Abstract
The translocator protein (TSPO) positron emission tomography (PET) can noninvasively detect neuroinflammation associated with epileptogenesis and epilepsy. This study explored the role of the TSPO-targeting radioligand [(18)F]F-TFQC, an m-trifluoromethyl ER176 analog, in the PET neuroimaging of epileptic rats. Initially, [(18)F]F-TFQC was synthesized with a radiochemical yield of 8%-10% (EOS), a radiochemical purity of over 99%, and a specific activity of 38.21 ± 1.73 MBq/nmol (EOS). After determining that [(18)F]F-TFQC exhibited good biochemical properties, [(18)F]F-TFQC PET neuroimaging was performed in epileptic rats at multiple time points in various stages of disease progression. PET imaging showed specific [(18)F]F-TFQC uptake in the right hippocampus (KA-injected site, i.e., epileptogenic zone), which was most pronounced at 1 week (T/NT 1.63 ± 0.21) and 1 month (T/NT 1.66 ± 0.20). The PET results were further validated using autoradiography and pathological analysis. Thus, [(18)F]F-TFQC can reflect the TSPO levels and localize the epileptogenic zone, thereby offering the potential for monitoring neuroinflammation and guiding anti-inflammatory treatment in patients with epilepsy.