高压氧在放射性核素治疗大鼠种植癌后乏氧研究

目的:研究大鼠种植癌在高压氧(HBO)干预及放射治疗前后99mTc-HL91乏氧显像的变化,并探讨其与病理学改变之间的关系,为HBO联合放射性药物对恶性肿瘤治疗效果提供实验支持。方法:建立肿瘤株walker-256细胞大鼠皮下种植癌的动物模型,60只荷瘤大鼠随机分为四组:对照组,高压氧(HBO)组、胶体磷[32P]酸铬和HBO+胶体磷[32P]酸铬组。尾静脉注射99mTc-HL91 37MBq(0.1 mL),4 h后利用SPECT显像,计算肿瘤组织与对侧相应部位放射性计数比值(T/NT),显像当日游标卡尺测量肿瘤最大长径(a)和最大垂直横径(b),计算肿瘤体积以及治疗后不同时间的肿瘤生长率(f)。最后一次显像结束后处死全部模型大鼠,取肿瘤组织制成病理切片,观察各组大鼠肿瘤细胞的凋亡情况。比较实验各组T/NT与肿瘤生长率(f)以及凋亡的关系。结果:肿瘤99mTc-HL91显像良好,肿瘤部位与对侧相应部位具有较高的放射性计数比。治疗后大鼠肿瘤的乏氧区域及肿瘤体积均减少,以HBO+胶体磷[32P]酸铬组为著,T/NT与f呈正相关;大鼠肿瘤的细胞凋亡数明显高于对照组,以HBO+胶体磷[32P]酸铬组增加明显,治疗后T/NT与大鼠肿瘤细胞的凋亡数呈负相关。结论:HBO在放射性核素治疗大鼠种植癌中起到协同作用,通过99mTc-HL91乏氧显像观察HBO干预后胶体磷[32P]酸铬治疗肿瘤效果,从而为二者联合在肿瘤治疗的应用提供依据。     

生长抑素受体亚型SSTR2、SSTR3 在淋巴瘤中的表达 及临床意义

目的:探讨生长抑素受体亚型SSTR2和SSTR3在不同类型、不同部位淋巴瘤中的表达情况并分析其临床意义.方法:采用RT-PCR法检测105例4种不同淋巴瘤石蜡标本中SSTR2和SSTR3的基因表达情况.结果:SSTR2及SSTR3在粘膜相关性淋巴瘤阳性表达率分别为(8/27),(6/27),弥漫大B细胞型淋巴瘤(14/36),(12/36),NK/T细胞淋巴瘤(9/22),(6/22),伯基特淋巴瘤(6/20),(7/20),SSTR2的总阳性率为(37/105),SSTR3的总阳性率为(31/105).其中病变位于膈上的SSTR2的总阳性率为(24/105),膈下的总阳性率(14/105),而SSTR3在膈上的总阳性率为(19/105),膈下的为(11/l0S).结论:部分淋巴瘤组织中至少表达一种生长抑素受体,且表达率较低,但淋巴瘤是对放射性敏感的肿瘤,低表达的生长抑素受体对淋巴瘤的诊断及靶向治疗方面是否有意义,还需要进一步研究.     

生长抑素受体在人神经内分泌癌组织中的表达及受体激活对细胞生长的抑制

生长抑素（somatostatin,SST）通过与细胞膜上的G蛋白偶联的生长抑素受体（somatostatin receptors,SSTRs）结合而发挥其抑制细胞增殖的作用,因而生长抑素类似物（somatostatin analogue, SSA）常被用于肿瘤辅助治疗。然而,治疗效果存在相当大的个体差异,推测生长抑素类似物治疗效果不佳,与内源性生长抑素受体表达缺失或者表达量和亚型组合有关。为此,检测各亚型SSTR在几例罕见的神经内分泌肿瘤中的表达,并检测过表达SSTR2和SSTR5以及受体激活对细胞增殖的抑制效果,分析受体激活的可能机制,有助于临床筛选适合SSA肿瘤辅助治疗的病例,预估SSA的治疗效果。免疫组化检测肿瘤组织SSTR1-5的表达。在培养的293T细胞中过表达SSTR2和SSTR5,免疫共沉淀检测受体相互作用,免疫荧光和共聚焦显微镜检测受体细胞内定位。用MTT法检测受体过表达及激活对培养的人肺癌细胞NCI-H460细胞增殖的影响,用流式细胞技术检测细胞周期分布。SSTR1-5在10例神经内分泌肿瘤组织中均有不同程度的表达,表达亚型及表达量与肿瘤类型和年龄无关,SSTR5在所有肿瘤组织中均表达。SSTR2与SSTR5可形成受体相互作用。SSTR2与SSTR5活化后相互作用增加并定位于细胞质。共表达SSTR2和SSTR5显著抑制细胞增殖,并与受体激活剂呈现剂量相关性。SSTR2/SSTR5的共表达及激活显著减少S期的细胞而滞留于G₁期。     

高压氧在放射性核素治疗大鼠种植癌后乏氧研究

目的：研究大鼠种植癌在高压氧（HBO）干预及放射治疗前后99mTc-HL91乏氧显像的变化,并探讨其与病理学改变之间的关系,为HBO联合放射性药物对恶性肿瘤治疗效果提供实验支持。方法：建立肿瘤株walker-256细胞大鼠皮下种植癌的动物模型,60只荷瘤大鼠随机分为四组：对照组,高压氧（HBO）组、胶体磷[^32P]酸铬和HBO＋胶体磷[^32P]酸铬组。尾静脉注射99mTc-HL9137MBq（0．1mL）,4h后利用SPECT显像,计算肿瘤组织与对侧相应部位放射性计数比值（T小T）,显像当日游标卡尺测量肿瘤最大长径（a）和最大垂直横径（b）,计算肿瘤体积以及治疗后不同时间的肿瘤生长率（f）。最后一次显像结束后处死全部模型大鼠,取肿瘤组织制成病理切片,观察各组大鼠肿瘤细胞的凋亡情况。比较实验各组T／NT与肿瘤生长率（f）以及凋亡的关系。结果：肿瘤99mTc-HL91显像良好,肿瘤部位与对侧相应部位具有较高的放射性计数比。治疗后大鼠肿瘤的乏氧区域及肿瘤体积均减少,以HBO＋胶体磷[^32P]酸铬组为著,T／NT与f呈正相关;大鼠肿瘤的细胞凋亡数明显高于对照组,以HBO＋胶体磷[^32P]酸铬组增加明显,治疗后T／NT与大鼠肿瘤细胞的凋亡数呈负相关。结论：HBO在放射性核素治疗大鼠种植癌中起到协同作用,通过99mTc—HL91乏氧显像观察HBO干预后胶体磷[^32P]酸铬治疗肿瘤效果,从而为二者联合在肿瘤治疗的应用提供依据。     

鳜两种生长抑素受体cDNA全长克隆与组织表达

利用cDNA末端快速扩增(RACE)技术克隆了鳜(Siniperca chuatsi)脑中2种生长抑素受体(somatostatin receptor,SSTR2和SSTR3)cDNA全长序列。结果显示,鳜SSTR2 cDNA全长1 820 bp,含开放阅读框1 146 bp,编码382个氨基酸;SSTR3 cDNA全长1 874 bp,含开放阅读框1 458 bp,编码486个氨基酸。SSTR均由5个结构区域组成:N端、7个转膜区(TMD)、3个细胞外袢(ECLs)、4个细胞内袢(ICLs)和C末端。NJ系统进化树分析显示,鳜SSTR2和SSTR3分别形成相对独立的分支,两者间的氨基酸序列相似度为51.2%,表明它们是由不同基因编码而成。利用实时荧光定量RT-PCR技术检测了鳜SSTR2和SSTR3 mRNA的组织表达特征,它们均在多种组织中广泛表达,SSTR2 mRNA在肝中表达量最高,SSTR3 mRNA在胃中表达量最高。SSTR2、SSTR3表达差异反映它们可能参与不同生理调控作用。     

131I标记Tyr-GX1在荷瘤裸鼠体内分布和显像研究

目的:设计、合成酪氨酸(Tyr)修饰的肿瘤血管靶向肽GX1,研究131I标记短肽Tyr-GX1在荷人胃癌裸鼠体内的生物学分布与显像,探讨131I-Tyr-GX1短肽作为肿瘤血管靶向诊治药物的可能性.方法:利用Iodogen碘标法对Tyr-GX1进行131I标记,检测其标记率和体内外稳定性;建立荷人胃癌裸鼠动物模型,尾静脉注射标记肽,分别进行体内生物学分布实验和肿瘤显像实验,结果用PASW Statistics 18.0统计软件进行分析.结果:1).纸层析法结果计算表明,131I-Tyr-GX1肽的标记率和放化纯均达90％以上;24 h稳定性测试表明,131I-Tyr-GX1在室温下存放以及与人血清、鼠血清、PBS等溶液混合,其标记率仍然都维持在90％左右,说明其具有良好的体内外稳定性;2).荷瘤裸鼠体内生物学分布研究显示:标记肽在荷瘤裸鼠双肾放射性计数测量最高;其次是肝脏、肿瘤等组织;脑、骨、肌肉组织放射性计数含量较低,给药24 h时,肿瘤/肌肉(T/M)、肿瘤/血液(T/B1)、肿瘤/脑组织(T/Br)的放射性比值分别是5.78、4.06和23.01;3).体内SPECT显像结果显示:尾静脉注射131I-Tyr-GX1肽后4h肿瘤部位已开始显影,并随时间的延长,显像逐渐清楚,至18h时,肿瘤显像最清晰.结论:应用Iodogen碘标法成功标记Tyr-GX1短肽;尾静脉注射131I-Tyr-GX1后,肿瘤部位可以出现放射性浓聚,表明131I-Tyr-GX1短肽可以靶向结合于肿瘤部位,有望成为新一种胃肠道肿瘤诊断与治疗的药物.     

转IE2基因荷瘤小鼠中ATF5功能影响的研究

利用转IE2基因小鼠荷瘤的方法,对肿瘤组织中ATF5转录激活因子进行定性和定量的检测,从而探究巨细胞病毒(HCMV)即刻早期蛋白IE86对ATF5功能的影响。通过鼠胶质瘤细胞GL261对转基因鼠进行荷瘤,采用RT-PCR和Western blot的方法,对荷瘤鼠的肿瘤组织中转录因子ATF5的表达量进行检测。采用RT-PCR和Western blot的方法检测荷瘤鼠肿瘤组织中转录因子ATF5的表达,结果显示,转IE2基因小鼠体内ATF5表达量较正常小鼠ATF5表达量高。ATF5在转IE2基因荷瘤鼠中呈现高表达状态,ATF5是一个与凋亡密切相关的转录因子,在凋亡、分化及发育等生理过程中发挥着重要作用。     

子宫内膜癌组织中生长抑素受体、VEGF的表达及其与血管形成的关系

目的探讨生长抑素受体（somatostatin receptor,SSTR）、血管内皮生长因子（vascular endothelial growth factor,VEGF）在子宫内膜癌组织中的表达及其与肿瘤血管形成的关系。方法应用免疫组织化学方法检测60例子宫内膜癌组织中SSTR各亚型、VEGF及CD34标记的微血管密度（microvessel denisity,MVD）的表达情况,探讨其与子宫内膜癌临床病理学特征及肿瘤血管形成的关系。结果在60例子宫内膜癌组织中,SSTR各亚型（SSTR1、SSTR2、SSTR3、SSTR4及SSTR5）的阳性表达率分别为70．0％,15．0％。21．7％,23．3％及18．3％;SSTR3、SSTR4在中高分化组表达阳性率明显高于低分化组（P〈0．05）。VEGF的阳性表达率为83．3％,VEGF在低分化组表达阳性率明显高于中高分化组、深肌层浸润组表达阳性率明显高于浅肌层浸润组、FIGO分期≥II期组表达阳性率明显高于I期组（P〈0．05）。子宫内膜癌组MVD（44．85±15．78）明显高于正常子宫内膜组MVD（18．96±4．30）（P〈0．01）。SSTR5的表达与VEGF呈负相关,VEGF阳性表达组子宫内膜癌组织MVD高于VEGF阴性组。结论联合检测SSTR和VEGF对子宫内膜癌预后的评估有一定临床意义。生长抑素类似物（somatostatin analogs,SSTA）可能为子宫内膜癌的诊治提供新的靶点。     

99mTc标记BmK CT及其胶质瘤荷瘤裸鼠的SPECT成像研究

目的:通过放射性核素~(99m)Tc标记BmK CT多肽制备靶向胶质瘤的显像剂,探讨~(99m)?Tc-BmK CT用于胶质瘤显像的可行性。方法:采用BmK CT多肽游离的氨基与DTPA酸酐反应得到BmK CT-DTPA,经99m Tc标记后通过柱层析分离纯化制备~(99m)?Tc-BmK CT。测定标记物在PBS溶液和血清中不同时间点放射性化学纯度,评价BmK CT-~(99m)?Tc体外稳定性。新西兰白兔耳缘静脉注射~(99m)Tc-BmK CT进行SPECT显像,观察不同时间点体内的放射性分布。皮下胶质瘤裸鼠经尾静脉注射~(99m)Tc-BmK CT,观察不同时间点肿瘤的摄取情况;注射后4 h处死裸鼠,分离肿瘤和主要器官进行离体SPECT显像,并用勾画感兴趣区法分析相对放射性计数。结果:~(99m)Tc标记BmK CT多肽标记率大于80%,经柱层析分离纯化后放射性化学纯度大于99%。标记物在PBS和血清稳定性良好,6 h内放射性化学纯度均大于95%,12 h内放射性化学纯度大于90%。正常白兔SPECT显像表明~(99m)Tc-BmK CT主要浓聚在肝脏、脾脏和肾脏,软组织持续显影微弱,甲状腺区及胃肠未见核素浓聚;显像剂主要通过泌尿系统排泄,24 h肾脏与肝脏显影接近。胶质瘤裸鼠SPECT显像表明,注射后4 h肿瘤显像清楚,ROI分析结果显示肿瘤/肌肉比4.26±0.25,标记物在肿瘤内代谢缓慢,8 h肿瘤部位仍有较高摄取。结论:本研究成功制备了~(99m)Tc标记BmK CT多肽,标记物主要被肝、脾和肾摄取,经泌尿系统排泄;~(99m)Tc-BmK CT能够在皮下胶质瘤中浓聚,注射后4 h肿瘤显影清晰,瘤内代谢缓慢,有潜力成为一种新型胶质瘤分子探针。     

^131I标记Tyr-GX1在荷瘤裸鼠体内分布和显像研究

目的：设计、合成酪氨酸（Tyr）修饰的肿瘤血管靶向肽GX1,研究^131I标记短肽Tyr-GX1在荷人胃癌裸鼠体内的生物学分布与显像,探讨^131I-Tyr-GX1短肽作为肿瘤血管靶向诊治药物的可能性。方法：利用Iodogen碘标法对Tyr-GX1进行131I标记,检测其标记率和体内外稳定性;建立荷人胃癌裸鼠动物模型,尾静脉注射标记肽,分别进行体内生物学分布实验和肿瘤显像实验,结果用PASW Statistics18.0统计软件进行分析。结果：1）.纸层析法结果计算表明,^131I-Tyr-GX1肽的标记率和放化纯均达90%以上;24 h稳定性测试表明,^131I-Tyr-GX1在室温下存放以及与人血清、鼠血清、PBS等溶液混合,其标记率仍然都维持在90%左右,说明其具有良好的体内外稳定性;2）.荷瘤裸鼠体内生物学分布研究显示：标记肽在荷瘤裸鼠双肾放射性计数测量最高;其次是肝脏、肿瘤等组织;脑、骨、肌肉组织放射性计数含量较低,给药24 h时,肿瘤/肌肉（T/M）、肿瘤/血液（T/Bl）、肿瘤/脑组织（T/Br）的放射性比值分别是5.78、4.06和23.01;3）.体内SPECT显像结果显示：尾静脉注射^131I-Tyr-GX1肽后4 h肿瘤部位已开始显影,并随时间的延长,显像逐渐清楚,至18 h时,肿瘤显像最清晰。结论：应用Iodogen碘标法成功标记Tyr-GX1短肽;尾静脉注射^131I-Tyr-GX1后,肿瘤部位可以出现放射性浓聚,表明^131I-Tyr-GX1短肽可以靶向结合于肿瘤部位,有望成为新一种胃肠道肿瘤诊断与治疗的药物。     

Synthesis and characterization of folic acid modified water-soluble chitosan derivatives for folate-receptor-mediated targeting

Three chemical modification methods of carboxymethylation, quaternization and hydroxypropylation were used to synthesize water-soluble chitosan derivatives. In order to study the feasibility of these chitosan derivatives as backbones of nuclear imaging agents, folic acid (FA) and Technetium-99m were introduced onto the water-soluble chitosan chains. The bifunctional chelating agent 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) was conjugated to the folate grafted chitosan derivatives for chelating with radionuclides such as (64)Cu and (68)Ga. The structures of these new ligands were characterized with multiple methods. The solubility and stability of the (99m)Tc-complexes were both favorable. Further study of their radiochemical and biological properties will be performed to evaluate the usefulness of these water-soluble chitosan derivatives for nuclear imaging agent design.     

Positron emission tomography imaging of CD105 expression with a 64Cu-labeled monoclonal antibody: NOTA is superior to DOTA

Optimizing the in vivo stability of positron emission tomography (PET) tracers is of critical importance to cancer diagnosis. In the case of (64)Cu-labeled monoclonal antibodies (mAb), in vivo behavior and biodistribution is critically dependent on the performance of the bifunctional chelator used to conjugate the mAb to the radiolabel. This study compared the in vivo characteristics of (64)Cu-labeled TRC105 (a chimeric mAb that binds to both human and murine CD105), through two commonly used chelators: 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (NOTA) and 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA). Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that chelator conjugation of TRC105 did not affect its CD105 binding affinity or specificity. PET imaging and biodistribution studies in 4T1 murine breast tumor-bearing mice revealed that (64)Cu-NOTA-TRC105 exhibited better stability than (64)Cu-DOTA-TRC105 in vivo, which resulted in significantly lower liver uptake without compromising the tumor targeting efficiency. In conclusion, this study confirmed that NOTA is a superior chelator to DOTA for PET imaging with (64)Cu-labeled TRC105.     

Synthesis of aminooxy-functionalized lanthanide(III) chelates for carbonyl-group conjugation

The syntheses of three new aminooxy-tethered lanthanide(III) chelates, compounds 1-3, incorporating DOTA (= 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid), DTPA (= diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid), or a substituted terpyridine (2,2',2',2'-[2,2': 6',2'-terpyridine-6,6'-diylbis(methylenenitrilo)]tetraacetic acid), respectively, are described. Reagents 1-3 can be used for carbonyl 'labeling', as shown by the formation of the corresponding oxime-ether bioconjugates of naltrexone (16) and 2-deoxy-beta-D-glucose (17) (Scheme 4).     

Novel chemically modified analogues of neuropeptide Y for tumor targeting

The successful use of peptides as potential radiopharmaceuticals essentially requires the modification of the bioactive peptide hormones to introduce chelators for radiolabeling. In this study, four Y 1/Y 2 receptor-selective NPY analogues with different receptor subtype specificities have been investigated. For in vitro studies, the cold metal surrogate was used. Gallium and indium complexes were introduced by using 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid as bifunctional chelator. The peptides were synthesized by solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), the chelator was coupled either at the N-terminus or at the N(epsilon) side chain of Lys(4) of the resin-bound peptide, and the labeling was performed in solution after cleavage. Competitive binding assays showed high binding affinity of the receptor-selective analogues at NPY receptor expressing cells. To test internalization of the novel peptide analogues and the metabolic stability in human blood plasma, the corresponding 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (CF) analogues were prepared and investigated. One of the most promising analogues, the Y 1-receptor selective [Lys(DOTA)(4), Phe(7), Pro(34)]NPY was labeled with (111)In and injected into nude mice that bear MCF-7 breast cancer xenografts, and biodistribution studies were performed. In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that receptor-selective analogues of NPY have promising characteristics for future applications in nuclear medicine for breast tumor diagnosis and therapy.     

Simple synthesis of a building block for solid-phase labeling of oligonucleotides with 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)

Synthesis of a nucleosidic phosphoramidite building block which allows solid-phase introduction of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) to synthetic oligonucleotides using a standard oligonucleotide synthesizer is described.     

An estradiol-conjugate for radiolabelling with 177Lu: an attempt to prepare a radiotherapeutic agent

177Lu is presently being considered as one of the most promising radionuclide for targeted therapy owing to its suitable decay characteristics. 177Lu in high radionuclidic purity (99.99%) and moderate specific activity (100-110 TBq/g) was produced using enriched (60.6% 176Lu) Lu2O3 target. The macrocycle 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) is known to form stable complexes with lanthanides. Herein, we describe a novel attempt to introduce 177Lu in the estradiol moiety through a steroidal-BFCA (Bifunctional Chelating Agent) conjugate. The preparation of a steroid conjugate via coupling of 6alpha-amino-17beta-estradiol with a C-functionalized DOTA derivative viz. p-NCS-benzyl-DOTA as a BFCA and thereafter the radiolabelling of the conjugate with 177Lu is reported. Biological activity of the resultant estradiol-DOTA conjugate after radiolabelling was studied by carrying out preliminary in vitro cell uptake studies with MCF-7, human breast carcinoma cell line expressing estrogen receptors as well as binding studies with anti-estradiol antibodies.     

Synthesis and evaluation of novel gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor-targeting peptides

The purpose of this study was to develop novel radiolabeled gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor-targeting peptides for breast cancer imaging. Three novel 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)-conjugated GnRH peptides were designed and synthesized. The radiometal chelator DOTA was conjugated to the epsilon or alpha amino group of D-lysine, or the epsilon amino group of L-lysine via an Ahx {aminohexanoic acid} linker to generate DOTA-Ahx-(D-Lys(6)-GnRH1), DOTA-Ahx-(D-Lys(6)-GnRH2) and DOTA-Ahx-(L-Lys(6)-GnRH3), respectively. The conjugation of the DOTA to the epsilon amino group of D-lysine (rather than alpha amino group of D-lysine nor epsilon amino group of L-lysine) maintained the nanomolar GnRH receptor binding affinity. The IC(50) values of DOTA-Ahx-(D-Lys(6)-GnRH1), DOTA-Ahx-(D-Lys(6)-GnRH2) and DOTA-Ahx-(L-Lys(6)-GnRH3) were 36.1 nM, 10.6 mM and 4.3 mM, respectively. Since only DOTA-Ahx-(D-Lys(6)-GnRH1) displayed nanomolar receptor binding affinity, the specific GnRH receptor binding of (111)In-DOTA-Ahx-(D-Lys(6)-GnRH1) was determined in human GnRH receptor membrane preparations. Furthermore, the biodistribution and tumor imaging properties of (111)In-DOTA-Ahx-(D-Lys(6)-GnRH1) were examined in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer-xenografted nude mice. (111)In-DOTA-Ahx-(D-Lys(6)-GnRH1) exhibited specific GnRH receptor binding and rapid tumor uptake (1.76 ± 0.58% ID/g at 0.5 h postinjection) coupled with fast whole-body clearance through the urinary system. The MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer-xenografted tumor lesions were clearly visualized by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/CT at 1 h postinjection of (111)In-DOTA-Ahx-(D-Lys(6)-GnRH1). The profound impact of DOTA position on the binding affinity of the GnRH peptide provided a new insight into the design of novel radiolabeled GnRH peptides. The successful imaging of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer-xenografted tumor lesions using (111)In-DOTA-Ahx-(D-Lys(6)-GnRH1) suggested its potential as a novel imaging probe for human breast cancer imaging.     

In vivo behavior of copper-64-labeled methanephosphonate tetraaza macrocyclic ligands

Copper-64 ( T(1/2)=12.7 h; beta(+): 0.653 MeV, 17.4%; beta(-): 0.578 MeV, 39%) is produced in a biomedical cyclotron and has applications in both imaging and therapy. Macrocyclic chelators are widely used as bifunctional chelators to bind copper radionuclides to antibodies and peptides owing to their relatively high kinetic stability. In this paper, we evaluated three tetraaza macrocyclic ligands with two, three, and four pendant methanephosphonate functional groups. DO2P [1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,7-di(methanephosphonic acid)], DO3P [1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-tri(methanephosphonic acid)], and DOTP [1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetra(methanephosphonic acid)] were all radiolabeled with (64)Cu in high radiochemical yields. Copper-64-labeled DO2P and DOTP were highly stable in rat serum out to 24 h, while (64)Cu-DO3P remained 73% intact, with the remainder possibly forming a (64)Cu(.)2DO3P dimer by 24 h. The biodistribution experiments were performed in normal Sprague-Dawley rats. Of the three complexes, (64)Cu-DO2P demonstrated the most optimal clearance through the blood and liver. Copper-64-DO3P and (64)Cu-DOTP exhibited higher liver uptake and longer retention of liver activity, possibly because of the large negative charge of the complexes under physiological conditions. All three (64)Cu-labeled complexes showed high accumulation in bone, likely due to the binding of the methanephosphonate groups to hydroxyapatite. These results suggest that this series of methanephosphonate macrocyclic ligands may be useful as potential bone-imaging agents. The thermodynamic stability constants of the Cu(II) complexes with these three ligands were determined, and were found to be significantly higher than those of their acetate analogues. The Cu(II)-DO2P complex exhibited the highest stability constant among divalent transition metal ion DO2P complexes. Metabolism studies of (64)Cu-DO2P in rat liver suggest that the DO2P ligand may be used as a bifunctional chelator for copper radionuclides in radiodiagnostic or radiotherapeutic studies.     

The synthesis and chelation chemistry of DOTA-peptide conjugates

Metal complexes of DOTA (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid)-peptide conjugates are increasingly used as targeted imaging and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals and MRI contrast agents. This review covers the bifunctional derivatives of DOTA, the solution and solid-phase synthesis of DOTA-peptide conjugates, their coordination and chelation chemistry, and the biomedical applications of various DOTA-peptide conjugate metal complexes.     

In vivo evaluation of medical device-associated inflammation using a macrophage-specific positron emission tomography (PET) imaging probe

To image implant-surrounding activated macrophages, a macrophage-specific PET probe was prepared by conjugating folic acid (FA) and 2,2′,2″,2?-(1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetrayl)tetracetic acid (DOTA) to polyethylene glycol (PEG) and then labeling the conjugate with Ga-68. In vivo PET imaging evaluations demonstrate that the probe is able to detect foreign body reactions, and more importantly, quantify the degree of inflammatory responses to an implanted medical device. These results were further validated by histological analysis.