Abstract
Ropinirole, a non-ergoline dopamine agonist, was labeled with Tc-99m tricarbonyl {[Tc-99m(CO)(3)center dot(H2O)(3)](+)} with the aim of obtaining a new brain imaging agent. For in vivo use, the radiosynthesis of Tc-99m tricarbonyl ropinirole was performed by heating a solution containing ropinirole and the precursor, Tc-99m tricarbonyl, on a boiling water bath for 30 min. The influence of the substrate amount and pH on the reaction was studied to optimize the synthesis. The biodistribution and scintigraphic studies demonstrate the suitability of Tc-99m tricarbonyl ropinirole as a novel tracer for brain tumor imaging.