Brain imaging agents: synthesis and characterization of (N-piperidinylethyl) hexamethyl diaminodithiolate oxo technetium(V) complexes.

Two 99mTc complexes of (N-piperidinylethyl) hexamethyl diaminodithiol (NEP-DADT) have shown high brain uptake in rodents and lower primates. One of these 99mTc complexes has given positive images of the brain in man which are qualitatively related to regional brain blood flow (rCBF). In order to determine the structure of these 99mTc products, the corresponding 99Tc(NEP-DADT) complexes were prepared and characterized by HPLC, TLC, fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB MS) and other analytical techniques. These results indicate that the two 99Tc (NEP-DADT) complexes are syn and anti isomers (i.e. one isomer has the N-piperdinylethyl side chain located syn to the technetium oxo core while the other has this side chain located anti to the technetium oxo core).