Astatine-211 labelled proteins and their stability in vivo

In an ongoing effort to obtain quantitative, rapid kit type labelling of [¹²³I] radiopharmaceuticals, we have examined organomercury precursors of [¹²³I] 15-(para-iodophenyl)-pentadecanoic acid (IPPA). Chloromercuri derivatives of phenyl pentadecanoic acid (PPA) and the PPA ethyl ester were obtained by mercuration utilizing mercuric trifluoroacetate in trifluoroacetic acid followed by treatment with acetic acid and hydrochloric acid. The most simple compound, chloromercuri PPA, proved insoluble at room temperature in the common solvents useful for radioiodination and purification. The study was extended in a systematic way to chloromercuri PPA ethyl ester and the acetoxy mercuri PPA ethyl ester. As expected, these two compounds posessed successively more useful ranges of solvent compatibility. Iodination and [¹²³I] radioiodination were carried out with the three compounds of PPA. Chloromercuri PPA was dissolved with difficulty in acetic acid at 70°C and 71% radiochemical yield of [¹²³I] IPPA was obtained during the course of a 5 minute reaction utilizing chloramine T. The chloromercuri PPA ethyl ester was dissolved in ethyl acetate/acetic acid (2/1 v/v) at room temperature and 87% radiochemical yield of [¹²³I] IPPA was obtained following 10 minutes reaction. With the acetoxy mercuri PPA ethyl ester it was possible to conduct the radioiodination in ethanol again using chloramine T. A modest radiochemical yield (r. y.) (51%) of [¹²³I] IPPA ethyl ester was obtained after 60 min. It was possible to enhance the radiochemical yield in the presence of lithium acetate (84% r. y.). The isomeric purity of the [¹²³I] IPPA ethyl ester was unexpectedly high (99.9% para) when the radioiodination was conducted at room temperature.