Synthesis and in vitro and in vivo characteristics of an iodinated analogue of the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist carazolol

A new (radio)iodinated, beta-adrenoceptor ligand, (S)-(-)-4-[3-[(1,1-dimethyl-3-iodo-(2E)-propenyl)-amino]-2-hydroxypropoxy]carbazole (CYBL8E, 1), was prepared. 1 is an iodinated analogue of the high-affinity beta-adrenoceptor antagonist carazolol (2). The asymmetric synthesis was achieved in four steps starting from 4-hydroxycarbazole. The iodine-123-labeled form was obtained by an iododestannylation reaction with [I-123]NaI in the presence of H2O2. Using classical in vitro displacement experiments with membrane fractions of cardiac left ventricular muscle, 1 proved to have a high affinity for the receptor (K-i = 0.31 +/- 0.03). Biodistribution studies performed in New Zealand white rabbits demonstrated the specificity of the binding in vivo to the receptor. Uptake of [I-123]1 was reduced significantly in both atrial muscle, left ventricular muscle, frontal cortex, cerebellum, and striatum, by the pretreatment of the animals with different beta-adrenoceptor antagonists. In conclusion, 1 is a potent nonselective beta-adrenoceptor antagonist, which binds specifically to the beta-adrenoceptor in vivo, and is therefore a promising radioligand for the imaging of beta-adrenoceptors using single photon emission computerized tomography.