Design and synthesis of new ethylenediamine or propylenediamine diacetic acid derivatives for Re(I) organometallic chemistry

A general synthetic approach for a novel range of bifunctional chelating agent (BCA) for the ‘fac-[M(CO)₃]⁺‘ core (M=^99mTc, ⁹⁹Tc or Re) has been developed. The strategy includes the facile preparation of these tridentate ligands possessing a tertiary amine bearing two carboxylic acid functions as coordinating site and an aromatic amino group for coupling to a biovector. First complexation study has shown that these compounds act exclusively as tridentate ligands (via the two acids and the tertiary amine functions). The convenient synthesis of these new ligands coupled with their high affinity for Re(I) make them quite promising for biomedical applications.     

99mTc放射性药物中的配位化学

在99mTc间接标记放射性药物中双功能螯合剂起到重要的连接作用,其在很大程度上决定了放射性药物的理化性质。99mTc标记放射性药物中常用的双功能螯合剂大都含有N、S、P等杂原子,本文以与锝核配位杂原子的不同对双功能螯合剂进行分类,分别对NxS(4-x)型配体、“3＋1”混合配体、含膦配体以及以[99mTc(CO)3]+为配位中心的99mTc放射性药物逐一进行介绍。     

Carboranes as ligands for the preparation of organometallic Tc and Re Radiopharmaceuticals. Synthesis of [M(CO)(3)(eta-2,3-C(2)B(9)H(11))](-) and rac-[M(CO)(3)(eta-2-R-2,3-C(2)B(9)H(10))](-) (M = Re, (99)Tc; R = CH(2)CH(2)CO(2)H) from [M(CO)(3)Br(3)](2-)

A new and high yielding method for the synthesis of [M(CO)(3)(eta(5)-2,3-C(2)B(9)H(11))](-) and the bifunctional metal complexes, rac-[M(CO)(3)(eta(5)-2-R-2,3-C(2)B(9)H(10))](-) (R = CH(2)CH(2)CO(2)H), from [M(CO)(3)Br(3)](2)(-) (M = Re, (99)Tc) was developed. The general approach entailed the addition of nido-[(C(2)B(9)H(12))(-)], or the acid substituted analogue, to [M(CO)(3)Br(3)](2)(-) (M = Re, (99)Tc) in the presence of TlOEt in THF. It was also possible to prepare the reported products in water using sodium carbonate in place of TlOEt. The reported approach led to the preparation, and X-ray crystallographic structure determination, of the first Tc-carborane complex reported to date (a = 13.606(17) A, b = 10.685(13) A, c = 15.534(16) A, alpha = gamma = 90 degrees, beta = 111.84(2) degrees). Because of the stabilities of the metal complexes, and the fact that the compounds can be prepared in water, the bifunctional derivatives can be considered as novel synthons for the preparation of organometallic (99m)Tc and (186/188)Re radiopharmaceuticals.     

Trithiacyclononane as a ligand for potential technetium and rhenium radiopharmaceuticals: synthesis of [M(9S3)(SC2H4SC2H4S)][BF4] (M = 99Tc, Re, 188Re) via C-S bond cleavage

Chemical or electrochemical reduction of the 1,4,7-trithiacyclononane (9S3) complexes [MII(9S3)2][BF4]2 (M = Re (3a) or Tc (3b)) results in instantaneous C-S bond cleavage to yield ethene and the stable MIII thiolate complexes [MIII(9S3)L][BF4] (M = Re (4a) or Tc (4b), L = SCH2CH2SCH2CH2S). Compounds 4 have been characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy, and the pseudo-octahedral geometry of 4b has been confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Upon electrochemical reduction 4a loses ethene, while 4b can be reversibly reduced to [TcII(9S3)L], which is then further reduced to Tc(I) with loss of ethene. Successive ethene loss is observed in the mass spectra of compounds 3 and 4. The radiosynthesis of 4a with 188Re can be comfortably completed within 10 min starting with 188ReO4- from a 188W/188Re generator, with a radiochemical yield in excess of 90%, and thus represents a practical approach to the preparation of stable 188Re (and 99mTc) thioether complex derivatives/conjugates for clinical use. Crystal data: 4b, C10H20S6Tc, orthorhombic Pbca, a = 12.233(2) A, b = 14.341(2) A, c = 20.726(3) A, Z = 8.     

Octachloro- and octabromoditechnetate(III) and their rhenium(III) congeners

The compound (n-Bu4N)2Tc2Br8 was prepared by the metathesis of (n-Bu4N)2Tc2Cl8 with HBr (g) in dichloromethane and characterized by X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy. Analysis of the data gives a Tc-Tc distance of 2.16(1) A and a Tc-Br distance of 2.48(1) A. The Tc(III) oxidation state was inferred by the position of the edge absorption, which reveals a shift of 12 eV between (n-Bu4N)2Tc2Br8 and NH4TcO4. The analogous shift between (n-Bu4N)2Tc2Cl8 and NH4TcO4 is 11 eV. The UV-vis spectrum of Tc2Br8(2-) in dichloromethane exhibits the characteristic delta --> delta* transition at 13,717 cm(-1). The M2X8(2-) (M = Re, Tc; X = Cl, Br) UV-vis spectra are compared, and the position of the delta --> delta* transition discussed.     

Complexes having the fac-[M(CO)3]+ core (M=Tc, Re) useful in radiopharmaceuticals: X-ray and NMR structural characterization and density functional calculations of species containing two sp3 N donors and one sp3 O donor

Radiopharmaceuticals containing the "fac-[M(CO)3]+ " core (M=99mTc, 186Re, or 188Re) have potential as diagnostic or therapeutic agents. Complexes with this core with sp3 amine donors have received little attention. We have studied adducts formed by ENDACH2 (HO2CCH2NHCH2CH2NHCH2CO2H) and ENACH (NH2CH2CH2NHCH2CO2H). Re(CO)3(ENDACH)-A (1A) and Re(CO)3(ENDACH)-B (1B) isomers were obtained by the reaction of ENDACH2 with Re(CO)5Cl. Re(CO)3(ENAC) (2) was obtained by the reaction of ENACH with aqueous [Re(CO)3(H2O)3]+. From single-crystal X-ray data, the three new neutral complexes, 1A, 1B, and 2, have a six-coordinate, pseudo-octahedral Re center with facially coordinated carbonyl ligands. ENDACH- and ENAC- bind facially to Re through both amine nitrogens and one carboxyl oxygen, forming two five-membered chelate rings. The Re(CO)3(ENDACH) isomers have an uncoordinated, dangling -CH2CO2H group, which is an ideal coupling site for attachment to biomolecules. The isomers differ by the configuration of the NH center bearing this dangling group. The H atom of the amine (N2) is endo (near the carbonyl ligands in the basal plane) in 1A and exo (away from carbonyl ligands) in isomer 1B. Isomers reach equilibrium (1A:1B, 70:30) after 3 days at high pH. Density functional structure optimizations were performed for isolated molecules of the type Tc(I)/Re(I)(CO)3(N2O): [Re(CO)3(NH3)2(H2O)]+, [Tc(CO)3(NH3)2(H2O)]+, [Re(CO)3(EN)(H2O)]+ (EN, ethylenediamine), [Tc(CO)3(EN)(H2O)]+, and various models for 1A, 1B, and 2. The computed structures are in good agreement with the X-ray structures. The theoretical and experimental Re-N bond distances usually agree within 0.045 A. The total electronic energy values for the computed 1A and 1B models differ by 0.815 kcal mol(-1), giving an isomer ratio of 80:20, in good agreement with the 1A/1B ratio (70:30) found.     

Assessment of macrocyclic triamine ligands as synthons for organometallic 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals

In a search of coordination molecules suitable to the fac-{(99m)Tc(CO)3}(+) core as a synthon for (99m)Tc-radiopharmaceuticals, nonradioactive rhenium complexes of two macrocyclic triamine compounds with different chelate ring structures, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane (9N3) and 1,5,9-triazacyclododecane (12N3), were synthesized and characterized. (99m)Tc-labeled 9N3 and 12N3 compounds were also prepared using [(99m)Tc(OH 2)3(CO)3](+) and were characterized by both in vitro and in vivo studies. 9N3 produced a single rhenium complex, whereas 12N3 generated two major complexes. The crystallographic data and infrared absorption wavenumber assigned to the C-O stretch suggested that the coordination geometry of 9N3 would be more suitable to fac-{Re(CO)3}(+) than that of 12N3. In contrast, both 9N3 and 12N3 provided a single (99m)Tc-labeled compound. However (99m)Tc-labeled 9N3 exhibited higher stability than (99m)Tc-labeled 12N3 in rat plasma and in the presence of histidine at an elevated temperature. In biodistribution studies, both (99m)Tc-labeled compounds did not show any specific accumulation of radioactivity in any organs except for the excretory organs such as the liver and kidney. These findings showed that 9N3 would constitute a macrocyclic chelating molecule of choice to prepare (99m)Tc radiopharmaceuticals using a fac-{(99m)Tc(CO)3}(+) core.     

Relative stability of mixed [3 + 1] Tc and Re complexes: a computational and conceptual DFT study

A computational and conceptual density-functional study has been performed on various [3 + 1] complexes of both Re(V) and Tc(V). The fully optimized complexes chloro(3-thiapentane-1,5-dithiolato)oxorhenium(V) and chloro(3-thiapentane-1,5-dithiolato)oxotechnetium(V) show geometries that compare favorably with the X-ray data. These structures were used as a starting point to investigate the relative stability of Tc(V) and Re(V) complexes with various ligands containing combinations of N, O, and S as chelating atoms and to evaluate the stabilizing/destabilizing influence of these N, O, and S combinations. For both Tc and Re complexes, the S content (number and position of S atoms) together with the presence of an oxygen as the central chelating atom turns out to be decisive in the stability of the tridentate complexes, the latter factor being strongly destabilizing and the former stabilizing. The stabilization sequences for both Tc and Re are shown to be identical in the gas phase and in aqueous solutions treated in a polarizable continuum model. The Re(V) complexes are found to be more stable than their Tc(V) analogues. All of the results are successfully interpreted in terms of the hard and soft acids and bases principle, applied at the local level. For this purpose, a softness value for Tc is obtained by interpolating softness trends in neighboring elements of rows 5 and 6 in the periodic table.     

The crucial role of the diphosphine heteroatom X in the stereochemistry and stabilization of the substitution-inert [M(N)(PXP)]2+ metal fragments (M = Tc, Re; PXP = diphosphine ligand)

The nature of the heteroatom X incorporated in the five-membered PXP-diphosphine bridging chain was found to play a primary unit role both in the overall stability and in the stereochemical arrangement of nitrido-containing [M(N)(PXP)](2+) metal fragments (M = Tc, Re). Thus, by mixing PXP ligands with labile [Re(N)Cl(4)](-) and Tc(N)Cl(2)(PPh(3))(2) nitrido precursors in CH(2)Cl(2)/MeOH mixtures, a series of neutral M(N)Cl(2)(PXP) complexes (M = Tc, 1-5; M = Re, 8, 9) was collected. In the resulting distorted octahedrons, PXP adopted facial or meridional coordination, and combination with halide co-ligands produced three different stereochemical arrangements, that is, fac,cis, mer,cis, and mer,trans, depending primarily on the nature of the diphosphine heteroatom X. When X = NH, mer,cis-Tc(N)Cl(2)(PNP1), 1, was the only isomer formed. Alternatively, when a tertiary amine nitrogen (X = NR; R = CH(3), CH(2)CH(2)OCH(3)) was introduced in the bridging chain, fac,cis-M(N)Cl(2)(PN(R)P) complexes (M = Tc, 2, 3; M = Re, 8f) were obtained. Isomerization into the mer,cis-Re(N)Cl(2)(PN(R)P), 8m, species was observed only in the case of rhenium when the tertiary amine group carried the less encumbering methyl substituent. fac,cis-Tc(N)Cl(2)(PSP), 4f, was isolated in the solid state when X = S, but a mixture of fac,cis-Tc(N)Cl(2)(PSP) and mer,trans-Tc(N)Cl(2)(PSP), 4m, isomers was found in equilibrium in the solution state. A similar equilibrium between fac,cis-M(N)Cl(2)(POP) (M = Tc, 5f; M = Re, 9f) and mer,trans-M(N)Cl(2)(POP) (M = Tc, 5m; M = Re, 9m) species was detected in POP-containing complexes. The molecular structure of all of these complexes was assessed by means of conventional physicochemical techniques including multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis of representative mer,cis-Tc(N)Cl(2)(PN(H)P), 1, fac,cis-Tc(N)Cl(2)(PSP), 4f, and mer,cis-Re(N)Cl(2)(PN(Me)P), 8m, compounds.     

Rhenium and technetium complexes bearing quinazoline derivatives: progress towards a 99mTc biomarker for EGFR-TK imaging

The quinazoline derivatives (3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)quinazoline-4,6-diamine (2) and (3-bromophenyl)quinazoline-4,6-diamine (3) were labelled with (99m)Tc using the "4 + 1" mixed-ligand system [Tc(NS3)(CN-R)] and the tricarbonyl moiety fac-[Tc(CO)3]+. In the "4 + 1" approach the technetium(iii) is stabilized by a monodentate isocyanide bearing a quinazoline fragment (L1,L2 ) and by the tetradentate tripodal ligand tris(2-mercaptoethyl)-amine (NS3). In the "4 + 1" approach, 99mTc-labelling was performed in a two-step procedure, the complexes [Tc(NS3)(L1)] (7a) and [Tc(NS3)(L2)] (8a) being obtained in about 50-70% yield. In the tricarbonyl approach, the fac-[Tc(CO)3]+ unit is anchored by two different monoanionic chelators bearing the quinazoline derivatives (3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)quinazoline-4,6-diamine (2) and (3-bromophenyl)quinazoline-4,6-diamine (3). Both chelators have a N2O donor atom set, but one contains a pyrazolyl ring (L5H) and the other contains a pyridine unit (L6H). In both cases the conjugation of the quinazoline to the chelator was done through the secondary amine of the potentially tridentate and monoanionic chelators, the corresponding 99mTc-complexes (10a, 11a) being obtained in quantitative yield. The identities of the 99mTc-labelled quinazolines (7a, 8a, 10a, 11a) were confirmed by comparison with the HPLC profiles of the analogous Re compounds (7, 8, 10, 11). All these Re complexes were characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and in some cases by MS and X-ray diffraction analysis. In vitro studies indicate that the quinazoline fragments, after conjugation to the cyano group (L1, L2) or to the pyrazolyl containing chelator (L5H), as well as the corresponding Re complexes (7, 8, 10) inhibit significantly the EGFR autophosphorylation and also inhibit A431 cell growth. These two effects were also found for the pyridine-containing chelator (L6H) and corresponding Re complex (11), although to a lesser extent.     

Synthesis of Dithio-Diphosphine (P2S2COOH)-Based Bifunctional Chelating Agent. Its Coupling Reactions with Peptide Analogs and Steroids

Abstract

Bifunctional chelating agents are important in the development of site-specific radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and therapy of cancer. Recently. our Laboratory has developed a new dithio-diphosphine (P₂S₂COOH)-based bifunctional chelating agent [1]. Its coupling to biologically important molecules such as peptide analogs and steroids have been investigated in detail (Scheme I). The intermediate compound P₂S₂ phosphine hydride 3 was synthesized as described in scheme 1 [1]. The coupling of 3 with steroids such as 2/4 amino estrone/estrodiol and the peptide analog GlyGlyOEt was undertaken using peptide the coupling reagent HBTU in the presence of triethylamine. Furthermore. the P₂S₂GlyGlyOEt phosphine hydride was formylated using formaldehyde in ethanol and then complexed with a Re(V) precursor to yield the new Re(V) bioconjugate 5. This offers a potential mute to label biologically active peptides with radionuclides such as Tc-99m and Re-186/188 for use in cancm diagnosis and/or therapy.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of organometallic complexes of ⁹⁹mTc(CO)₃ and Re(CO)₃: its application to radiopharmaceuticals

(99m)Tc-tricarbonyl [(99m)Tc(CO)(3)] complexes have been conventionally synthesized by heating [(99m)Tc(CO)(3)(H(2)O)(3)](+) and a tridentate chelating ligand under atmospheric pressure; however, this method is poor in terms of chemical yield and reproducibility. Moreover, since the half-life of (99m)Tc is very short (6 h), the development of facile and rapid methods of synthesizing (99m)Tc-labeled compounds, which could be used as radioactive tracers for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), is required. Thus, we initiated a study on the application of a microwave reaction to the synthesis of (99m)Tc(CO)(3)-2-picolylamine monoacetic acid (PAMA) [(99m)Tc(CO)(3)-PAMA] complexes on the basis of the fact that synthesis of metal complexes proceeds rapidly by microwave irradiation owing to an efficient exothermic phenomenon and heat conduction effect. Formation of by-products could be markedly suppressed by comparison with that in conventional methods. In the present study, rhenium (Re), an element belonging to the same group in the periodic table as technetium (Tc), and which also forms bipyramidal complexes, was first used to investigate the synthetic reaction because no stable isotopes exist for Tc. As a result, when water was used as the solvent under the irradiation of microwaves within 1 min, the Re(CO)(3)-PAMA complex could be directly synthesized from ethyl ester of PAMA (PAMAEE) and [Re(CO)(3)(H(2)O)(3)]Br in one step and with a high yield (94%). Finally, the (99m)Tc(CO)(3)-PAMA complex was successfully synthesized at a high radiochemical yield (>99%) within 1 min of reaction using (99m)Tc instead of Re under the same conditions.     

Syntheses and reactivity of 'sulfur rich' Re(iii) and Tc(iii) complexes containing trithioperoxybenzoate, dithiobenzoate and dithiocarbamate ligands

Reduction-substitution reactions of [M(O)Cl(4)](-)(M=Re, (99)Tc) precursors with an excess of substituted dithiobenzoate ligands (R-PhCS(2))(-) in dichloromethane/methanol mixtures afford a series of six-coordinated neutral mixed-ligand complexes of the type M(III)(R-PhCS(3))(2)(R-PhCS(2))(M=Re; Rel--9; M=99)Tc; Tel--9). The coordination sphere is entirely filled by sulfur donor atoms, and the complexes adopt a distorted trigonal prismatic arrangement, as assessed by the X-ray crystal structure analysis of Re(4-Me-PhCS(3))(2)(4-Me-PhCS(2)), Re 2. These compounds show sharp proton and carbon NMR profiles, in agreement with the diamagnetism typical of low spin d(4) trigonal prismatic configurations. The red-ox processes involve reduction of the metal from Re(v) to Re(iii) and oxidation of dithiobenzoate to trithioperoxybenzoate. M2--9 complexes contain a substitution-inert [M(R-PhCS(3))(2)](+) moiety including the metal and two trithioperoxybenzoate fragments, while the third dithiobenzoate ligand is labile. The latter is efficiently replaced by reaction with better nucleophiles such as diethyldithiocarbamate giving a further class of mixed ligand complexes of the type M(III)(R-PhCS(3))(2)(Et(2)NCS(2))(M=Re; Re 10--18; M=(99)Tc; Tc--18), which retain the trigonal prismatic arrangement, as determined by the X-ray analyses of the representative compounds Re(PhCS(3))(2)(Et(2)NCS(2)), Re 10 and (99)Tc(PhCS(3))(2)(Et(2)NCS(2)), Tc 10.     

Separation of lithium isotope by NTOE compound

In recent years chances of using rhenium-186 and rhenium-188 as radioactive isotopes in diagnostic and therapeutic applications are increased very much due to the characteristic radiochemical and chemical properties of these two radioisotopes. In particular, chemical similarities between⁹⁹Tc and^99mTc pair and¹⁸⁶Re and¹⁸⁸Re pair make it easier to correlate the two groups of compounds. Rhenium-188 is generated from the beta-decay of tungsten-188 which was produced by double neutron capture on enriched tungsten-186 oxide. It is of great interest to examine the impurities in the eluate by radiochemical neutron activation. For this purpose, the preconcentration of the impurities in samples were necessary, and it was achieved by adsorption on hydrated magnesium oxide.     

Rhenium(I) and technetium(I) fac-M(NSO)(CO)3 (M = Re,Tc) tricarbonyl complexes,with a tridentate NSO bifunctional agent: Synthesis,structural characterization,and radiochemistry

The synthesis and structural characterization of the neutral rhenium complex fac-[Re(NSO)(CO)₃], Re-1, where (NSO) is a tridentate bifunctional chelating agent, 3-(carboxymethylthio)-3-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)propanoic acid (1), is presented. The complex crystallized from methanol–water and its structure was assigned by IR and ¹H, ¹³C NMR spectroscopies and X-ray crystallography. Furthermore, the analogous technetium complex fac-[^99mTc(NSO)(CO)₃], ^99mTc-1, was synthesized in high yield by reacting ligand 1 with the fac-[^99mTc(OH₂)₃(CO)₃]⁺ precursor for 30 min at 85 °C. The tracer complex was found to be more than 95% stable in the L-histidine challenge experiment. Our data indicate that the bifunctional NSO chelating agent 1 can be successfully applied for the development of potential ^99mTc-radiopharmaceuticals.     

Synthesis of bifunctional chelating agents based on mono and diphosphonic derivatives of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid

Bifunctional chelating agents (BFCAs) are small molecules containing a chelating unit, able to strongly coordinate a metal ion, and a reactive functional group, devised to form a stable covalent bond with another molecule. BFCAs are widely employed since their conjugation to a suitable biomolecule (e.g., a peptide or an antibody) allows the synthesis of diagnostic or therapeutic agents that specifically target diseased tissue with metals or radiometals. For this reason, BFCAs find application in diagnostic imaging, molecular imaging, and radiotherapy of cancer. The synthesis of new BFCAs based on a diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) structure in which one or two carboxylic groups are replaced with phosphonic units is described. The phosphonic group, aside from being a classical isostere of the carboxylic acid in coordination chemistry, allows to modulate the physico-chemical properties of the ligands and of the corresponding complexes.     

One to chelate them all: investigation of a versatile, bifunctional chelator for 64Cu, 99mTc, Re and Co

We describe the synthesis of the dip (di-picolyl-carboxylate) bifunctional chelator system, capable of fast coordination of Cu(2+), (64)Cu(2+) and Co(2+), as well as the [M(CO)(3)](+)-core (M = (99m)Tc, Re); it displays a variety of binding modes--tridentate when protected, tetradentate when deprotected. Syntheses of both the benzyl-nitro derivative and the benzyl-amino derivatives are described. The latter was coupled to biotin to show the viability of the system for functionalization with biomolecules. Besides coordination chemistry with stable isotopes, we also present labelling data with (64)Cu and (99m)Tc, as well as in vitro stability studies.     

Determination of Mo,W and Zr in molybdates and tungstates of zirconium and titanium

Molybdate and tungstate of zirconium and titanium gels, used as matrices of ⁹⁹Mo/^99mTc and ¹⁸⁸W/¹⁸⁸Re generators, were synthesized under different conditions, in order to establish their performance and to choose the most appropriate gel to produce commercially. This type of generators demands a high content of Mo or W (>25%) in the matrices, since they use ⁹⁹Mo and ¹⁸⁸W of low specific activities. Therefore, it is of vital importance, to know the concentration of W and Mo in these gels, to determine their viability as matrices of the ⁹⁹Mo/^99mTc and ¹⁸⁸W/¹⁸⁸Re generators. There are different analytical methods to determine Mo and W, however, the presence of Zr and Ti in these gels, in many occasions, interfere in the analysis, imposing the previous separation of both metals before their determination. Therefore, the preparation time of the sample, the cost and the generation of chemical waste of these analyses are increasing. In order to eliminate these difficulties, the concentration of Mo, W and Zr of approximately 43 gels of molybdate and tungstate of zirconium and titanium, were evaluated by NAA without preparation of the samples. The results of this study reveal that the conditions of preparation of the gels influence directly their Mo and W content. In general, the titanium molybdate gels possess, on the average, a larger content of Mo (37%) than the zirconium molybdate gels (30%), while the titanium tungstenate gels contain only 8.5%.     

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.     

Toward novel DNA binding metal complexes: structure and basic kinetic data of [M(9MeG)2(CH3OH)(CO)3]+(M = 99Tc,Re)

To study the interaction of the fac-[M(CO)(3)](+) moiety (M = (99m)Tc, (188)Re) with DNA bases, we reacted [M(OH(2))(3)(CO)(3)](+) with 9-methylguanine (9-MeG), guanosine (G), and 2-deoxyguanosine (2dG). Two bases bind to the metal center via the N7 atoms. X-ray structure analysis of [(99)Tc(CH(3)OH)(9-MeG)(2)(CO)(3)](+) (4) (monoclinic, I2/a, a = 28.7533(14) A, b = 8.0631(4) A, c = 32.3600(15) A, beta = 91.543(6) degrees, V = 7499.6(6) A(3), Z = 8) and [Re(OH(2))(9-MeG)(2)(CO)(3)](+) (7) (monoclinic, P2(1)/n, a = 12.2873(11) A, b = 16.0707(13) A, c = 14.1809(16) A, beta = 103.361(12) degrees, V = 2724.4(5) A(3), Z = 4) reveals that the two bases are in a head-to-tail (HT) orientation. Kinetic studies show that the rates of substitution of the purine bases are comparable to that of one of the active forms of cisplatin. The bis-substituted complexes are generally less stable than the platinum adducts, and metalation of the bases is reversible.