.027 ± 0.002) mSv/MBq. The 5 organs receiving the highest absorbed dose (mGy/MBq) were the kidneys (0.106 ± 0.03), liver (0.094 ± 0.03), pancreas (0.066 ± 0.01), urinary bladder wall (0.047 ± 0.02), and adrenals (0.046 ± 0.01). Elimination was through the renal and hepatic systems.


CONCLUSIONS
(18)F-D4-FCH is a safe PET radiotracer with a dosimetry profile comparable to other common (18)F PET tracers. These data support the further development of (18)F-D4-FCH for clinical imaging of choline metabolism.
Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Amarnath
A
Challapalli
Rohini
R
Sharma
William A
WA
Hallett
Kasia
K
Kozlowski
Laurence
L
Carroll
Diana
D
Brickute
Frazer
F
Twyman
Adil
A
Al-Nahhas
Eric O
EO
Aboagye
D000368:Aged; D002794:Choline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D003903:Deuterium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods; D061214:Patient Safety; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D051598:Whole Body Imaging
D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C516370:fluoromethylcholine; D003903:Deuterium; D002794:Choline
18F-D4-FCH; biodistribution; dosimetry