The radioiodinated muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, [125I] 3-quinuclidinyl 4-iodobenzilate, has two high affinity diastereomeric forms, the (R,R) and (R,S)-isomers. The (R,S)-diastereomer is only threefold lower in affinity than the (R,R)-isomer, but the kinetic properties are considerably different--the dissociation rate constant is 13-fold faster for the (R,S)-isomer and the association rate constant is two to threefold faster. The calculated affinity is therefore only fourfold lower. In vivo, the clearance of (R,S)-4IQNB from receptor-rich tissue is also more rapid than that of the (R,R)-isomer, that is a reflection of the more rapid in vitro kinetic properties since the physicochemical properties and the metabolic clearance of the diastereomers is the same.