The synthesis, magnetic purification and evaluation of 99mTc-labeled microbubbles.

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasound (US) contrast agents based on microbubbles (MBs) are being investigated as platforms for drug and gene delivery. A methodology for determining the distribution and fate of modified MBs quantitatively in vivo can be achieved by tagging MBs directly with (99m)Tc. This creates the opportunity to employ dual-modality imaging using both US and small animal SPECT along with quantitative ex vivo tissue counting to evaluate novel MB constructs. METHODS: A (99m)Tc-labeled biotin derivative ((99m)TcL1) was prepared and incubated with streptavidin-coated MBs. The (99m)Tc-labeled bubbles were isolated using a streptavidin-coated magnetic-bead purification strategy that did not disrupt the MBs. A small animal scintigraphic/CT imaging study as well as a quantitative biodistribution study was completed using (99m)TcL1 and (99m)Tc-labeled bubbles in healthy C57Bl-6 mice. RESULTS: The imaging and biodistribution data showed rapid accumulation and retention of (99m)Tc-MBs in the liver (68.2±6.6 %ID/g at 4 min; 93.3±3.2 %ID/g at 60 min) and spleen (214.2±19.7 %ID/g at 4 min; 213.4±19.7 %ID/g at 60 min). In contrast, (99m)TcL1 accumulated in multiple organs including the small intestine (22.5±3.6 %ID/g at 4 min; 83.4±5.9 %ID/g at 60 min) and bladder (184.0±88.1 %ID/g at 4 min; 24.2±17.7 %ID/g at 60 min). CONCLUSION: A convenient means to radiolabel and purify MBs was developed and the distribution of the labeled products determined. The result is a platform which can be used to assess the pharmacokinetics and fate of novel MB constructs both regionally using US and throughout the entire subject in a quantitative manner by employing small animal SPECT and tissue counting.

P-glycoprotein function at the blood-brain barrier imaged using 11C-N-desmethyl-loperamide in monkeys.

UNLABELLED: 11C-Loperamide is an avid substrate for P-glycoprotein (P-gp), but it is rapidly metabolized to 11C-N-desmethyl-loperamide (11C-dLop), which is also a substrate for P-gp and thereby contaminates the radioactive signal in the brain. Should further demethylation of 11C-dLop occur, radiometabolites with low entry into the brain are generated. Therefore, we evaluated the ability of 11C-dLop to quantify the function of P-gp at the blood-brain barrier in monkeys. METHODS: Six monkeys underwent 12 PET scans of the brain, 5 at baseline and 7 after pharmacologic blockade of P-gp. A subset of monkeys also underwent PET scans with 15O-water to measure cerebral blood flow. To determine whether P-gp blockade affected peripheral distribution of 11C-dLop, we measured whole-body biodistribution in 4 monkeys at baseline and after P-gp blockade. RESULTS: The concentration of 11C-dLop in the brain was low under baseline conditions and increased 5-fold after P-gp blockade. This increase was primarily caused by an increased rate of entry into the brain rather than a decreased rate of removal from the brain. With P-gp blockade, uptake of radioactivity among brain regions correlated linearly with blood flow, suggesting a high single-pass extraction. After correction for cerebral blood flow, the uptake of 11C-dLop was fairly uniform among brain regions, suggesting that the function of P-gp is fairly uniformly distributed in the brain. On whole-body imaging, P-gp blockade significantly affected distribution of radioactivity only to the brain and not to other visually identified source organs. The effective dose estimated for humans was approximately 9 microSv/MBq. CONCLUSION: PET with 11C-dLop can quantify P-gp function at the blood-brain barrier in monkeys. The single-pass extraction of 11C-dLop is high and requires correction for blood flow to accurately measure the function of this efflux transporter. The low uptake at baseline and markedly increased uptake after P-gp blockade suggest that 11C-dLop will be useful to measure a wide range of P-gp functions at the blood-brain barrier in humans.

Synthesis and evaluation of [N-methyl-11C]N-desmethyl-loperamide as a new and improved PET radiotracer for imaging P-gp function.

[(11)C]Loperamide has been proposed for imaging P-glycoprotein (P-gp) function with positron emission tomography (PET), but its metabolism to [N-methyl-(11)C] N-desmethyl-loperamide ([(11)C]dLop; [(11)C]3) precludes quantification. We considered that [(11)C]3 might itself be a superior radiotracer for imaging brain P-gp function and therefore aimed to prepare [(11)C]3 and characterize its efficacy. An amide precursor (2) was synthesized and methylated with [(11)C]iodomethane to give [(11)C]3. After administration of [(11)C]3 to wild-type mice, brain radioactivity uptake was very low. In P-gp (mdr-1a(-/-)) knockout mice, brain uptake of radioactivity at 30 min increased about 3.5-fold by PET measures, and over 7-fold by ex vivo measures. In knockout mice, brain radioactivity was predominantly (90%) unchanged radiotracer. In monkey PET experiments, brain radioactivity uptake was also very low but after P-gp blockade increased more than 7-fold. [(11)C]3 is an effective new radiotracer for imaging brain P-gp function and, in favor of future successful quantification, appears free of extensive brain-penetrant radiometabolites.

11C-loperamide and its N-desmethyl radiometabolite are avid substrates for brain permeability-glycoprotein efflux.

UNLABELLED: Loperamide, an opiate receptor agonist, does not cross the blood-brain barrier because it is a substrate for the permeability-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux pump. We evaluated 11C-loperamide as a PET radiotracer to measure P-gp function in vivo. METHODS: Monkeys were injected with 11C-loperamide, and PET brain images were acquired for 120 min. The baseline scans were followed by scans acquired after administration of either of 2 P-gp inhibitors, (2R)-anti-5-{3-[4-(10,11-dichloromethanodibenzo-suber-5-yl)piperazin-1-yl]-2-hydroxypropoxy}quinoline trihydrochloride (DCPQ) or tariquidar. Both the PET scans and ex vivo measurements were obtained in P-gp knockout and wild-type mice. RESULTS: Pharmacologic inhibition of P-gp in monkeys dose-dependently increased brain activity, with a 3.7-fold effect at the highest DCPQ dose (8 mg/kg intravenously). This increase of brain activity was not caused peripherally, because DCPQ insignificantly changed the plasma concentration and plasma protein binding of radiotracer. Furthermore, the structurally dissimilar inhibitor, tariquidar, also increased brain uptake with potency equal to that of DCPQ. P-gp knockout mice had 3-fold higher brain activity on PET than did wild-type animals. Four radiometabolites were detected in the plasma and brains of ex vivo mice. The most lipophilic radiometabolite was found to be comobile with reference dLop on high-performance liquid chromatography. The brain concentrations of 11C-loperamide and the putative 11C-dLop were about 16-fold greater in P-gp knockout mice than in wild-type mice. CONCLUSION: Both 11C-loperamide and its putative radiometabolite 11C-dLop are avid P-gp substrates. 11C-dLop may be superior to 11C-loperamide in measuring P-gp function at the blood-brain barrier, because further demethylation of 11C-dLop will generate radiometabolites that have little entry into the brain.

Thiol- and thioether-based bifunctional chelates for the {M(CO)3}+ core (M = Tc, Re).

By analogy to the recently described single amino acid chelate (SAAC) technology for complexation of the {M(CO)3}+ core (M = Tc, Re), a series of tridentate ligands containing thiolate and thioether groups, as well as amino and pyridyl nitrogen donors, have been prepared: (NC5H4CH2)2NCH2CH2SEt (L1); (NC5H4CH2)2NCH2CH2SH (L2); NC5H4CH2N(CH2CH2SH)2 (L3); (NC5H4CH2)N(CH2CH2SH)(CH2CO2R) [R = H (L4); R = -C2H5 (L5). The {Re(CO)3}+ core complexes of L1-L5 were prepared by the reaction of [Re(CO)3(H2O)3]Br or [NEt4]2[Re(CO)3Br3] with the appropriate ligand in methanol and characterized by infrared spectroscopy, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and in the case of [Re(CO)3(L2)] (Re-2) and [Re(CO)3(L1)Re(CO)3Br2] (Re-1a) by X-ray crystallography. The structure of Re-2 consists of discrete neutral monomers with a fac-Re(CO)3 coordination unit and the remaining coordination sites occupied by the amine, pyridyl, and thiolate donors of L2, leaving a pendant pyridyl arm. In contrast, the structure of Re-1a consists of discrete binuclear units, constructed from a {Re(CO)3(L1)}+ subunit linked to a {Re(CO)3Br2}- group through the sulfur donor of the pendant thioether arm. The series of complexes establishes that thiolate donors are effective ligands for the {M(CO)3}+ core and that a qualitative ordering of the coordination preferences of the core may be proposed: pyridyl nitrogen approximately thiolate > carboxylate > thioether sulfur > thiophene sulfur. The ligands L1 and L2 react cleanly with [99mTc(CO)3(H2O)3]+ in H2O/DMSO to give [99mTc(CO)3(L1)]+ (99m)Tc-1) and [99mTc(CO)3(L2)] (99mTc-2), respectively, in ca. 90% yield after HPLC purification. The Tc analogues 99mTc-1 and 99mTc-2 were subjected to ligand challenges by incubating each in the presence of 1000-fold excesses of both cysteine and histidine. The radiochromatograms showed greater than 95% recovery of the complexes.

Bifunctional single amino acid chelates for labeling of biomolecules with the [Tc(CO)(3)](+) and [Re(CO)(3)](+) cores. Crystal and molecular structures of [ReBr(CO)(3)(H(2)NCH(2)C(5)H(4)N)], [Re(CO)(3)[(C(5)H(4)NCH(2))(2)NH]]Br, [Re(CO)(3)[(C(5)H(4)NCH(2))(2)NCH(2)CO(2)H]]Br, [Re(CO)(3)[X(Y)NCH(2)CO(2)CH(2)CH(3)]]Br (X = Y = 2-pyridylmethyl; X = 2-pyridylmethyl, Y = 2-(1-methylimidazolyl)methyl; X = Y = 2-(1-methylimidazolyl)methyl), [ReBr(CO)(3)[(C(5)H(4)NCH(2))NH(CH(2)C(4)H(3)S)]], and [Re(CO)(3)[(C(5)H(4)NCH(2))N(CH(2)C(4)H(3)S)(CH(2)CO(2))]].

The reactions of a series of potentially tridentate ligands, derived from single amino acids or amino acid analogues, with [NEt(4)](2)[ReBr(3)(CO)(3)] have been investigated. The model compounds [Re(CO)(3)Br[(2-pyridylmethyl)NH(2)]] (1) and [Re(CO)(3)[(2-pyridylmethyl)(2)NH]]Br (2) were also prepared and structurally characterized. With ligands possessing two pyridyl appendages, (2-pyridylmethyl)(2)NX (X = -CH(2)CO(2)H, -CH(2)CO(2)Et, -CH(2)CH(2)CO(2)H, -CH(2)CH(2)CO(2)Et, -CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)CH(NHCO(2)(t)Bu)CO(2)H), complexes of the type [Re(CO)(3)(ligand)]Br (3-6) were isolated. All possess the fac-[Re(CO)(3)N(3)] coordination geometry in the cationic molecular unit. Similarly, the ligands with the imidazolyl arms (2-pyridylmethyl)[2-(1-methylimidazolyl)methyl]NCH(2)CO(2)Et and [2-(1-methylimidazolyl)methyl](2)NCH(2)CO(2)Et, complexes 7 and 8 of the same [Re(CO)(3)(ligand)]Br type, were prepared. Replacement of one pyridyl arm with a thiophene group yielded the complex [Re(CO)(3)[(2-pyridylmethyl)N(CH(2)CO(2))(2-thiophenemethyl)]] (9), while additional substitution of X = -H for -CH(2)CO(2)H yielded [Re(CO)(3)Br[(2-pyridylmethyl)NH(2-thiophenemethyl)]] (10). In both 9 and 10, the thiophene is uncoordinated and pendant, and the derivatives display fac-[Re(CO)(3)N(2)O] and fac-[Re(CO)(3)N(2)Br] coordination geometries, respectively. Crystal data: C(9)H(8)BrN(2)O(3)Re (1), triclinic P1, a = 8.156(1) A, b = 12.077(1) A, c = 12.945(2) A, alpha = 92.183(3) degrees, beta = 107.848(3) degrees, gamma = 100.955(7) degrees, V = 1185.1(3) A, Z = 4; C(15)H(13)BrN(3)O(3)Re (2), tetragonal P4(1), a = 8.6095(3) A, c = 22.228(1) A, V = 1646.9(1) A(3), Z = 4; C(17)H(14)BrN(3)O(5)Re.CH(3)OH (3), monoclinic P2(1)/m, a = 7.4425(3) A, b = 9.7596(4) A, c = 14.0646(6) A, beta = 97.753(1) degrees, V = 1012.26(7) A(3), Z = 2; C(19)H(19)BrN(3)O(5)Re (4), tetragonal P42(1)c, a = 16.895(3) A, c = 15.042(3) A, V = 4293.7(13) A(3), Z = 8; C(18)H(20)BrN(4)O(5)Re.CH(3)OH.H(2)O (7), monoclinic P2(1)/c, a = 10.2816(4) A, b = 30.386(1) A, c = 14.5810(6) A, beta = 99.868(1) degrees, V = 4488.03(3) A(3), Z = 8; C(17)H(21)BrN(5)O(5)Re.0.5CH(2)Cl(2).0.5H(2)O (8), triclinic P1, a = 11.5363(6) A, b = 13.1898(6) A, c = 16.4933(8) A, alpha = 89.356(1) degrees, beta = 74.907(1) degrees, gamma = 76.216(1) degrees, V = 2349.8(2) A(3), Z = 4; C(16)H(13)N(2)O(5)ReS (9), monoclinic P2(1)/c, a = 17.2072(7) A, b = 8.5853(4) A, c = 11.5607(5) A, beta = 101.73(1) degrees, V = 1672.2(1) A(3), Z = 4; and C(14)H(12)N(2)O(3)BrReS (10), triclinic P1, a = 7.5585(3) A, b = 9.7713(4) A, c = 11.7103(4) A, alpha = 109.566(1) degrees, beta = 98.298(1) degrees, gamma = 100.925(1) degrees, V = 779.73(5) A(3), Z = 2.

[Re(III)Cl(3)] core complexes with bifunctional single amino acid chelates.

The reactions of the Re(V) starting material [ReO(PPh(3))(2)Cl(3)] with ligands of the type XN(Y)Z [X = Y = 2-pyridylmethyl, Z = -CH(2)CO(2)Et (L(1)Et), -CH(2)CH(2)CO(2)Et (L(2)Et), -CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)CH(NHCO(2)Bu(t))CO(2)H (L(3)H); X = 2-pyridylmethyl, Y = 2-(1-methylimidazolyl)methyl, Z = -CH(2)CO(2)Et (L(4)Et)] yielded the Re(III) trichloride complexes of the type [ReCl(3)(L(n)R)]. The complexes are mononuclear, paramagnetic species with a facial geometry of the chloride ligands. The nitrogen donors of the tridentate L(n)()R ligands complete the distorted octahedral coordination spheres of the complexes. Crystal data: [ReCl(3)(L(1)Et)] (1), monoclinic, C2/m, a = 16.088(3) A, b = 9.980(2) A, c = 12.829(2) A, beta = 91.384(3) degrees, Z = 4, D(calc) = 1.967 g/cm(-)(3); [ReCl(3)(L(4)Et)] (4), monoclinic, C2/c, a = 22.880(1) A, b = 7.4926(4) A, c = 22.560(1) A, beta = 94.186(1) degrees, Z = 8, D(calc) = 2.001 g/cm(-3).