Effects of ketoconazole on the biodistribution and metabolism of [11C]loperamide and [11C]N-desmethyl-loperamide in wild-type and P-gp knockout mice

Introduction [11C]Loperamide and [11C]N-desmethyl-loperamide ([11C]dLop) have been proposed as radiotracers for imaging brain P-glycoprotein (P-gp) function. A major route of [11C]loperamide metabolism is N-demethylation to [11C]dLop. We aimed to test whether inhibition of CYP3A4 with ketoconazole might reduce the metabolism of [11C]loperamide and [11C]dLop in mice, and thereby improve the quality of these radiotracers.