Development of central 5-HT2A receptor radioligands for PET: comparison of [3H]RP 62203 and [3H]SR 46349B kinetics in rat brain.

[3H]RP 62203 and [3H]SR 46349B binding were assessed in rat brain after intravenous (iv) injection. The distribution of specific binding of each radioligand corresponded to the known distribution of 5-HT2A receptor sites. The maximum signals (counts/g tissue over counts/g cerebellum) given by [3H]RP 62203 and [3H]SR 46349B were 9.0 +/- 0.9 at 60 min and 3.2 +/- 0.3 at 30 min, respectively, in frontopolar cortex. Specific binding was quantified using a reference-tissue compartment model. RP 62203 appears to be more suitable than SR 46349B for development as a PET radioligand on the basis of its higher receptor specific signal.