@article{TutovChenWerneretal.2023, author = {Tutov, Anna and Chen, Xinyu and Werner, Rudolf A. and M{\"u}hlig, Saskia and Zimmermann, Thomas and Nose, Naoko and Koshino, Kazuhiro and Lapa, Constantin and Decker, Michael and Higuchi, Takahiro}, title = {Rationalizing the binding modes of PET radiotracers targeting the norepinephrine transporter}, series = {Pharmaceutics}, volume = {15}, journal = {Pharmaceutics}, number = {2}, issn = {1999-4923}, doi = {10.3390/pharmaceutics15020690}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-303949}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Purpose: A new PET radiotracer \(^{18}\)F-AF78 showing great potential for clinical application has been reported recently. It belongs to a new generation of phenethylguanidine-based norepinephrine transporter (NET)-targeting radiotracers. Although many efforts have been made to develop NET inhibitors as antidepressants, systemic investigations of the structure-activity relationships (SARs) of NET-targeting radiotracers have rarely been performed. Methods: Without changing the phenethylguanidine pharmacophore and 3-fluoropropyl moiety that is crucial for easy labeling, six new analogs of \(^{18}\)F-AF78 with different meta-substituents on the benzene-ring were synthesized and evaluated in a competitive cellular uptake assay and in in vivo animal experiments in rats. Computational modeling of these tracers was established to quantitatively rationalize the interaction between the radiotracers and NET. Results: Using non-radiolabeled reference compounds, a competitive cellular uptake assay showed a decrease in NET-transporting affinity from meta-fluorine to iodine (0.42 and 6.51 µM, respectively), with meta-OH being the least active (22.67 µM). Furthermore, in vivo animal studies with radioisotopes showed that heart-to-blood ratios agreed with the cellular experiments, with AF78(F) exhibiting the highest cardiac uptake. This result correlates positively with the electronegativity rather than the atomic radius of the meta-substituent. Computational modeling studies revealed a crucial influence of halogen substituents on the radiotracer-NET interaction, whereby a T-shaped π-π stacking interaction between the benzene-ring of the tracer and the amino acid residues surrounding the NET binding site made major contributions to the different affinities, in accordance with the pharmacological data. Conclusion: The SARs were characterized by in vitro and in vivo evaluation, and computational modeling quantitatively rationalized the interaction between radiotracers and the NET binding site. These findings pave the way for further evaluation in different species and underline the potential of AF78(F) for clinical application, e.g., cardiac innervation imaging or molecular imaging of neuroendocrine tumors.}, language = {en} } @article{MatsusakaChenAriasLozaetal.2022, author = {Matsusaka, Yohji and Chen, Xinyu and Arias-Loza, Paula and Werner, Rudolf A. and Nose, Naoko and Sasaki, Takanori and Rowe, Steven P. and Pomper, Martin G. and Lapa, Constantin and Higuchi, Takahiro}, title = {In Vivo Functional Assessment of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporters (SGLTs) Using [\(^{18}\)F]Me4FDG PET in Rats}, series = {Molecular Imaging}, volume = {2022}, journal = {Molecular Imaging}, doi = {10.1155/2022/4635171}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300708}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background. Mediating glucose absorption in the small intestine and renal clearance, sodium glucose cotransporters (SGLTs) have emerged as an attractive therapeutic target in diabetic patients. A substantial fraction of patients, however, only achieve inadequate glycemic control. Thus, we aimed to assess the potential of the SGLT-targeting PET radiotracer alpha-methyl-4-deoxy-4-[\(^{18}\)F]fluoro-D-glucopyranoside ([\(^{18}\)F]Me4FDG) as a noninvasive intestinal and renal biomarker of SGLT-mediated glucose transport. Methods. We investigated healthy rats using a dedicated small animal PET system. Dynamic imaging was conducted after administration of the reference radiotracer 2-deoxy-2-[\(^{18}\)F]fluoro-D-glucose ([\(^{18}\)F]FDG), or the SGLT-targeting agent, [\(^{18}\)F]Me4FDG either directly into the digestive tract (for assessing intestinal absorption) or via the tail vein (for evaluating kidney excretion). To confirm the specificity of [18F]Me4FDG and responsiveness to treatment, a subset of animals was also pretreated with the SGLT inhibitor phlorizin. In this regard, an intraintestinal route of administration was used to assess tracer absorption in the digestive tract, while for renal assessment, phlorizin was injected intravenously (IV). Results. Serving as reference, intestinal administration of [\(^{18}\)F]FDG led to slow absorption with retention of \% of administered radioactivity at 15 min. [\(^{18}\)F]Me4FDG, however, was rapidly absorbed into the blood and cleared from the intestine within 15 min, leading to markedly lower tracer retention of \% (). Intraintestinal phlorizin led to marked increase of [\(^{18}\)F]Me4FDG uptake (15 min, \%; vs. untreated controls), supporting the notion that this PET agent can measure adequate SGLT inhibition in the digestive tract. In the kidneys, radiotracer was also sensitive to SGLT inhibition. After IV injection, [\(^{18}\)F]Me4FDG reabsorption in the renal cortex was significantly suppressed by phlorizin when compared to untreated animals (\%ID/g at 60 min, vs. untreated controls, ; ). Conclusion. As a noninvasive read-out of the concurrent SGLT expression in both the digestive tract and the renal cortex, [\(^{18}\)F]Me4FDG PET may serve as a surrogate marker for treatment response to SGLT inhibition. As such, [\(^{18}\)F]Me4FDG may enable improvement in glycemic control in diabetes by PET-based monitoring strategies.}, language = {en} } @article{ChenWernerKoshinoetal.2022, author = {Chen, Xinyu and Werner, Rudolf A. and Koshino, Kazuhiro and Nose, Naoko and M{\"u}hlig, Saskia and Rowe, Steven P. and Pomper, Martin G. and Lapa, Constantin and Decker, Michael and Higuchi, Takahiro}, title = {Molecular Imaging-Derived Biomarker of Cardiac Nerve Integrity - Introducing High NET Affinity PET Probe \(^{18}\)F-AF78}, series = {Theranostics}, volume = {12}, journal = {Theranostics}, number = {9}, doi = {10.7150/thno.63205}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300685}, pages = {4446 -- 4458}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background: Radiolabeled agents that are substrates for the norepinephrine transporter (NET) can be used to quantify cardiac sympathetic nervous conditions and have been demonstrated to identify high-risk congestive heart failure (HF) patients prone to arrhythmic events. We aimed to fully characterize the kinetic profile of the novel \(^{18}\)F-labeled NET probe AF78 for PET imaging of the cardiac sympathetic nervous system (SNS) among various species. Methods: \(^{18}\)F-AF78 was compared to norepinephrine (NE) and established SNS radiotracers by employing in vitro cell assays, followed by an in vivo PET imaging approach with healthy rats, rabbits and nonhuman primates (NHPs). Additionally, chase protocols were performed in NHPs with NET inhibitor desipramine (DMI) and the NE releasing stimulator tyramine (TYR) to investigate retention kinetics in cardiac SNS. Results: Relative to other SNS radiotracers, 18F-AF78 showed higher transport affinity via NET in a cell-based competitive uptake assay (IC\(^{50}\) 0.42 ± 0.14 µM), almost identical to that of NE (IC\(^{50}\), 0.50 ± 0.16 µM, n.s.). In rabbits and NHPs, initial cardiac uptake was significantly reduced by NET inhibition. Furthermore, cardiac tracer retention was not affected by a DMI chase protocol but was markedly reduced by intermittent TYR chase, thereby suggesting that \(^{18}\)F-AF78 is stored and can be released via the synaptic vesicular turnover process. Computational modeling hypothesized the formation of a T-shaped π-π stacking at the binding site, suggesting a rationale for the high affinity of \(^{18}\)F-AF78. Conclusion: \(^{18}\)F-AF78 demonstrated high in vitro NET affinity and advantageous in vivo radiotracer kinetics across various species, indicating that \(^{18}\)F-AF78 is an SNS imaging agent with strong potential to guide specific interventions in cardiovascular medicine.}, language = {en} } @article{WernerHiguchiNoseetal.2022, author = {Werner, Rudolf A. and Higuchi, Takahiro and Nose, Naoko and Toriumi, Fujio and Matsusaka, Yohji and Kuji, Ichiei and Kazuhiro, Koshino}, title = {Generative adversarial network-created brain SPECTs of cerebral ischemia are indistinguishable to scans from real patients}, series = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, journal = {Scientific reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-022-23325-3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300757}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Deep convolutional generative adversarial networks (GAN) allow for creating images from existing databases. We applied a modified light-weight GAN (FastGAN) algorithm to cerebral blood flow SPECTs and aimed to evaluate whether this technology can generate created images close to real patients. Investigating three anatomical levels (cerebellum, CER; basal ganglia, BG; cortex, COR), 551 normal (248 CER, 174 BG, 129 COR) and 387 pathological brain SPECTs using N-isopropyl p-I-123-iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP) were included. For the latter scans, cerebral ischemic disease comprised 291 uni- (66 CER, 116 BG, 109 COR) and 96 bilateral defect patterns (44 BG, 52 COR). Our model was trained using a three-compartment anatomical input (dataset 'A'; including CER, BG, and COR), while for dataset 'B', only one anatomical region (COR) was included. Quantitative analyses provided mean counts (MC) and left/right (LR) hemisphere ratios, which were then compared to quantification from real images. For MC, 'B' was significantly different for normal and bilateral defect patterns (P < 0.0001, respectively), but not for unilateral ischemia (P = 0.77). Comparable results were recorded for LR, as normal and ischemia scans were significantly different relative to images acquired from real patients (P ≤ 0.01, respectively). Images provided by 'A', however, revealed comparable quantitative results when compared to real images, including normal (P = 0.8) and pathological scans (unilateral, P = 0.99; bilateral, P = 0.68) for MC. For LR, only uni- (P = 0.03), but not normal or bilateral defect scans (P ≥ 0.08) reached significance relative to images of real patients. With a minimum of only three anatomical compartments serving as stimuli, created cerebral SPECTs are indistinguishable to images from real patients. The applied FastGAN algorithm may allow to provide sufficient scan numbers in various clinical scenarios, e.g., for "data-hungry" deep learning technologies or in the context of orphan diseases.}, language = {en} } @article{MatsusakaWernerAriasLozaetal.2022, author = {Matsusaka, Yohji and Werner, Rudolf A. and Arias-Loza, Paula and Nose, Naoko and Sasaki, Takanori and Chen, Xinyu and Lapa, Constantin and Higuchi, Takahiro}, title = {Performance Evaluation of a Preclinical SPECT Scanner with a Collimator Designed for Medium-Sized Animals}, series = {Molecular Imaging}, volume = {2022}, journal = {Molecular Imaging}, doi = {10.1155/2022/9810097}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300713}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background. Equipped with two stationary detectors, a large bore collimator for medium-sized animals has been recently introduced for dedicated preclinical single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. We aimed to evaluate the basic performance of the system using phantoms and healthy rabbits. Methods. A general-purpose medium-sized animal (GP-MSA) collimator with 135 mm bore diameter and thirty-three holes of 2.5 mm diameter was installed on an ultrahigh-resolution scanner equipped with two large stationary detectors (U-SPECT5-E/CT). The sensitivity and uniformity were investigated using a point source and a cylinder phantom containing 99mTc-pertechnetate, respectively. Uniformity (in \%) was derived using volumes of interest (VOIs) on images of the cylinder phantom and calculated as , with lower values of \% indicating superior performance. The spatial resolution and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) were evaluated with images of a hot-rod Derenzo phantom using different activity concentrations. Feasibility of in vivo SPECT imaging was finally confirmed by rabbit imaging with the most commonly used clinical myocardial perfusion SPECT agent [99mTc]Tc-sestamibi (dynamic acquisition with a scan time of 5 min). Results. In the performance evaluation, a sensitivity of 790 cps/MBq, a spatial resolution with the hot-rod phantom of 2.5 mm, and a uniformity of 39.2\% were achieved. The CNRs of the rod size 2.5 mm were 1.37, 1.24, 1.20, and 0.85 for activity concentration of 29.2, 1.0, 0.5, and 0.1 MBq/mL, respectively. Dynamic SPECT imaging in rabbits allowed to visualize most of the thorax and to generate time-activity curves of the left myocardial wall and ventricular cavity. Conclusion. Preclinical U-SPECT5-E/CT equipped with a large bore collimator demonstrated adequate sensitivity and resolution for in vivo rabbit imaging. Along with its unique features of SPECT molecular functional imaging is a superior collimator technology that is applicable to medium-sized animal models and thus may promote translational research for diagnostic purposes and development of novel therapeutics.}, language = {en} } @article{EisslerWernerAriasLozaetal.2021, author = {Eissler, Cristoph and Werner, Rudolf A. and Arias-Loza, Paula and Nose, Naoko and Chen, Xinyu and Pomper, Martin G. and Rowe, Steven P. and Lapa, Constantin and Buck, Andreas K. and Higuchi, Takahiro}, title = {The number of frames on ECG-gated \(^{18}\)F-FDG small animal PET has a significant impact on LV systolic and diastolic functional parameters}, series = {Molecular Imaging}, volume = {2021}, journal = {Molecular Imaging}, doi = {10.1155/2021/4629459}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-265778}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Objectives. This study is aimed at investigating the impact of frame numbers in preclinical electrocardiogram- (ECG-) gated \(^{18}\)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (\(^{18}\)F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) on systolic and diastolic left ventricular (LV) parameters in rats. Methods. \(^{18}\)F-FDG PET imaging using a dedicated small animal PET system with list mode data acquisition and continuous ECG recording was performed in diabetic and control rats. The list-mode data was sorted and reconstructed with different numbers of frames (4, 8, 12, and 16) per cardiac cycle into tomographic images. Using an automatic ventricular edge detection software, left ventricular (LV) functional parameters, including ejection fraction (EF), end-diastolic (EDV), and end-systolic volume (ESV), were calculated. Diastolic variables (time to peak filling (TPF), first third mean filling rate (1/3 FR), and peak filling rate (PFR)) were also assessed. Results. Significant differences in multiple parameters were observed among the reconstructions with different frames per cardiac cycle. EDV significantly increased by numbers of frames (353.8 \& PLUSMN; 57.7 mu l*, 380.8 \& PLUSMN; 57.2 mu l*, 398.0 \& PLUSMN; 63.1 mu l*, and 444.8 \& PLUSMN; 75.3 mu l at 4, 8, 12, and 16 frames, respectively; *P < 0.0001 vs. 16 frames), while systolic (EF) and diastolic (TPF, 1/3 FR and PFR) parameters were not significantly different between 12 and 16 frames. In addition, significant differences between diabetic and control animals in 1/3 FR and PFR in 16 frames per cardiac cycle were observed (P < 0.005), but not for 4, 8, and 12 frames. Conclusions. Using ECG-gated PET in rats, measurements of cardiac function are significantly affected by the frames per cardiac cycle. Therefore, if you are going to compare those functional parameters, a consistent number of frames should be used.}, language = {en} } @article{NoseNogamiKoshinoetal.2021, author = {Nose, Naoko and Nogami, Suguru and Koshino, Kazuhiro and Chen, Xinyu and Werner, Rudolf A. and Kashima, Soki and Rowe, Steven P. and Lapa, Constantin and Fukuchi, Kazuki and Higuchi, Takahiro}, title = {[18F]FDG-labelled stem cell PET imaging in different route of administrations and multiple animal species}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {11}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-021-90383-4}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-260590}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Stem cell therapy holds great promise for tissue regeneration and cancer treatment, although its efficacy is still inconclusive and requires further understanding and optimization of the procedures. Non-invasive cell tracking can provide an important opportunity to monitor in vivo cell distribution in living subjects. Here, using a combination of positron emission tomography (PET) and in vitro 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) direct cell labelling, the feasibility of engrafted stem cell monitoring was tested in multiple animal species. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were incubated with phosphate-buffered saline containing [18F]FDG for in vitro cell radiolabelling. The pre-labelled MSCs were administrated via peripheral vein in a mouse (n=1), rats (n=4), rabbits (n=4) and non-human primates (n=3), via carotid artery in rats (n=4) and non-human primates (n=3), and via intra-myocardial injection in rats (n=5). PET imaging was started 10 min after cell administration using a dedicated small animal PET system for a mouse and rats. A clinical PET system was used for the imaging of rabbits and non-human primates. After MSC administration via peripheral vein, PET imaging revealed intense radiotracer signal from the lung in all tested animal species including mouse, rat, rabbit, and non-human primate, suggesting administrated MSCs were trapped in the lung tissue. Furthermore, the distribution of the PET signal significantly differed based on the route of cell administration. Administration via carotid artery showed the highest activity in the head, and intra-myocardial injection increased signal from the heart. In vitro [18F]FDG MSC pre-labelling for PET imaging is feasible and allows non-invasive visualization of initial cell distribution after different routes of cell administration in multiple animal models. Those results highlight the potential use of that imaging approach for the understanding and optimization of stem cell therapy in translational research.}, language = {en} } @article{GentzschChenSpatzetal.2021, author = {Gentzsch, Christian and Chen, Xinyu and Spatz, Philipp and Košak, Urban and Knez, Damijan and Nose, Naoko and Gobec, Stanislav and Higuchi, Takahiro and Decker, Michael}, title = {Synthesis and Initial Characterization of a Reversible, Selective \(^{18}\)F-Labeled Radiotracer for Human Butyrylcholinesterase}, series = {Molecular Imaging and Biology}, volume = {23}, journal = {Molecular Imaging and Biology}, number = {4}, issn = {1860-2002}, doi = {10.1007/s11307-021-01584-2}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-269870}, pages = {505-515}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Purpose A neuropathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the presence of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques in the brain, which are observed in a significant number of cognitively normal, older adults as well. In AD, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) becomes associated with A\(_{β}\) aggregates, making it a promising target for imaging probes to support diagnosis of AD. In this study, we present the synthesis, radiochemistry, in vitro and preliminary ex and in vivo investigations of a selective, reversible BChE inhibitor as PET-tracer for evaluation as an AD diagnostic. Procedures Radiolabeling of the inhibitor was achieved by fluorination of a respective tosylated precursor using K[\(^{18}\)F]. IC\(_{50}\) values of the fluorinated compound were obtained in a colorimetric assay using recombinant, human (h) BChE. Dissociation constants were determined by measuring hBChE activity in the presence of different concentrations of inhibitor. Results Radiofluorination of the tosylate precursor gave the desired radiotracer in an average radiochemical yield of 20 ± 3 \%. Identity and > 95.5 \% radiochemical purity were confirmed by HPLC and TLC autoradiography. The inhibitory potency determined in Ellman's assay gave an IC\(_{50}\) value of 118.3 ± 19.6 nM. Dissociation constants measured in kinetic experiments revealed lower affinity of the inhibitor for binding to the acylated enzyme (K2 = 68.0 nM) in comparison to the free enzyme (K\(_{1}\) = 32.9 nM). Conclusions The reversibly acting, selective radiotracer is synthetically easily accessible and retains promising activity and binding potential on hBChE. Radiosynthesis with \(^{18}\)F labeling of tosylates was feasible in a reasonable time frame and good radiochemical yield.}, language = {en} } @article{GentzschHoffmannOhshimaetal.2021, author = {Gentzsch, Christian and Hoffmann, Matthias and Ohshima, Yasuhiro and Nose, Naoko and Chen, Xinyu and Higuchi, Takahiro and Decker, Michael}, title = {Synthesis and Initial Characterization of a Selective, Pseudo-irreversible Inhibitor of Human Butyrylcholinesterase as PET Tracer}, series = {ChemMedChem}, volume = {16}, journal = {ChemMedChem}, number = {9}, doi = {10.1002/cmdc.202000942}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-239904}, pages = {1427 -- 1437}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) represents a promising target for imaging probes to potentially enable early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to monitor disease progression in some forms of cancer. In this study, we present the design, facile synthesis, in vitro and preliminary ex vivo and in vivo evaluation of a morpholine-based, selective inhibitor of human BChE as a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer with a pseudo-irreversible binding mode. We demonstrate a novel protecting group strategy for 18F radiolabeling of carbamate precursors and show that the inhibitory potency as well as kinetic properties of our unlabeled reference compound were retained in comparison to the parent compound. In particular, the prolonged duration of enzyme inhibition of such a morpholinocarbamate motivated us to design a PET tracer, possibly enabling a precise mapping of BChE distribution.}, language = {en} } @article{JanssenHoffmannKannoetal.2020, author = {Janssen, Jan P. and Hoffmann, Jan V. and Kanno, Takayuki and Nose, Naoko and Grunz, Jan-Peter and Onoguchi, Masahisa and Chen, Xinyu and Lapa, Constantin and Buck, Andreas K. and Higuchi, Takahiro}, title = {Capabilities of multi-pinhole SPECT with two stationary detectors for in vivo rat imaging}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {10}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-75696-0}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-230616}, year = {2020}, abstract = {We aimed to investigate the image quality of the U-SPECT5/CT E-Class a micro single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system with two large stationary detectors for visualization of rat hearts and bones using clinically available \(^{99m}\)Tc-labelled tracers. Sensitivity, spatial resolution, uniformity and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the small-animal SPECT scanner were investigated in phantom studies using an ultra-high-resolution rat and mouse multi-pinhole collimator (UHR-RM). Point source, hot-rod, and uniform phantoms with \(^{99m}\)Tc-solution were scanned for high-count performance assessment and count levels equal to animal scans, respectively. Reconstruction was performed using the similarity-regulated ordered-subsets expectation maximization (SROSEM) algorithm with Gaussian smoothing. Rats were injected with similar to 100 MBq [\(^{99m}\)TcTc-MIBI or similar to 150 MBq [\(^{99m}\)Tc]Tc-HMDP and received multi-frame micro-SPECT imaging after tracer distribution. Animal scans were reconstructed for three different acquisition times and post-processed with different sized Gaussian filters. Following reconstruction, CNR was calculated and image quality evaluated by three independent readers on a five-point scale from 1="very poor" to 5="very good". Point source sensitivity was 567 cps/MBq and radioactive rods as small as 1.2 mm were resolved with the UHR-RM collimator. Collimator-dependent uniformity was 55.5\%. Phantom CNR improved with increasing rod size, filter size and activity concentration. Left ventricle and bone structures were successfully visualized in rat experiments. Image quality was strongly affected by the extent of post-filtering, whereas scan time did not have substantial influence on visual assessment. Good image quality was achieved for resolution range greater than 1.8 mm in bone and 2.8 mm in heart. The recently introduced small animal SPECT system with two stationary detectors and UHR-RM collimator is capable to provide excellent image quality in heart and bone scans in a rat using standardized reconstruction parameters and appropriate post-filtering. However, there are still challenges in achieving maximum system resolution in the sub-millimeter range with in vivo settings under limited injection dose and acquisition time.}, language = {en} }