ABSTRACT
[13N]Ammonia is commonly produced using 16O(p, α)13N reaction but one of the limiting factor of this reaction is the relatively small nuclear cross-section at proton energies of <10â¯MeV. An alternative production method using 13C(p, n)13N reaction, which has a higher nuclear cross-section at low proton energies, is more suitable for a preclinical PET imaging facility equipped with a <10â¯MeV cyclotron. Here, we report a novel method to produce [13N]ammonia from [13C]methanol for preclinical use on a 7.5â¯MeV cyclotron. A tantalum solution target (80⯵l) consisting of a havar window supplied by the cyclotron manufacturer for the production of [18F]fluoride was used without any modifications. The final bombardment parameters were optimized as follow: [13C]methanol concentration in target solution - 10%, bombardment time - 8â¯min, and beam current - 2.2⯵A. These parameters provided doses of [13N]ammonia which were sufficient to conduct preclinical PET imaging studies in a mouse model of myocardial infarction. Under optimized conditions, the operational lifetime of the target was approximately 150⯵Amin. Radionuclide identity of the product as 13N was confirmed by measuring the decay half-life and its radionuclide purity was confirmed by γ-ray spectroscopic analysis. Gas chromatography revealed that the final [13N]ammonia dose was not distinguishable from water, showing no traces of methanol. As expected, PET/CT imaging in healthy CD-1 mice indicated the accumulation of [13N]ammonia in myocardial tissue; mice with myocardial infarction created by left ascending coronary ligation showed clear perfusion deficit in affected tissue. This work demonstrates the proof-of-concept of using 13C(p, n)13N reaction to produce [13N]ammonia from [13C]methanol with a <10â¯MeV cyclotron, and its diagnostic application in imaging cardiac perfusion.