Sj. Gatley et al., IMAGING THE BRAIN MARIJUANA RECEPTOR - DEVELOPMENT OF A RADIOLIGAND THAT BINDS TO CANNABINOID CB1 RECEPTORS IN-VIVO, Journal of neurochemistry, 70(1), 1998, pp. 417-423
The major active ingredient of marijuana, (-)-Delta(9)-tetrahydrocanna
binol, exerts its psychoactive effects via binding to cannabinoid CB1
receptors, which are widely distributed in the brain. Radionuclide ima
ging of CB1 receptors in living human subjects would help explore the
presently unknown physiological roles of this receptor system, as well
as the neurochemical consequences of marijuana dependence. Currently
available cannabinoid receptor radioligands are exceedingly lipophilic
and unsuitable for in vivo use. We report the development of a novel
radioligand, chlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide}, that i
s structurally related to the CB1-selective antagonist SR141716A hloro
phenyl)-4-methyl-1-H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide]. Baboon single photon emi
ssion computed tomography studies, mouse brain dissection studies, and
ex vivo autoradiography in rat brain demonstrated rapid passage of [I
-123]AM281 into the brain after intravenous injection, appropriate reg
ional brain specificity of binding, and reduction of binding after tre
atment with SR141716A. AM281 has an affinity in the low nanomolar rang
e for cerebellar binding sites labeled with [H-3]SR141716A in vitro, a
nd binding of [I-123]AM281 is inhibited by several structurally distin
ct cannabinoid receptor ligands. We conclude that [I-123]AM281 has app
ropriate properties for in vivo studies of cannabinoid CB1 receptors a
nd is suitable for imaging these receptors in the living human brain.