Conclusion
On the time scale typical of PET imaging studies radioactive metabolites of [(18)F]6FDG are negligible.
Methods
Biodistribution studies were performed using 6FDG labeled with (18)F or with the longer-lived radionuclides (3)H and (14)C. Tissues were harvested at 1, 6, and 24 h following intravenous administration and radioactivity was extracted from the tissues and analyzed using a combination of ion exchange columns, high-performance liquid chromatography, and chemical reactivity.
Results
At the 1 h time-point, the vast majority of radioactivity in the liver, brain, heart, skeletal muscle, and blood was identified as 6FDG. At the 6-h and 24-h time points, there was evidence of a minor amount of radioactive material that appeared to be 6-fluoro-6-deoxy-D-sorbitol and possibly 6-fluoro-6-deoxy-D-gluconic acid.