Subject-Specific Finite Element Models of the Tibia With Realistic Boundary Conditions Predict Bending Deformations Consistent With In Vivo Measurement.

Understanding the structural response of bone during locomotion may help understand the etiology of stress fracture. This can be done in a subject-specific manner using finite element (FE) modeling, but care is needed to ensure that modeling assumptions reflect the in vivo environment. Here, we explored the influence of loading and boundary conditions (BC), and compared predictions to previous in vivo measurements. Data were collected from a female participant who walked/ran on an instrumented treadmill while motion data were captured. Inverse dynamics of the leg (foot, shank, and thigh segments) was combined with a musculoskeletal (MSK) model to estimate muscle and joint contact forces. These forces were applied to an FE model of the tibia, generated from computed tomography (CT). Eight conditions varying loading/BCs were investigated. We found that modeling the fibula was necessary to predict realistic tibia bending. Applying joint moments from the MSK model to the FE model was also needed to predict torsional deformation. During walking, the most complex model predicted deformation of 0.5 deg posterior, 0.8 deg medial, and 1.4 deg internal rotation, comparable to in vivo measurements of 0.5-1 deg, 0.15-0.7 deg, and 0.75-2.2 deg, respectively. During running, predicted deformations of 0.3 deg posterior, 0.3 deg medial, and 0.5 deg internal rotation somewhat underestimated in vivo measures of 0.85-1.9 deg, 0.3-0.9 deg, 0.65-1.72 deg, respectively. Overall, these models may be sufficiently realistic to be used in future investigations of tibial stress fracture.

Water treadmill exercise reduces equine limb segmental accelerations and increases shock attenuation.

BACKGROUND: Equine water treadmills (WTs) are growing in popularity because they are believed to allow for high resistance, low impact exercise. However, little is known about the effect of water height on limb loading. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of water height and speed on segmental acceleration and impact attenuation during WT exercise in horses. Three uniaxial accelerometers (sampling rate: 2500 Hz) were secured on the left forelimb (hoof, mid-cannon, mid-radius). Horses walked at two speeds (S1: 0.83 m/s, S2: 1.39 m/s) and three water heights (mid-cannon, carpus, stifle), with a dry WT control. Peak acceleration of each segment was averaged over five strides, attenuation was calculated, and stride frequency was estimated by the time between successive hoof contacts. Linear mixed effects models were used to examine the effects of water height, speed, and accelerometer location on peak acceleration, attenuation and stride frequency (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Peak acceleration at all locations was lower with water of any height compared to the dry control (p < 0.0001). Acceleration was reduced with water at the height of the stifle compared to mid-cannon water height (p = 0.02). Water at the height of the stifle attenuated more impact than water at the height of the cannon (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Water immersion during treadmill exercise reduced segmental accelerations and increased attenuation in horses. WT exercise may be beneficial in the rehabilitation of lower limb injuries in horses.

Bone fragility after spinal cord injury: reductions in stiffness and bone mineral at the distal femur and proximal tibia as a function of time.

Computed tomography and finite element modeling were used to assess bone structure at the knee as a function of time after spinal cord injury. Analyzed regions experienced degradation in stiffness, mineral density, and content. Changes were well described as an exponential decay over time, reaching a steady state 3.5 years after injury. INTRODUCTION: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with bone fragility and an increased risk of fracture around the knee. The purpose of this study was to investigate bone stiffness and mineral content at the distal femur and proximal tibia, using finite element (FE) and computed tomography (CT) measures. A cross-sectional design was used to compare differences between non-ambulatory individuals with SCI as a function of time after injury (0-50 years). METHODS: CT scans of the knee were obtained from 101 individuals who experienced an SCI 30 days to 50 years prior to participation. Subject-specific FE models were used to estimate stiffness under axial compression and torsional loading, and CT data was analyzed to assess volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) for integral, cortical, and trabecular compartments of the epiphyseal, metaphyseal, and diaphyseal regions of the distal femur and proximal tibia. RESULTS: Bone degradation was well described as an exponential decay over time (R2 = 0.33-0.83), reaching steady-state levels within 3.6 years of SCI. Individuals at a steady state had 40 to 85% lower FE-derived bone stiffness and robust decreases in CT mineral measures, compared to individuals who were recently injured (t ≤ 47 days). Temporal and spatial patterns of bone loss were similar between the distal femur and proximal tibia. CONCLUSIONS: After SCI, individuals experienced rapid and profound reductions in bone stiffness and bone mineral at the knee. FE models predicted similar reductions to axial and torsional stiffness, suggesting that both failure modes may be clinically relevant. Importantly, CT-derived measures of bone mineral alone underpredicted the impacts of SCI, compared to FE-derived measures of stiffness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01225055, NCT02325414).

Bone mineral and stiffness loss at the distal femur and proximal tibia in acute spinal cord injury.

SUMMARY: Computed tomography and finite element modeling were used to assess bone mineral and stiffness loss at the knee following acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Marked bone mineral loss was observed from a combination of trabecular and endocortical resorption. Reductions in stiffness were 2-fold greater than reductions in integral bone mineral. INTRODUCTION: SCI is associated with a rapid loss of bone mineral and an increased rate of fragility fracture. The large majority of these fractures occur around regions of the knee. Our purpose was to quantify changes to bone mineral, geometry, strength indices, and stiffness at the distal femur and proximal tibia in acute SCI. METHODS: Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and patient-specific finite element analysis were performed on 13 subjects with acute SCI at serial time points separated by a mean of 3.5 months (range 2.6-4.8 months). Changes in bone mineral content (BMC) and volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) were quantified for integral, trabecular, and cortical bone at epiphyseal, metaphyseal, and diaphyseal regions of the distal femur and proximal tibia. Changes in bone volumes, cross-sectional areas, strength indices and stiffness were also determined. RESULTS: Bone mineral loss was similar in magnitude at the distal femur and proximal tibia. Reductions were most pronounced at epiphyseal regions, ranging from 3.0 % to 3.6 % per month for integral BMC (p < 0.001) and from 2.8 % to 3.4 % per month (p < 0.001) for integral vBMC. Trabecular BMC decreased by 3.1-4.4 %/month (p < 0.001) and trabecular vBMD by 2.7-4.7 %/month (p < 0.001). A 3.8-5.4 %/month reduction was observed for cortical BMC (p < 0.001); the reduction in cortical vBMD was noticeably lower (0.6-0.8 %/month; p ≤ 0.01). The cortical bone loss occurred primarily through endosteal resorption, and reductions in strength indices and stiffness were some 2-fold greater than reductions in integral bone mineral. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the need for therapeutic interventions targeting both trabecular and endocortical bone mineral preservation in acute SCI.

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry of the knee in spinal cord injury: methodology and correlation with quantitative computed tomography.

STUDY DESIGN: Comparison of diagnostic tests; methodological validation. OBJECTIVES: Primary: to investigate the precision and reliability of a knee bone mineral density (BMD) assessment protocol that uses an existing dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) forearm acquisition algorithm in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Secondary: to correlate DXA-based knee areal BMD with volumetric BMD assessments derived from quantitative computed tomography (QCT). SETTING: Academic medical center, Chicago, IL, USA. PARTICIPANTS: a convenience sample of 12 individuals with acute SCI recruited for an observational study of bone loss and 34 individuals with chronic SCI who were screened for a longitudinal study evaluating interventions to increase BMD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Root-mean-square standard deviation (RMS-SD) and intra/inter-rater reliability of areal BMD acquired at three knee regions using an existing DXA forearm acquisition algorithm; correlation of DXA-based areal BMD with QCT-derived volumetric BMD. RESULTS: The RMS-SD of areal BMD at the distal femoral epiphysis, distal femoral metaphysis and proximal tibial epiphysis averaged 0.021, 0.012 and 0.016 g cm(-2), respectively, in acute SCI and 0.018, 0.02 and 0.016 g cm(-2) in chronic SCI. All estimates of intra/inter-rater reliability exceeded 97% and DXA-based areal BMD was significantly correlated with QCT-derived volumetric BMD at all knee regions analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: Existing DXA forearm acquisition algorithms are sufficiently precise and reliable for short-term assessments of knee BMD in individuals with SCI. Future work is necessary to quantify the reliability of this approach in longitudinal investigations and to determine its ability to predict fractures and recovery potential. SPONSORSHIP: This work was funded by the Department of Defense, grant number DOD W81XWH-10-1-0951, with partial support from Merck & Co, Inc.

Bone mineral loss at the proximal femur in acute spinal cord injury.

UNLABELLED: This study used quantitative computed tomography to assess changes in bone mineral at the proximal femur after acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Individuals with acute SCI experienced a marked loss of bone mineral from a combination of trabecular and endocortical resorption. Targeted therapeutic interventions are thus warranted in this population. INTRODUCTION: SCI is associated with a rapid loss of bone mineral and an increased rate of fragility fracture. Some 10 to 20% of these fractures occur at the proximal femur. The purpose of this study was to quantify changes to bone mineral, geometry, and measures of strength at the proximal femur in acute SCI. METHODS: Quantitative computed tomography analysis was performed on 13 subjects with acute SCI at serial time points separated by a mean of 3.5 months (range, 2.6-4.8 months). Changes in bone mineral content (BMC) and volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) were quantified for integral, trabecular, and cortical bone at the femoral neck, trochanteric, and total proximal femur regions. Changes in bone volumes, cross-sectional areas, and surrogate measures of compressive and bending strength were also determined. RESULTS: During the acute period of SCI, subjects experienced a 2.7-3.3%/month reduction in integral BMC (p < 0.001) and a 2.5-3.1 %/month reduction in integral vBMD (p < 0.001). Trabecular BMC decreased by 3.1-4.7 %/month (p < 0.001) and trabecular vBMD by 2.8-4.4 %/month (p < 0.001). A 3.9-4.0 %/month reduction was observed for cortical BMC (p < 0.001), while the reduction in cortical vBMD was noticeably lower (0.8-1.0 %/month; p ≤ 0.01). Changes in bone volume and cross-sectional area suggested that cortical bone loss occurred primarily through endosteal resorption. Declines in bone mineral were associated with a 4.9-5.9 %/month reduction in surrogate measures of strength. CONCLUSIONS: These data highlight the need for therapeutic interventions in this population that target both trabecular and endocortical bone mineral preservation.

Stressed volume estimated by finite element analysis predicts the fatigue life of human cortical bone: The role of vascular canals as stress concentrators.

The fatigue life of cortical bone can vary several orders of magnitude, even in identical loading conditions. A portion of this variability is likely related to intracortical microarchitecture and the role of vascular canals as stress concentrators. The size, spatial distribution, and density of canals determine the peak magnitude and volume of stress concentrations. This study utilized a combination of experimental fatigue testing and image-based finite element (FE) analysis to establish the relationship between the stressed volume (i.e., volume of bone above yield stress) associated with vascular canals and the fatigue life of cortical bone. Thirty-six cortical bone samples were prepared from human femora and tibiae from five donors. Samples were allocated to four loading groups, corresponding to stress ranges of 60, 70, 80, and 90 MPa, then cyclically loaded in zero-compression until fracture. Porosity, canal diameter, canal separation, and canal number for each sample was quantified using X-ray microscopy (XRM) after testing. FE models were created from XRM images and used to calculate the stressed volume. Stressed volume was a good predictor of fatigue life, accounting for 67% of the scatter in fatigue-life measurements. An increase in stressed volume was most strongly associated with higher levels of intracortical porosity and larger canal diameters. The findings from this study suggest that a large portion of the fatigue-life variance of cortical bone in zero-compression is driven by intracortical microarchitecture, and that fatigue failure may be predicted by quantifying the stress concentrations associated with vascular canals.

Multifunctional Thio-Stabilized Gold Nanoparticles for Near-Infrared Fluorescence Detection and Imaging of Activated Caspase-3.

BACKGROUND: Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are commonly used in nanomedicine because of their unique spectral properties, chemical and biological stability, and ability to quench the fluorescence of organic dyes attached to their surfaces. However, the utility of spherical AuNPs for activatable fluorescence sensing of molecular processes have been confined to resonance-matched fluorophores in the 500 nm to 600 nm spectral range to maximize dye fluorescence quenching efficiency. Expanding the repertoire of fluorophore systems into the NIR fluorescence regimen with emission >800 nm will facilitate the analysis of multiple biological events with high detection sensitivity. OBJECTIVE: The primary goal of this study is to determine if spherical AuNP-induced radiative rate suppression of non-resonant near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probes can serve as a versatile nanoconstruct for highly sensitive detection and imaging of activated caspase-3 in aqueous media and cancer cells. This required the development of activatable NIR fluorescence sensors of caspase-3 designed to overcome the nonspecific degradation and release of the surface coatings in aqueous media. METHOD: We harnessed the fluorescence-quenching properties and multivalency of spherical AuNPs to develop AuNP-templated activatable NIR fluorescent probes to detect activated caspase-3, an intracellular reporter of early cell death. Freshly AuNPs were coated with a multifunctional NIR fluorescent dye-labeled peptide (LS422) consisting of an RGD peptide sequence that targets αvß3-integrin protein (αvß3) on the surface of cancer cells to mediate the uptake and internalization of the sensors in tumor cells; a DEVD peptide sequence for reporting the induction of cell death through caspase-3 mediated NIR fluorescence enhancement; and a multidentate hexacysteine sequence for enhancing self-assembly and stabilizing the multifunctional construct on AuNPs. The integrin binding affinity of LS422 and caspase-3 kinetics were determined by a radioligand competitive binding and fluorogenic peptide assays, respectively. Detection of intracellular caspase-3, cell viability, and the internalization of LS422 in cancer cells were determined by confocal NIR fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy. RESULTS: Narrow size AuNPs (13 nm) were prepared and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. When assembled on the AuNPs, the binding constant of LS422 for αvß3 improved 11-fold from 13.2 nM to 1.2 nM. Whereas the catalytic turnover of caspase-3 by LS422-AuNPs was similar to the reference fluorogenic peptide, the binding affinity for the enzyme increased by a factor of 2. Unlike the αvß3 positive, but caspase-3 negative breast cancer MCF-7 cells, treatment of the αvß3 and caspase-3 positive lung cancer A549 cells with Paclitaxel showed significant fluorescence enhancement within 30 minutes, which correlated with caspase-3 specific activation of LS422-AuNPs fluorescence. Incorporation of a 3.5 mW NIR laser source into our spectrofluorometer increased the detection sensitivity by an order of magnitude (limit of detection ~0.1 nM of cypate) and significantly decreased the signal noise relative to a xenon lamp. This gain in sensitivity enabled the detection of substrate hydrolysis at a broad range of inhibitor concentrations without photobleaching the cypate dye. CONCLUSION: The multifunctional AuNPs demonstrate the use of a non-resonant quenching strategy to design activatable NIR fluorescence molecular probes. The nanoconstruct offers a selective reporting method for detecting activated caspase-3, imaging of cell viability, identifying dying cells, and visualizing the functional status of intracellular enzymes. Performing these tasks with NIR fluorescent probes creates an opportunity to translate the in vitro and cellular analysis of enzymes into in vivo interrogation of their functional status using deep tissue penetrating NIR fluorescence analytical methods.

Stressed volume around vascular canals explains compressive fatigue life variation of secondary osteonal bone but not plexiform bone.

The fatigue life of bone illustrates a large degree of scatter that is likely related to underlying differences in composition and microarchitecture. Vascular canals act as stress concentrations, the magnitude and volume of which may depend on the size and spatial distribution of canals. The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between vascular canal microarchitecture, stressed volume and the fatigue life of both secondary osteonal and plexiform bovine bone. Twenty-one cortical bone samples were prepared from bovine femora and tibiae and imaged using micro-computed tomography (µCT) to quantify canal diameter, canal separation and canal number. Samples were cyclically loaded in zero-compression to a peak magnitude of 95 MPa, and fatigue life was defined as the number of cycles until fracture. Finite element models were created from µCT images and used to quantify the stressed volume, i.e., the volume of bone stressed higher than a yield stress of 108 MPa. Fatigue life ranged from 162-633,437 cycles with the fatigue life of plexiform bone (n = 15) being more than 4.5 times longer than secondary bone (n = 6). The fatigue life of secondary bone was negatively correlated with canal diameter (r2 = 0.73) and canal separation (r2 = 0.56), while the fatigue life of plexiform bone was negatively correlated with canal separation (r2 = 0.41), but positively correlated with canal number (r2 = 0.36). Stressed volume was related to canal microarchitecture in secondary bone only, where canal diameters and canal separation were larger than approximately 50 µm and 200 µm, respectively. Consequently, stressed volume explained 89% of the fatigue life variance in secondary bone but was not related to the fatigue life of plexiform bone. These findings suggest that the volume of the stress concentration surrounding vascular canals is dictated by canal size and spacing and may play an important role in the fatigue failure of osteonal bone. We suspect that a larger stressed volume is more likely to encounter and facilitate the propagation of pre-existing microcracks, thereby leading to a reduction in fatigue life.

Identification of metabolites of 111In-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-monoclonal antibodies and antibody fragments in vivo.

The in vivo fate of various 111In-labeled polypeptides has been the subject of many investigations. Intracellular metabolism has been studied through the use of 111In-labeled glycoproteins that are concentrated in the lysosome by receptor-mediated endocytosis. These studies have indicated that the main lysosomal metabolite is 111In-chelate-epsilon-lysine, both in vitro and in vivo (Y. Arano et al., J. Nucl. Med., 35: 890-898, 1994; F. N. Franano et al., Nucl. Med. Biol., 21: 1023-1034, 1994). Since the vast majority of radiolabeled antibodies do not localize within the target tissue, an understanding of the metabolism of 111In-labeled antibodies in nontarget tissues is important for the rational design of future radiolabeled antibodies. We investigated the in vivo metabolism of 111In-DTPA3-conjugated antibody in female Sprague-Dawley rats using the anticolorectal carcinoma monoclonal antibody (MAb) 1A3 and MAb 1A3-F(ab')2. Livers and kidneys were harvested from rats injected with either intact MAb or MAb fragments and analyzed by gel filtration chromatography. Thirty-five % of the radioactivity from 111In-DTPA-1A3 MAb present in the liver was in the form of a low molecular weight species at 1 through 5 days. In contrast, 111In-DTPA-1A3-F(ab')2 was > 98% degraded to a low molecular weight species in the kidney after 1 day. In each case, the low molecular weight metabolites were collected and further analyzed by silica gel thin-layer chromatography, reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and ion-exchange chromatography and compared to 111In-DTPA and 111In-DTPA-epsilon-lysine standards. In each system, the major metabolite co-eluted with 111In-DTPA-epsilon-lysine, similar to the results obtained with 111In-labeled glycoproteins that are delivered to lysosomes by receptor-mediated endocytosis. A minor metabolite that was more highly charged than 111In-DTPA was also observed. Analysis of urine and feces demonstrated that the main excretory product of both 111In-labeled intact 1A3 and 1A3-F(ab')2 was 111In-DTPA-epsilon-lysine. Based on this data, we propose that 111In-DTPA-antibodies are degraded within lysosomes of nontarget organs such as the liver and kidneys.

Generally applicable, convenient solid-phase synthesis and receptor affinities of octreotide analogs.

Octreotide, an analogue of the hormone somatostatin, has applications as a therapeutic and imaging agent for somatostatin-positive tumors. We have developed a generally applicable, convenient stepwise solid-phase synthetic protocol for octreotide (D-Phe-Cys-Phe-D-Trp-Lys-Thr-Cys-threoninol). [Cys(Acm)2,D-Trp(Boc)4,Lys(Boc)5,Thr(tBu)6,Cys(Acm)7, des(threoninol)]-octreotide was assembled by Fmoc solid-phase synthesis and the intramolecular disulfide bond formed by treatment of the resin-bound peptide with thallium trifluoroacetate [Tl(Tfa)3]. Side-chain protection of Trp by the Boc group was found to preserve Trp integrity during Tl(Tfa)3 treatment. The protected peptide was cleaved from the resin by aminolysis with threoninol and purified by semipreparative RP-HPLC. Isolated [D-Trp(Boc)4,Lys(Boc)5,Thr(tBu)6]octreotide had the correct molecular mass ([M+H]+ = 1275 Da) and sequence and was obtained in 14% yield at > 98% purity. [D-Trp(Boc)4,Lys(Boc)5,Thr(tBu)6]octreotide was utilized for the solution-phase synthesis of CPTA-D-Phe1-octreotide, where CPTA is 4-[(1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradec-1-yl)methyl]benzoic acid. Cyclic dianhydride of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) was coupled to a portion of the protected peptide-resin following disulfide bond formation. The DTPA-conjugated, side-chain-protected peptide was cleaved from the resin by aminolysis with threoninol, side-chain deprotected with trifluoroacetic acid, and purified by semipreparative RP-HPLC. The isolated DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide had the correct molecular mass ([M+H]+ = 1395 Da) and was obtained in 5% yield at > 90% purity. The efficiency of aminolysis was partially dependent upon the linkage between 4-(hydroxymethyl)phenoxy (HMP) handles and the resin and/or resin particle size. The somatostatin receptor binding affinities of synthetic DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide and CPTA-D-Phe1-octreotide to AtT-20 mouse pituitary carcinoma cell membranes were examined by labeling with 111In and 64Cu, respectively, and performing Scatchard analyses. The dissociation constant (Kd) for our synthetic [111In]DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide was 4.31 nM, which is comparable to a Kd = 5.57 nM obtained with commercially available DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide. The Kd for [64Cu]CPTA-D-Phe1-octreotide was 78.5 pM. On the basis of the criteria of molecular mass, RP-HPLC elution time, sequence analysis, and somatostatin receptor binding affinity, our synthetic octreotide is identical to commercially available octreotide. The aminolysis protocol used here has distinct advantages over either reductive cleavage or preformed linker methods described previously for the preparation of octreotide.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of copper-64-octreotide conjugates.

UNLABELLED: Copper-64 (T1/2 = 12.8 hr) is a reactor-produced radionuclide that has applications in both nuclear medicine imaging by PET and radiotherapy. Octreotide, a somatostatin receptor ligand, has been conjugated with TETA and CPTA, labeled with 64Cu, evaluated both in vitro and in vivo and compared to 111In-DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide. METHODS: The carboxylic acid moieties on the T bifunctional chelates were conjugated to the N-terminal amine of D-Phe using the linking agents hydroxybenzotriazol (HOBT) and diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIC). Receptor binding assays on all three radiolabeled octreotide conjugates were accomplished in AtT20 mouse pituitary carcinoma cell membranes. In vivo biodistribution was performed using normal Sprague-Dawley rats and Lewis rats carrying a somatostatin receptor-positive rat pancreatic tumor. RESULTS: The binding affinities of 64Cu-CPTA-D-Phe1-octreotide and 64Cu-TETA-D-Phe1-octreotide in AtT20 cell membranes were both greater than 111In-DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide (Kd, 78.5 pM, 314 pM and 3.28 nM, respectively). In normal rats, 64Cu-CPTA-D-Phe1-octreotide was localized primarily in the liver. Copper-64-TETA-D-Phe1-octreotide, similar to 111In-DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide, had moderate uptake in the kidneys; the hepatobiliary uptake was negligible. In rats bearing CA 20948 pancreatic tumors, both 64Cu-CPTA-D-Phe1-octreotide and 64Cu-TETA-D-Phe1-octreotide had uptake in tumors comparable to better than 111In-DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide. CONCLUSION: Of the two 64Cu-labeled octreotide conjugates evaluated, 64Cu-CPTA-D-Phe1-octreotide has the highest affinity for the somatostatin receptor; however, the clearance was hepatobiliary with slow excretion. Copper-64-TETA-D-Phe1-octreotide binds to the somatostatin receptor with five times the affinity of 111In-octreotide, has desirable clearance properties (renal clearance with rapid excretion) and is a potential agent for PET imaging of somatostatin receptors.

Metabolism of receptor targeted 111In-DTPA-glycoproteins: identification of 111In-DTPA-epsilon-lysine as the primary metabolic and excretory product.

The hepatic and renal retention of indium-111 (111In) from 111In-labeled polypeptides has been the subject of many investigations. Because the lysosome is a common intracellular destination for the degradation of polypeptides, we studied the lysosomal metabolism of 111In-DTPA-labeled glycoproteins targeted to cell surface receptors in vitro and in vivo. We found that 111In-DTPA-glycoproteins were degraded to 111In-DTPA-epsilon-lysine, which was slowly released from cells and recovered intact in urine and feces. These results suggest a mechanism for 111In retention at target and non-target sites.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of Tc-99m-cyclopentadienyltricarbonyltechnetium-labeled octreotide.

Octreotide was labeled at its N-terminus with Tc-99m-cyclopentadienyltricarbonyltechnetium, and the biodistribution of the labeled conjugate was studied in adult female Sprague-Dawley rats. The synthesis began with the preparation of Tc-99m-(methoxycarbonylcyclopentadienyl) tricarbonyltechnetium from Tc-99m-pertechnetate using a novel double ligand transfer reaction; it was completed in a total of five steps, with an 8% overall radiochemical yield (15% decay-corrected). The 99mTc-cyclopentadienyltricarbonyltechnetium-labeled octreotide conjugate (99mTc-CpTT-octreotide) showed receptor-mediated uptake in the pancreas and adrenals, which was blocked (80% and 93%, respectively) by excess unlabeled octreotide. These studies illustrate a new method for labeling a peptide with Tc-99m through an organometallic linkage that is stable, nonpolar, and low molecular weight; it complements labeling approaches that utilize inorganic metal complexes.

Biodistribution and metabolism of targeted and nontargeted protein-chelate-gadolinium complexes: evidence for gadolinium dissociation in vitro and in vivo.

The intracellular metabolism of receptor-targeted 153Gd-DTPA-glycoproteins was studied in vitro and in vivo. These agents bound to cell surface receptors, underwent receptor mediated endocytosis, and were rapidly degraded to a metabolite which co-migrated with a 153Gd-DTPA-lysine standard on thin layer chromatography. The rates of dissociation of 153Gd and 111In from a glycoprotein-chelate conjugate were determined in vitro. Gadolinium readily dissociated, in a pH-sensitive manner, from glycoprotein-DTPA, and to a lesser degree glycoprotein-MX-DTPA. The biodistribution of targeted and blood pool 153Gd/111In labeled proteins also suggested that gadolinium dissociates from protein-DTPA and protein-MX-DTPA and their metabolites leading to an accumulation of gadolinium in bone. Metal-DTPA-glycoprotein agents targeted to cell surface receptors can still produce very high concentrations of radioactive or paramagnetic metals within the lysosome due to the high rate of accumulation afforded by receptor mediated endocytosis and the low release rate of metabolites such as metal-DTPA-lysine. However, the continued development of gadolinium based macromolecular agents will require improvements in bifunctional chelates.

Reactivity of p-[18F]fluorophenacyl bromide for radiolabeling of proteins and peptides.

Radiolabeling of the somatostatin analog octreotide was attempted with p-[18F]fluorophenacyl bromide ([18F]FPB). Following these unsuccessful trials, the reactivity of FPB was studied using benzyl mercaptan, phenyl acetic acid, benzyl alcohol, and benzyl amine as model compounds for amino acid functional groups. Structure and purity of products, relative reactivity of FPB in competition reactions, and radiolabeling experiments are described. In addition, improvement in labeling efficiency of HSA using [18F]FPB was achieved by pretreatment with 2-iminothiolane.

Evaluation of radiolabeled type IV collagen fragments as potential tumor imaging agents.

The objective of this study was to examine radiopharmaceuticals that target the alpha3beta1 integrin to determine if these agents target tumors for diagnostic imaging and/or targeted radiotherapy of cancer. Prior studies had shown that residues 531-542 from the alpha1 chain of type IV collagen bind a variety of tumor cell alpha3beta1 integrins. A peptide mimic of this sequence containing all D-amino acids (designated D-Hep-III) was synthesized by solid-phase methods. The tetraazamacrocyclic chelator, TETA, was conjugated to the peptide while it was resin-bound. TETA-D-Hep-III and D-Hep-III were radiolabeled with 64Cu and 125I, respectively, in high specific activity and radiochemical purity. Heterologous competitive binding assays between D-Hep-III and either 125I-D-Hep-III or 64Cu-TETA-D-Hep-III indicated low micromolar affinity of D-Hep-III. The biodistribution of each radiolabeled analogue of D-Hep-III was carried out in rats and tumor-bearing mice. Both analogues were rapidly cleared from the blood in normal rats, with the kidneys receiving the highest accumulation of each. SKOV3 human ovarian tumor cells, known to strongly express alpha3beta1, were xenografted in SCID mice. Localization of 125I-D-Hep III and 64Cu-TETA-D-Hep III in the xenografts were low (<2% ID/g), and in the case of 125I-D-Hep III, not inhibited by a competitive dose of D-Hep III. The low tumor accumulation is likely not due to receptor down-regulation, but rather due to the weak affinity of the radioligands for the alpha3beta1 integrin.

Formation of stable vesicles from N- or 3-alkylindoles: possible evidence for tryptophan as a membrane anchor in proteins.

Twelve indole derivatives have been prepared and studied. Five were 1-substituted: 1, methyl; 2, n-hexyl; 3, n-octyl; 4, n-octadecyl; and 5, cholestanyloxycarbonylmethyl. Four were 3-substituted: 6, methyl; 7, n-hexyl; 8, n-octyl; and 9, n-octadecyl. Three were disubstituted as follows: 10, 1-n-decyl-3- n-decyl; 11, 1-methyl-3-n-decyl; and 12, 1,3-bis(n-octadecyl)indole. Sonication of aqueous suspensions afforded stable aggregates from 3-5 and 8-12. Laser light scattering, dye entrapment, and electron microscopy were used to characterize the aggregates. Aggregates formed from N-substituted indoles proved to be more robust than those formed from 3-alkylindoles. A stable monolayer formed from 3-n-octadecylindole but not from N- or 1,3-disubstituted analogues by using a Langmuir-Blodgett trough. The formation of aggregates was explained in terms of stacking by the relatively polar indole headgroup. In the monolayer experiment, this force was apparently overwhelmed by H-bonding interactions with the aqueous phase.

Comparison of four bifunctional chelates for radiolabeling monoclonal antibodies with copper radioisotopes: biodistribution and metabolism.

The bifunctional chelating agents (BFCs), 6-[p-(bromoacetamido)benzyl]-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-1,4 ,8, 11-tetraacetic acid (BAT), 6-[p-(isothiocyanato)benzyl]-1,4,8, 11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-1,4,8,11-tetraacetic acid (SCN-TETA), 4-[(1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradec-1-yl)methyl]benzoic acid (CPTA), and 1-[(1,4, 7,10,13-pentaazacyclopentadec-1-yl)methyl]benzoic acid (PCBA), were synthesized and conjugated to the anti-colorectal monoclonal antibody (mAB), 1A3, and antibody fragments, 1A3-F(ab')2, for radiolabeling with 64,67CU and comparison in animal models. In vivo metabolism studies were carried out in liver and kidneys in order to correlate the nature of the metabolites formed to the uptake and retention of the radiolabel in each organ. Animal biodistribution studies were performed in Golden Syrian hamsters bearing the GW39 human colon cancer tumors and in normal Sprague-Dawley rats. All conjugates showed good tumor uptake in hamsters. Biodistribution in rats showed that 64CU-BAT-2IT-1A3 had the lowest liver and kidney uptake of the intact 1A3 conjugates (p < 0.03), whereas in hamsters, there were no significant differences in liver and kidney uptake between the four intact BFC-1A3 conjugates. Tumor-bearing hamsters injected with 64CU-CPTA-1A3-F(ab')2 and 64CU-PCBA-1A3-F(ab')2 had from 3 to 7 times greater uptake in the kidneys than hamsters given 64CU-labeled BAT and SCN-TETA 1A3-F(ab')2 conjugates, while rats injected with 64Cu-CPTA-1A3-F(ab')2 and 64Cu-PCBA-1A3-F(ab')2 had nearly twice the uptake. The in vivo metabolism of the mAbs 1A3 and 1A3-F(ab')2 radiolabeled with 67Cu through the SCN-TETA, CPTA, and PCBA BFCs was investigated by excising the livers and kidneys of normal rats from 1-5 days post-injection of the radiolabeled conjugates. Liver and kidney homogenates were analyzed by size exclusion chromatography and thin layer chromatography (TLC). The size exclusion chromatography data showed that all of the 67Cu-labeled 1A3-F(ab')2 conjugates were > 85% degraded in the kidneys to small molecular weight metabolites by 1 day post-injection. In contrast, in the liver at 1 day post-injection, greater than 70% of the 67Cu-labeled 1A3 conjugates were unmetabolized. By day 5, a 35 kDa peak appeared in the liver of rats injected with the 67 Cu-labeled 1A3 conjugates, possibly due to transchelation of the 67Cu to proteins. Superoxide dismutase chromatographically elutes at the same retention time as this 67Cu-labeled metabolite. The TLC data indicate that the low molecular weight metabolite (< 5 kDa) of both 67Cu-CPTA-1A3 and 67Cu-CPTA-1A3-F(ab')2 conjugates co-chromatographed with a 67Cu-CPTA-epsilon-lysine standard. Our data suggest that chelate charge and lipophilicity play a large role in kidney retention of 64/67Cu-labeled BFC-1A3-F(ab')2 conjugates, while transchelation of the copper label appears to be the major factor for liver accumulation of 64/67Cu-labeled BFC-1A3 conjugates.