In vitro evaluation and biodistribution of a 99mTc-labeled anti-VEGF peptide targeting neuropilin-1.

Neuropilins (NRP) are receptors of angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Their overexpression was correlated with tumor angiogenesis and growth suggesting that their specific targeting could provide a new marker of tumor progression. Here, we observed in vitro that new (99m)Tc-labeled derivative of anti-VEGF heptapeptide, ATWLPPR, binds to NRP1 but not to NRP2. Our radiotracer is stable up to 24 h in human serum and in cysteine challenge. But, its too low affinity and too fast extraction indicate further improvement to give a successful imaging of tumor in vivo.

To use MIBI or not to use MIBI? That is the question when assessing tumour cells.

99mTc-sestamibi (MIBI) is a well-known tumour imaging agent. Its retention within tumour cell mitochondria is related to perfusion and to the magnitude of the electrical gradient, reflecting cell viability. Several internal cell factors modulate this uptake; for example, multidrug resistance membrane proteins (Pgp and MRP1) and anti-apoptotic BCl-2 protein of the outer mitochondrial membrane can limit retention of MIBI. At the early stage of cell apoptosis, the electrical driving forces of MIBI uptake are impaired, and influx and accumulation are reduced. It seems clear that MIBI can be used before treatment to detect drug resistance, assess anti-apoptotic status and predict treatment efficacy. Although it has been suggested that MIBI might be used to monitor tumour response to treatment, MIBI is unable to differentiate tumours with ongoing apoptosis from those developing drug resistance.

Interaction between artificial membranes and enflurane, a general volatile anesthetic: DPPC-enflurane interaction.

The structural modifications of the dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) organization induced by increasing concentration of the volatile anesthetic enflurane have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry, small-angle, and wide-angle x-ray scattering. The interaction of enflurane with DPPC depends on at least two factors: the enflurane-to-lipid concentration ratio and the initial organization of the lipids. At 25 degrees C (gel state), the penetration of enflurane within the lipids induces the apparition of two different mixed lipid phases. At low anesthetic-to-lipid molar ratio, the smectic distance increases whereas the direction of the chain tilt changes from a tilt toward next-neighbors to a tilt between next-neighbors creating a new gel phase called L(beta')(2NNN). At high ratio, the smectic distance is much smaller than for the pure L(beta') DPPC phase, i.e., 50 A compared to 65 A, the aliphatic chains are perpendicular to the membrane and the fusion temperature of the phase is 33 degrees C. The electron profile of this phase that has been called L(beta)(i), indicates that the lipids are fully interdigitated. At 45 degrees C (fluid state), a new melted phase, called L(alpha)(2), was found, in which the smectic distance decreased compared to the initial pure L(alpha)(1) DPPC phase. The thermotropic behavior of the mixed phases has also been characterized by simultaneous x-ray scattering and differential scanning calorimetry measurements using the Microcalix calorimeter of our own. Finally, titration curves of enflurane effect in the mixed lipidic phase has been obtained by using the fluorescent lipid probe Laurdan. Measurements as a function of temperature or at constant temperature, i.e., 25 degrees C and 45 degrees C give, for the maximal effect, an enflurane-to-lipid ratio (M/M), within the membrane, of 1 and 2 for the L(alpha)(2) and the L(beta)(i) lamellar phase respectively. All the results taken together allowed to draw a pseudo-binary phase diagram of enflurane-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in excess water.