Cyclam with a phosphinate-bis(phosphonate) pendant arm is a bone-targeting carrier of copper radionuclides.

Ligands combining a bis(phosphonate) group with a macrocycle function as metal isotope carriers for radionuclide-based imaging and for treating bone metastases associated with several cancers. However, bis(phosphonate) pendant arms often slow down complex formation and decrease radiochemical yields. Nevertheless, their negative effect on complexation rates may be mitigated by using a suitable spacer between bis(phosphonate) and the macrocycle. To demonstrate the potential of bis(phosphonate) bearing macrocyclic ligands as a copper radioisotope carrier, we report the synthesis of a new cyclam derivative bearing a phosphinate-bis(phosphonate) pendant (H5te1PBP). The ligand showed a high selectivity to CuII over ZnII and NiII ions, and the bis(phosphonate) group was not coordinated in the CuII complex, strongly interacting with other metal ions in solution. The CuII complex formed quickly, in 1 s, at pH 5 and at a millimolar scale. The complexation rates significantly differed under a ligand or metal ion excess due to the formation of reaction intermediates differing in their metal-to-ligand ratio and protonation state, respectively. The CuII-te1PBP complex also showed a high resistance to acid-assisted hydrolysis (t1/2 2.7 h; 1 M HClO4, 25 °C) and was effectively adsorbed on the hydroxyapatite surface. H5te1PBP radiolabeling with [64Cu]CuCl2 was fast and efficient, with specific activities of approximately 30 GBq 64Cu per 1 µmol of ligand (pH 5.5, room temperature, 30 min). In a pilot experiment, we further demonstrated the excellent suitability of [64Cu]CuII-te1PBP for imaging active bone compartments by dedicated small animal PET/CT in healthy mice and subsequently in a rat femoral defect model, in direct comparison with [18F]fluoride. Moreover, [64Cu]CuII-te1PBP showed a higher uptake in critical bone defect regions. Therefore, our study highlights the potential of [64Cu]CuII-te1PBP as a PET radiotracer for evaluating bone healing in preclinical and clinical settings with a diagnostic value similar to that of [18F]fluoride, albeit with a longer half-life (12.7 h) than 18F (1.8 h), thereby enabling extended observation times.

Comparative investigation of toxicity and bioaccumulation of Cd-based quantum dots and Cd salt in freshwater plant Lemna minor L.

The purpose of this study was to determine the toxicity of two different sources of cadmium, i.e. CdCl2 and Cd-based Quantum Dots (QDs), for freshwater model plant Lemna minor L. Cadmium telluride QDs were capped with two coating ligands: glutathione (GSH) or 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA). Growth rate inhibition and final biomass inhibition of L. minor after 168-h exposure were monitored as toxicity endpoints. Dose-response curves for Cd toxicity and EC50168h values were statistically evaluated for all sources of Cd to uncover possible differences among the toxicities of tested compounds. Total Cd content and its bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) in L. minor after the exposure period were also determined to distinguish Cd bioaccumulation patterns with respect to different test compounds. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) with lateral resolution of 200µm was employed in order to obtain two-dimensional maps of Cd spatial distribution in L. minor fronds. Our results show that GSH- and MPA-capped Cd-based QDs have similar toxicity for L. minor, but are significantly less toxic than CdCl2. However, both sources of Cd lead to similar patterns of Cd bioaccumulation and distribution in L. minor fronds. Our results are in line with previous reports that the main mediators of Cd toxicity and bioaccumulation in aquatic plants are Cd2+ ions dissolved from Cd-based QDs.

Thermodynamics for complex formation between palladium(ii) and oxalate.

Complex formation between [Pd(H2O)4](2+) and oxalate (ox = C2O4(2-)) has been studied spectrophoto-metrically in aqueous solution at variable temperature, ionic strength and pH. Thermodynamic parameters at 298.2 K and 1.00 mol dm(-3) HClO4 ionic medium for the complex formation [Pd(H2O)4](2+) + H2ox ⇄ [Pd(H2O)2(ox)] + 2H3O(+) with equilibrium constant K1,H (in mol dm(-3)) are log10K1,H = 3.38 ± 0.08, ΔH = -33 ± 3 kJ mol(-1), and ΔS = -48 ± 11 J K(-1) mol(-1), as determined from spectrophotometric equilibrium titrations at 15.0, 20.0, 25.0 and 31.0 °C. Thermodynamic overall stability constants ß (in (mol dm(-3))(-n), n = 1,2) for [Pd(H2O)2(ox)] and [Pd(ox)2](2-) at zero ionic strength and 298.2 K, defined as the equilibrium constants for the reaction Pd(2+) + nox(2-) ⇄ [Pd(ox)n](2-2n) (water molecules omitted) are log10ß = 9.04 ± 0.06 and log10ß = 13.1 ± 0.3, respectively, calculated by use of Specific Ion Interaction Theory from spectrophotometric titrations with initial hydrogen ion concentrations of 1.00, 0.100 and 0.0100 mol dm(-3) and ionic strengths of 1.00, 2.00 or 3.00 mol dm(-3). The values derived together with literature data give estimated overall stability constants for Pd(ii) compounds such as [Pd(en)(ox)] and cis-[Pd(NH3)2Cl2], some of them analogs to Pt(ii) complexes used in cancer treatment. The palladium oxalato complexes are significantly more stable than palladium(ii) complexes with monodentate O-bonding ligands. A comparison between several different palladium complexes shows that different parameters contribute to the stability variations observed. These are discussed together with the so-called chelate effect.