Characterization of 99mTc(CO)3-iminodiacetic acid (IDA) and its comparison with 99mTc-(IDA)2 using compounds for hepatobiliary scintigraphy

The organometallic precursor of fac-[^99mTc(CO)₃(H₂O)₃]⁺ has attracted much attention because of the robustness and small size of Tc(I)-tricarbonyl complexes compared to Tc(V) complexes and the good labeling affinity with a variety of donor atoms. Among various ligand systems, an iminodiacetic acid (IDA) was proven as a good chelating group to form a Tc(III)-compelx as well as has been shown its potential as a chelating system for fac-[^99mTc(CO)₃] precursor. In an attempt to confirm the similarity and the difference between ^99mTc(CO)₃-IDA and ^99mTc-(IDA)₂-complex, M(CO)₃-IDA (M = ^99mTc, Re) complexes of disofenin, mebrofenin and N-(3-iodo-2,4,6-trimethyl phenylcarbamoylmethyl) iminodiacetic acid were prepared, and the biological evaluation of ^99mTc(CO)₃-disofenin was performed. The ^99mTc(CO)₃-IDA complexes were prepared with a high radiolabeling yield (>98%) in a quantitative manner and showed a negative charge. The in vivo pharmacokinetic behavior of ^99mTc(CO)₃-disofenin showed a similar biological activity to ^99mTc-(disofenin)₂ in that those complexes were quickly cleared from the blood by the hepatocytes and excreted into the gallbladder and intestine. Accordingly, the ^99mTc(CO)₃-IDA derivatives of disofenin and mebrofenin might be used as hepatobiliary imaging agents. Since an IDA is a promising chelator for ^99mTc-based radiopharmaceutical and the biological properties of ^99mTc(CO)₃-IDA derivative shows similar to that of ^99mTc-complex, a biomolecule containing IDA can be freely radiolabeled with fac-[^99mTc(CO)₃]-precursor or ^99mTc. However, the radiolabeling efficiency and the biological behavior demonstrates the favorable properties of ^99mTc(CO)₃-IDA compound for the development of a new imaging agent.     

Labeling of ursodeoxycholic acid with technetium-99m for hepatobiliary imaging

An adopted method for the preparation of high radiochemical purity ^99mTc-ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) was conducted with a high radiochemical yield up to 97.5 %. The reaction proceeds well using 2 mg UDCA, 50 μg tin chloride in solution of pH 8 at room temperature for 30 min. The radiochemical yield was up to 97.5 % as pure as ^99mTc-UDCA. Different chromatographic techniques (paper chromatography and electrophoresis) were used to evaluate the radiochemical yield and purity of the labeled product. Biodistribution studies were carried out in Albino Swiss mice at different time intervals after administration of ^99mTc-UDCA. The uptake of ^99mTc-UDCA in the liver gave the chance to diagnose it. The results indicate that the labeled compound cleared from the systematic circulation within 2 h after administration and majority of organs showed significant decrease in uptake of ^99mTc-UDCA. Finally, the liver uptake was high and the results indicate the possibility of using ^99mTc-UDCA for hepatobiliary imaging.     

Chemical and biological evaluation of 99mTc (CO)3 and 99mTc complexes of some IDA derivatives

The confirmation that N-substituted imidodiacetic acids, as small and simple ligand systems containing amines and carboxylic acids, could be coordinated to the tricarbonyl core and form inert complexes with [^99mTc (CO)₃(H₂O)₃]⁺, is demonstrated. The HPLC quality control results of ^99mTc-carbonyl tagged IDA molecules, performed by gradient HPLC, have shown that HIDA, EHIDA and p-butyl-IDA form complexes with [^99mTc(CO)₃(H₂O)₃]⁺, with a labeling yield of ~90% for each of ^99mTc(CO)₃ IDA derivatives. However, the changes in the structure of labeled compounds, e.g., EHIDA, influence the changes in the biological behavior. In comparison with ^99mTc-EHIDA, the biliary excretion of ^99mTc(CO)₃ EHIDA was lower, but the urinary excretion higher. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Clinical comparison of 99mTc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-human serum albumin (99mTc-HSA-D) and 99mTc-human serum albumin (99mTc-HSA) for cardiac blood pool imaging

99mTc-HSA-D has been developed as a new blood pool scanning agent. Clinical comparison of 99mTc-HSA-D and 99mTc-HSA was made in 16 cases. The activity concentration of 99mTc in blood was measured during 2 hours after the injection in five cases. 99mTc-HSA-D showed higher concentration compared to 99mTc-HSA with the passage of time. Quantitative analysis of contrast between left ventricle and septum was performed on end diastolic frames of gated images 10 minutes after the injection. There was no obvious difference between 99mTc-HSA-D and 99mTc-HSA. The subjective comparison of detectability of lesions between the two agents was performed on three directional gated images. 99mTc-HSA-D was superior to 99mTc-HSA, because the images of the latter deteriorated with the passage of time. On anterior view images 1 hour after the injection, left ventricle/lung and abdominal aorta/background count ratios were greater for 99mTc-HSA-D in many cases. There was no obvious difference in liver/background and kidney/background count ratios between the two agents. Urinary excretion of 99mTc was considerably lesser for 99mTc-HSA-D. The results indicated that 99mTc-HSA-D was superior to 99mTc-HSA for cardiac blood pool imaging.     

Pd(II)-catalyzed copolymerization of a norbornadiene derivative with substituted phenylacetylenes

Copolymerizations of diethyl 7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene-2,3-dicarboxylate (DOHDD) with phenylacetylene (PA) or p-methoxyphenylacetylene (MeOPA) were successfully performed in chloroform using PdBr₂ as catalyst. The products of reactivity ratios r₁ · r₂ for poly(DOHDD-co-PA) and poly(DOHDD-co-MeOPA) are 0.026 and 0.0077, respectively. These values suggest a maximum degree of alternating sequences of 86 and 92% in the two systems, hence a high alternating tendency. It is interesting to note that the present copolymerizations occur by combination of different types of monomer, alkene and alkyne.     

99mTc(CO)3-labeled pamidronate and alendronate for bone imaging

Bone scintigraphy with (99m)Technetium-methylenediphosphonate ((99m)Tc-MDP) or (99m)Technetium-hydroxymethylenediphosphonate ((99m)Tc-HMDP) presents several limitations, namely low specificity, uncertainty in the radiopharmaceutical's molecular structure and long acquisition time after injection. Aiming to find bone-seeking radiotracers based on the core fac-[(99m)Tc(CO)(3)](+) with improved chemical and biological properties, we synthesized new conjugates (pz-PAM and pz-ALN), comprising a pyrazolyl-diamine chelating unit (pz: N,N,N donor atom set) for metal stabilization and a pendant pamidronate (PAM) or alendronate (ALN) moiety for bone targeting. The reaction of the conjugates with fac-[(99m)Tc(CO)(3)](+) yielded (> 95%) the stable complexes fac-[(99m)Tc(CO)(3)(pz-PAM)](-) (2a) and fac-[(99m)Tc(CO)(3)(pz-ALN)](-) (3a), which have been characterized by comparing their HPLC gamma-traces with the UV-vis traces of the Re surrogates 2 and 3, respectively. 2a and 3a bind strongly onto hydroxyapatite. The biodistribution studies in Balb-c mice have shown that 2a and 3a presented an high bone uptake (2a 18.3 ± 0.6% I.D./g, 3a 17.3 ± 6.1% I.D./g, at 1 h post injection), similar to (99m)Tc-MDP (17.1 ± 2.4% I.D./g, at 1 h post injection), with comparable clearance from most tissues and increased total excretion (2a 66% I.D., 3a 67% I.D. and (99m)Tc-MDP 49% I.D., at 1 h post injection). The bone-to-blood (2a 86.2, 3a 74.7) and the bone-to-muscle ratios (2a 77.7, 3a 79.0) are higher than the ones found for (99m)Tc-MDP (70.9, 47.9), at 4 h post injection. Planar whole-body gamma camera images of the rats injected with the (99m)Tc(CO)(3)-labeled pamidronate (2a) and alendronate (3a) confirmed the overall adequate biological profile of the new radiotracers for bone imaging.     

亚氨基二乙酸的高效液相色谱测定

利用高效液相色谱，采用外标法测定样品中亚氨基二乙酸的含量，紫外检测器检测波长为210nm，色谱柱为SAX强阴离子交换柱，用0．005mol.L^-1磷酸二氢钾缓冲液（PH2．5）为流动相，对样品进行分析，其线性相关系数为0．9996，标准偏差为0．035，回收率为98．5％－101．5％。     

Synthesis of a cationic poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivative for Iysosome-specific and long-term imaging

The development of long-term imaging agents and subcellular imaging materials is of great importance in the research of cancer cell behaviors. In this work, a cationic poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivative(PPV) is designed and synthesized to link quaternized N-methyl-imidazole groups as pendants which endow the polymer to bear positive charges. Absorption and fluorescence emission spectra of PPV display a large Stokes shift of 102 nm which is much larger than the commercial cell dyes. Positively charged polymer could adsorb onto the surface of cells via electrostatic interactions followed by cell endocytosis process to enter cells. Importantly, PPV barely has influence on the cell viability through cytotoxicity analysis. The colocalization data demonstrates that PPV and commercial lysosome-specific dye are highly colocalized in the same region, indicating that the green fluorescent PPV mainly distributes in the lysosomes. Moreover, the continuous imaging investigation shows that PPV could stay in cells for more than seven days while the commercial Lyso-Tracker would be extruded by cells after three days. PPV exhibits superior capabilities including strong fluorescence, large Stokes shift, good biocompatibility and high photostablity, which has great potential in the applications of cellular process monitoring.     

Synthesis of a cationic poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivative for lysosome-specific and long-term imaging

A cationic poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivative (PPV) is designed and synthesized to bear quaternized N-methyl-imidazole groups, which is successfully utilized in lysosome-specific and long-term imaging.     

Preparation and evaluation of a new 99mTc labeled bombesin derivative for tumor imaging

A variety of human tumors like prostate and breast cancer express bombesin receptors. Due to this a new bombesin analogue was labeled with ^99mTc via HYNIC and tricine as a coligand and investigated further. Peptide was synthesized on a solid phase using Fmoc strategy. Labeling with ^99mTc was performed at 100 °C for 10 min and radiochemical analysis involved ITLC and HPLC methods. The stability of radiopeptide was checked in the presence of human serum at 37 °C up to 24 h. Internalization was studied with the human GRP receptor cell line PC-3. The biodistribution was studied in mice. Labeling yield of >98% was obtained corresponding to a specific activity of ~80.9 GBq/μmol. Radiopeptide internalization into PC-3 cells was moderate and specific (10.7 ± 1.2% at 4 h). A high and specific GRP receptor expressing mouse tumor and pancreas uptake (1.12 ± 0.08 and 1.04 ± 0.11% ID/g after 1 h respectively) was also determined.     

New cyclen derivative ligand for thorium(IV) separation by solvent extraction

A new N-containing ligand, 1,4,7,10-tetra-(4-nitrobenzyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclo-dodecane (L), was synthesized, and its structure was determined by ¹H NMR, high resolution mass spectrometry and X-ray diffraction. L crystallized in the monoclinic system (P2₁/n space group; a = 7.7895(2) Å, b = 22.9592(5) Å, c = 9.9204(2) Å; α = 90.00°, β = 105.481(3)°, γ = 90.00°; Z = 2). Slope analysis and the continuous variation method demonstrated that 1:2 complexes between Th(IV) and L are formed; furthermore, the XPS analysis suggested that two oxygen atoms might be provided by two water molecules and that eight nitrogen atoms might be provided by two L molecules to form a ten-coordinate compound with Th(IV). The extraction equilibrium constant for the complex formation between Th(IV) and L was logK _ex = 6.95 ± 0.15 (25 °C), and the Gibbs free energy, ΔG ^o (25 °C), of the 1:2 Th–L complex in dichloromethane was ?39.56 kJ/mol. The L ligand in dichloromethane only slightly extracted Th(IV) from HNO₃ solution at pH = 1–3; however, an extraction efficiency of E = 94.9 ± 0.3 % was observed at pH = 4.63. The selectivity of L for the Th(IV) cation over other cations (i.e., Cs(I), Sr(II), Y(III), La(III), Sm(III), Eu(III), U(VI), and ²⁴¹Am(III)) was evaluated. Furthermore, the stripping experiments showed that the stripping agent (0.5 mol/L Na₂CO₃ + 0.1 mol/L EDTA) could provide an optimal condition for stripping thorium, and thorium recovery was up to 91.6 ± 0.1 %.     

Synthesis and characterization of copper(II) chelate with a new substituted bis(2-pyridyl)-amine derivative

The novel ligand, abbreviated Ibdpam, has been synthesized and characterized as well as its novel mononuclear copper(II) complex. The crystal and molecular structure of the complex [Cu^II(Ibdpam)(SO₄)(H₂O)₂]·H₂O is reported. The square-based pyramidal arrangement of the chromophore CuN₂O₃, the bidentate chelate character for the nitrogenous base, and the unidentate character of the sulfate oxy-dianion is established.     

New pregnane glycoside derivative from Caralluma retrospiciens (Ehrenb)

Retrospinoside (1) is a new polyoxy pregnane glycoside which was isolated and characterised from the aerial parts of Caralluma retrospiciens (Ehrenb.) N. E. Br., family Apocynaceae. The structure was established as 3-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-D-(3-O-methyl-6-desoxygalactopyranosy)]-14,15,20-trihydroxy-4β-pregnane. Its structural elucidation was performed through extensive spectroscopic measurements including 1D- and 2D-NMR, and HRMS, in addition to chemical methods.     

Synthesis,characterization and biodistribution of 99mTc-Bioquin-HMPAO (99mTc-BH) as a novel brain imaging agent

Recently, the development of novel brain imaging agents has aroused much interest thanks to limited number of brain cancer or diseases diagnosis agents. It is aimed to synthesize a novel brain imaging agent including a promise for further studies on AD diagnosis potential and investigate its bioaffinity with biodistribution studies on healthy Balb/c mice. A novel radiolabeled agent was synthesized and characterized. Quality control of ^99mTc-BH was performed utilizing solvent extraction and chromatographic (Radio TLC and Radio HPLC) methods. Bioaffinity of the ^99mTc-BH was investigated on male Balb/c mice at various time points (5, 30, 60, 120 min post-injection). Paper electrophoresis showed that ^99mTc-BH has a neutral structure. Radiochemical purity of ^99mTc-BH was over 95 % with appropriate stability for imaging period. Selected brain regions have uptakes over 4 % ID/g following intravenous injection. Hippocampus has uptake approximately 10 % ID/g. ^99mTc-BH has shown brain uptake, so it may prove to be valuable for brain imaging as a novel technetium-labeled agent. Further investigations with AD animal model are our on going effort to show that this agent has AD diagnosis potential.