Tissue distribution of tolterodine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist, and transfer into fetus and milk in mice.

Tolterodine ((R)-N,N-diisopropyl-3-(2-hydroxy-5-methyl-phenyl)-3-phenylpropanamine, CAS 124937-51-5) is an antimuscarinic agent developed specifically for the treatment of the overactive bladder. In this study, the extent and profile of tissue distribution of 14C-tolterodine, after single and repeat oral dosing, was investigated in the mouse. Overall, distribution of radioactivity in tissues was rapid, and there were no gender-specific differences. The concentration of radioactivity in most tissues was similar to, or exceeded, that in blood. Highest concentrations were measured in gall bladder, urinary bladder, liver, kidneys and lungs, while the lowest concentration (10-times lower than in plasma) was seen in the brain. The distribution pattern after repeat oral dosing was similar to that after a single dose, although the decline in tissue concentrations was slower. Studies in pregnant mice showed that the distribution of radioactivity differed between dams and fetuses. Radioactivity was low and showed homogeneous distribution in the fetus, while a heterogeneous pattern was seen in the dam. Highest concentrations were seen in the fetal liver, brain and spinal cord. Some accumulation was observed in the choroid plexus. Placental concentrations of radioactivity were generally higher than those in the fetus, with some accumulation in the yolk sac. Studies in suckling mouse pups showed low levels of exposure to drug-related radioactivity (around 0.2% of the dose); the milk:plasma concentration ratio was 0.0-0.7. In conclusion, tolterodine and its metabolites are rapidly distributed into tissues following oral administration of radiolabelled drug in the mouse, with many tissues (including the fetus) reaching similar concentrations to that observed in blood. In other tissues, especially the eliminating organs, radioactivity levels were much higher than in blood. Penetration of the central nervous system was low, suggesting that the risk of deleterious effects on cognitive function may be lower with tolterodine than with more lipophilic antimuscarinic drugs.

Quantitative whole-body radioluminography-future strategy for balance and tissue distribution studies.

The present routine to conduct balance and/or tissue dissection distribution studies has now and then been questioned, because the way they are generally conducted does not produce information in proportion to the spending of animal and personnel resources. Usually only total radioactivity is measured and due considerations are not always taken to the metabolic fate of the label. In this study a different strategy is presented-integrating quantitative whole-body radioluminography and different chromatographic methods on extracts of tissue pieces punched from the whole-body sections. In addition to the saving in cost and time, the proposed integrated whole-body radioluminographic/metabolic profile protocol will provide (i) a detailed picture of the distribution of radioactivity at selected dose levels and time points in male, female, and pregnant animals; (ii) the time course of radioactivity in blood/plasma and tissues selected from the images (approximate half-life and AUC); (iii) accumulated urinary and fecal excretion of radioactivity and an estimate of the proportion of radioactive metabolites; (iv) tissue information about the proportion of parent drug versus metabolites of pieces punched from the whole-body sections; and (v) indications of possible tissue binding.

Polymer-bound camptothecin: initial biodistribution and antitumour activity studies.

Camptothecin (CPT) is a potent, antitumour drug acting mainly through inhibition of topoisomerase I during the S-phase of the cell cycle. Despite its impressive antitumour activity, clinical development was halted for unpredictable toxic events. Two soluble N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymers were synthesised to contain CPT (5 wt.% and 10 wt.%). CPT was covalently linked at its alpha-hydroxyl group to the polymers through a Gly-Phe-Leu-Gly- spacer. In-vitro, CPT-conjugates were fairly resistant to hydrolysis in plasma as in buffer at neutral pH (0.2-0. 4% free CPT/h), while elastase and cysteine-proteases were able to release the active drug. Plasma levels in mice after intravenous administration of CPT-conjugates confirmed the modest hydrolysis in plasma. Plasma levels were approximately 5-fold lower than those observed at the highest tolerated dose of CPT administered in classical vehicles. Biodistribution in HT29 human colon carcinoma bearing mice was carried out after i.v. injection of [3H]CPT-conjugate and free [3H]CPT. Radioactivity uptake in tumour was evident only after [3H]CPT-conjugate treatment. Repeated intravenous administration of CPT-conjugates to HT29-bearing mice gave more than 90% tumour inhibition, some complete tumour regressions and no toxic deaths. The improved pharmacological profile on HT29 human colon carcinoma xenografts of the first poly(HPMA)-CPT conjugates might be ascribed to their prolonged intra-tumour retention and sustained release of the active drug.

Transport and subcellular distribution of nickel in the olfactory system of pikes and rats.

Occupational exposure to nickel by inhalation may result in impaired olfactory sense. Recent studies have shown that nickel is transported from the olfactory epithelium along the axons of the primary olfactory neurons to the brain. In the present study 63Ni2+ was applied in the olfactory chambers of pikes (Esox lucius) and the rate at which the metal was transported in the primary olfactory neurons was determined by beta-spectrometry. The results showed a wave of 63Ni2+ in the olfactory nerves, which slowly moved toward the olfactory bulbs. The maximal 63Ni2+ transport rate corresponding to the movement of the base of the wave front was found to be about 0.13 mm/h at the experimental temperature (10 degrees C). This rate of 63Ni2+ transport falls into the class of slow axonal transport. Radioluminography of tape sections of a pike given 63Ni2+ in the right olfactory chamber showed a selective labeling of the right olfactory nerve. The subcellular distribution of 63Ni2+ in the olfactory nerves and the olfactory epithelium of the pikes was studied in tissues subjected to homogenizations and centrifugations, and these methods were also used to examine the subcellular distribution of 63Ni2+ in tissues of the olfactory system of rats given the metal intranasally. It was found that the 63Ni2+, in both the pike and the rat, was present in the cytosol and also in association with various particulate cell constituents. Gel filtrations of the cytosols showed that the 63Ni2+ mainly was eluted at a Ve/Vo ratio corresponding to a MW of about 250. The same coefficient was obtained in gel filtrations performed with 63Ni2+ mixed with histidine in vitro. It is likely that the cytosolic nickel may be bound to histidine or possibly to other amino acids which are similar in size to histidine. Additionally, in the olfactory tissues of the rat the 63Ni2+ was partly present in the cytosol in association with a component with a MW of about 25,000. It is concluded that (i) 63Ni2+ is transported in the primary olfactory neurons by means of slow axonal transport, (ii) in this process the metal is bound to both particulate and soluble cytosolic constituents, and (iii) the metal shows this subcellular distribution also in other parts of the olfactory system.

Distribution of estramustine in the BT4C rat glioma model.

Estramustine (EaM), a carbamate ester of 17beta-estradiol and nor-nitrogen mustard, is a cytotoxic compound with antitumoral effect in malignant glioma in vitro and in vivo . However, knowledge of the pharmacokinetics of EaM in experimental glioma is limited. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate further the distribution of EaM in the BT4C rat glioma model. Assessment of EaM uptake and distribution was performed by quantitative whole-body autoradiography. In addition, the uptake of EaM and its metabolites estromustine (EoM), estradiol, and estrone were analyzed by gas chromatography. EaM was taken up from the circulation and was found to be the main product in glioma tissue. Whole-body autoradiography after [14C]-EaM administration revealed a strong 14C label simultaneously in tumor and normal brain tissue at 0.5 h after drug administration. In tumor tissue, sustained high levels of 14C label were detected at 12 h after drug administration. In contrast to the tumor, radioactivity in normal brain tissue rapidly leveled off, indicating a retention of radioactivity in the tumor. The tumor/brain radioactivity ratio reached a peak of 4.5 at 12 h after drug administration. High levels of 14C label were also found in pulmonary tissue. By gas chromatography, EoM was found to be the main metabolite in plasma. However, EaM reached higher levels in tumor tissue, with the mean tumor/plasma ratio being 11.7 as compared with 2.0 for EoM. Only low plasma levels of the estrogen metabolites were detected. In conclusion, EaM is taken up in the BT4C rat glioma tissue and is retained in the tumor as compared with normal brain tissue and plasma. EaM showed a greater selectivity for tumor tissue, exhibiting a high tumor/plasma ratio as compared with EoM. The distribution pattern after administration of EaM, as evaluated by both whole-body autoradiography and gas chromatography, supports the earlier suggestion that the uptake is related to a protein with EaM-binding characteristics.

Man-made superantigens: Tumor-selective agents for T-cell-based therapy.

Superantigens (SAgs) are a collection of bacterial and viral proteins with potent immunostimulatory properties. SAgs bind to Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II (MHC II) molecules of antigen presenting cells (APCs) and activate a high frequency of T lymphocytes. To target a T-cell attack against tumor cells we genetically linked tumor-specific antibody Fab fragments to the SAg Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA). Fab-SEA fusion protein efficiently targeted to solid tumors and induced a T-cell-mediated eradication of established metastases in animal models. Successful therapy was T-cell-dependent and required tumor specificity of the Fab moiety of the Fab-SEA fusion protein. Due to the high affinity of SAg for MHC II, a limitation of this approach was retention of Fab-SEA proteins in normal tissues expressing MHC II, which caused systemic immune activation and dose limiting toxicity. We recently solved the structure of SEA and applied structure-based drug design to develop a novel generation of 'man-made' SAg with improved pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties. Mutation of the major MHC II binding site of SEA substantially reduced retention in MHC II(+) tissues and systemic toxicity, while local immune activation at targeted tumor sites was retained. The Fab-SEA mutants display a 10000-fold higher affinity for tumor tissue compared to normal tissue and the therapeutic window was improved >100-fold compared to native Fab-SEA protein. Thus protein engineering can be applied to convert harmful bacterial toxins into tolerable tumor-specific agents.

The effect of different dose levels of degradable starch microspheres (Spherex) on the distribution of a cytotoxic drug after regional administration to tumour-bearing rats.

Tumour uptake of a radiolabelled anticancer drug, tauromustine ([14C]TCNU), was investigated, using two different routes of administration in rats with colon adenocarcinomas implanted in the liver. Intra-arterial administration produced higher concentrations of the drug and/or its metabolites in tumour tissue and lower concentrations in normal tissue compared to intravenous administration. The investigation of co-injection of [14C]TCNU intra-arterially with degradable starch microspheres (DSM) indicated that a high dose of DSM (30 mg/kg) resulted in a high concentration of radioactivity in normal liver tissue, and in adjacent organs. This unfavourable pattern was not observed with the low dose of DSM (12.5 mg/kg), which produced a significant increase in tumour uptake. The results demonstrate the efficacy of partial vascular blockade, as elicited by the low dose of DSM. This regime caused [14C]TCNU to be preferentially retained in the active peripheral regions of the tumour.

Whole-body autoradiographic study of [3H]-PK 11195 distribution in dunning AT-1 tumour-bearing rats.

In vivo binding of [3H]-PK 11195 to peripheral benzodiazepine binding sites in Dunning AT-1 prostatic tumour-bearing rats was investigated by whole-body autoradiography. Distribution and retention of PK 11195 in tumour and other organs was examined at different time intervals. Autoradiograms indicated PK 11195 binding sites in the periphery of the tumour, whereas no or little binding was detected in the prostate. Among other organs, adrenal cortex was most intensely radiolabelled. Administration of nonradioactive PK 11195 before [3H]-PK 11195 blocked binding in all organs more completely than in tumour, kidney, and adrenal cortex, where low levels of radioactivity still were present. Radioactivity in the tumour, contrary to other organs, seemed to increase with time, indicating a slow uptake with large capacity. High performance liquid chromatography analysis of extracted radioactivity from the tumour showed that almost all radioactivity consisted of intact [3H]-PK 11195. These results indicate binding in vivo of PK 11195 to peripheral benzodiazepine receptors in Dunning AT-1 rat prostatic tumours and a large capacity for uptake and retention of [3H]-PK 11195 in tumours.

Quantitative localization of human brain monoamine oxidase B by large section autoradiography using L-[3H]deprenyl.

The distribution of monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) in the human brain was studied by quantitative autoradiography using L-[3H]deprenyl as a ligand. Two postmortem brains from patients without any known neurological diseases were used in this study. Cryosections of 100 microns thickness were taken on tape/paper and transferred to gelatinized glass plates. The sections were incubated with 10 nM L-[3H]deprenyl for 1 h and exposed to a film at 4 degrees C for 4 weeks. The autoradiograms were analyzed by computerized densitometry. High L-[3H]deprenyl binding was observed in caudate nucleus, putamen, cingulate gyrus and insula cortex. Moderate to low binding was seen in globus pallidus, temporal and parietal cortex and in various thalamus nuclei. Occipital cortex showed the lowest binding among the cortex regions and white matter the lowest among all the regions studied. All the regions in case 2 (aged 67) showed higher degree of binding when compared with case 1 (aged 58), which is in agreement with previous results showing an increase in MAO-B activity with age. When the specific binding of L-[3H]deprenyl was plotted against the MAO-B activities estimated biochemically in punches from the same areas, a high positive correlation was found.

Autoradiography with saturation experiments of 11C-Ro 15-1788 binding to human brain sections.

In vitro autoradiography of a 11C-labelled ligand, Ro 15-1788, was used in saturation experiments in order to quantify benzodiazepine receptor binding in whole human brain hemisphere cryo-sections. A special incubation chamber was developed with the aim of performing standardized quantitative studies with short-lived positron emitting isotopes. 11C-labelled ligand binding was studied in temporal cortex, cerebellum, white manner and pons incubated in vitro. White manner, lacking benzodiazepine receptor binding, was used as an estimated of nonspecific binding, for calculation of Saturability of binding was demonstrated in the neocortical and cerebellar regions. Radioactivity counting of incubated adjacent tissue sections was done as a control. Computerized densitometry of the autoradiograms gave similar results as the tissue counting. A comparison with in vivo saturation experiments using the same 11C-labelled ligand and positron emission tomography in healthy human subjects also gave binding characteristics of the same magnitude. The 11C-autoradiograms showed a good spatial resolution (about 180 microns). 11C-autoradiography with suitable radioligands should be a valuable technique of screening the distribution and characteristics of neuroreceptors in the human brain. This quantitative method will provide the PET investigator with preliminary binding data, and may thus supply valuable information concerning positioning in PET and concerning significant regions of interest.

Computer-assisted quantification and image processing of whole-body autoradiograms.

A computerized image-processing system especially adapted for analysis of whole-body autoradiograms has been developed. It consists of commercially available standard components, including a black-and-white video camera, a microcomputer, and graphics equipment. The lower performance of the hardware has been compensated for by more flexible software. When the system was calibrated, special attention was paid to local variations in the measuring system in different parts of the picture. Utility programs for the manipulation of contrast, pseudocoloring, and image enhancement, etc., are available. Some programs have been especially designed to comply with specific problems and demands related to different autoradiographic applications. A program displaying the density histogram for an area of interest is particularly useful for the quantitation of whole-body autoradiograms. It allows the operator to select interactively a range of densities. Image elements (pixels) corresponding to the densities in this range are shown in red on the monitor, and their average true density is calculated. This procedure permits the marking and analysis of delicate structures on autoradiograms. Other programs allow a picture, stored in memory, to be rotated or translated, and two pictures to be superimposed for comparison. Various applications of using image analyses in whole-body autoradiography are presented and illustrated.

Marked accumulation of valproic acid in embryonic neuroepithelium of the mouse during early organogenesis.

Valproic acid, an antiepileptic drug, causes neural tube defects in mice and man. 14C-labeled valproic acid (sodium-salt) was administered to pregnant mice on days 8 and 9 of gestation (period of high sensitivity in regard to formation of neural tube defects in this species). Two dose levels of valproic acid (1 and 400 mg/kg) were used; in each case the total radioactivity administered was the same: 400 microCi/kg or 14.7 MBq/kg. Autoradiography combined with computerized densitometry revealed that in low-dose animals most of the radioactivity was confined to maternal liver and kidney, while at high doses more activity was observed in soft tissues and fluids, including amniotic fluid. In the embryo, the neuroepithelium showed the highest concentration, irrespective of dose and survival interval (30 min, 3 h, and 6 h). Upon administration of the high dose, up to five times more radioactivity (approximately 2,000 times more valproic acid) was recovered in embryonic tissues than after the low dose. It is concluded that high doses of VPA saturate the capacities of metabolism, excretion, and protein binding in the maternal organism, resulting in a higher proportion of the dose reaching the embryo, allowing more of the drug to be accumulated by the target organ, the neuroepithelium.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) receptors in the human brain: quantitative autoradiographic localization.

The distribution of Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) receptors in large cryosections of human brain hemispheres (80-microns) was studied by quantitative autoradiography using 125I-IGF-1 as ligand. Postmortem tissue only from individuals free from neurological diseases was used. The highest densities of IGF-1 receptors were found in the hippocampus, amygdala and parahippocampal gyrus. Intermediate densities were observed in the cerebellum, cerebral cortex and caudate nucleus, whereas low densities of IGF-1 receptors were obtained in the substantia nigra, red nucleus, white matter and cerebral pedunculus. The cartography of IGF-1 receptors in the normal human brain will hopefully be of use in the study of the alteration of these receptors in diseased brain.

Regional cerebral blood flow and histopathologic changes after middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats.

Changes in regional cerebral blood flow were correlated with the distribution of histopathologic signs of brain injury in 35 rats after middle cerebral artery occlusion. Rats were allowed to survive for periods of up to 4 weeks after the operation, and we focused particular interest on the time course of blood flow changes from the initial ischemic events to the late stage of infarction. Regional blood flow was measured using [14C]iodoantipyrine and a quantitative autoradiographic technique. Blood flow in regions with histologic signs of infarction (i.e., the lateral caudoputamen and adjacent neocortex) was below 0.238 ml/g/min, corresponding to 15% of normal values for those regions. In perifocal regions without infarction such as the medial caudoputamen and globus pallidus, cerebral blood flow was also reduced, but it never declined below 20% of its normal value. The decrease in cerebral blood flow was most marked during the first hours after occlusion. Thereafter, cerebral blood flow values gradually normalized, and at 4 weeks there were no significant differences compared with the contralateral side. The border between cortical regions with hypoperfusion and normal cerebral blood flow was rather sharp in the coronal plane, but in the sagittal plane there was a more gradual transitional region. The region with hypoperfusion, observed in the sagittal plane, was most widespread in the acute stage, and normalization of flow occurred particularly from anterior and posterior cortical regions toward the ischemic focus. The possibility for penumbral conditions in the cortex thus exists, particularly in the anterior and posterior borders of the infarction, and remains for several hours after the initial insult.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Localization of monoamine oxidase B in human brain by autoradiographical use of 11C-labelled L-deprenyl.

11C-labelled L-deprenyl in vitro autoradiography was used to study the regional distribution of MAO-B in human brain. 80 microns thick cryosections from two human brains, a 67 years old female and a 58 years old male, were taken on tape/paper and transferred on to a gelatinized glass plate. The sections were then incubated with 34 and 54 nM 11C-L-deprenyl for 15 min and exposed to a film sensitive to high energy radiation for 2 hours. The autoradiograms obtained were analyzed by computerized densiotometry. High 11C-deprenyl binding was found in the caudate nucleus, putamen, thalamus, substantia nigra, medial and lateral geniculate bodies, hippocampus and periaqueductal gray. Moderate to low binding was observed in cerebral cortex. Cerebral cortex and white matter showed the lowest binding. The autoradiographic technique described proved to be a fast and reliable method to investigate the topographic localization of MAO-B in large cryosections of human brain.

Effects of immunosuppressive chemicals on lymphoid development in foetal thymus organ cultures.

A murine foetal thymus organ culture system was employed to screen a number of immunotoxic chemicals for direct thymus toxicity. The toxic effects caused by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and its congeners on the system used had previously been shown to be similar to those caused in vivo on lymphoid development. The most potent compound tested was the corticosteroid fluocinolone acetonide, which caused a 50% inhibition of lymphoid development (EC50) at a concentration of 5 x 10(-11) M. The EC50 of TCDD was around 5 x 10(-10) M while that of 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA) was ca 10(-7) M. TCDD and its congeners are believed to act via binding to the Ah receptor. Other known or presumed ligands of this receptor, which are potent inducers of P1-450 (P-448) -dependent polysubstrate monooxygenase activities, were considerably less toxic with EC50 levels varying between 10(-5) M (7,12-dimethylbenz(alpha-) antracene, alpha-naphthoflavone, benzo(alpha)pyrene) and 10(-4) M (beta-naphthoflavone and 3-methylcholantrene). Dinaphtho/2,3-b,5,6-b/dioxin and indolo/2,3-b/carbazole showed toxicity at 5 x 10(-6)-10(-5) M and 5 x 10(-5) M respectively. TCDD, TPA, and fluocinolone showed additive effects when added two by two in different combinations. Thus fluocinolone, known to counteract the toxicity and epidermal growth factor (EGF) cell-surface receptor-decreasing activity caused by TPA in other cell types, failed to decrease TPA toxicity in the thymus culture system.

Autoradiographic distribution of [3H]acetylcholine binding sites in the cervical spinal cord of man and some other species.

The distribution of [3H]acetylcholine ([3H]ACh) and [3H]ACh co-incubated with 1-mM nicotine (muscarinic receptor), and [3H]ACh co-incubated with 1.5 microM atropine (nicotinic receptor) binding sites were studied in man and compared to monkey, cat and rat using quantitative in vitro autoradiography. The highest density of total [3H]ACh binding sites was found in laminae II-III, IX (motor neuron areas) and X close to the central canal. The distribution pattern of the muscarinic cholinergic binding sites was similar to that of the total cholinergic binding. In general the number of nicotinic binding sites in the spinal cord was relatively small. The largest number of such binding sites was found in laminae II-III of the dorsal horn and in laminae X around the central canal. It is evident that the spinal cord has a 2-3 times higher number of muscarinic than of nicotinic cholinergic receptors.

In vivo and in vitro receptor autoradiography of the human brain using an 11C-labelled benzodiazepine analogue.

In vitro autoradiography of an 11C-labelled ligand, Ro 15-1788, has been used to visualize benzodiazepine binding sites in large human brain cryo-sections. In parallel, using the same radioligand, an in vivo study of a human healthy volunteer was performed, by means of positron emission tomography (PET). The in vitro and in vivo mapping of the ligand demonstrated a very similar binding pattern, although the poor resolution of PET precluded a full discrimination of fine details. The 11C-autoradiograms showed good spatial resolution, even with distinction of different layers in the cerebral and cerebellar cortex. In a separate experiment, the spatial resolution of 11C-autoradiography was found to be 180 microns, using 80-microns-thick cryo-sections. It is emphasized that in vitro and in vivo studies of the same radioligand give complementary information, which is valuable in the assessment of PET images.

Distribution of nicotinic receptors in human thalamus as visualized by 3H-nicotine and 3H-acetylcholine receptor autoradiography.

Nicotinic cholinergic receptors in human thalamus were measured using (-)3H-nicotine (20 nM) and 3H-acetylcholine (3H-ACh) (20 nM) as radioligands. The specific binding for 3H-nicotine to homogenates of thalamus was 51.6 +/- 8.3 pmol/g protein and for 3H-ACh 18.6 +/- 1.9 pmol/g protein. Receptor autoradiography indicated a high labelling of both 3H-Nicotine and 3H-ACh in the antero-ventral nucleus of thalamus and dorso-medial nucleus of thalamus, while the labelling was lower in the postero-lateral nucleus of thalamus and in the postero-lateral ventral nucleus of thalamus. Quantitative measurement of the 3H-nicotine autoradiograms showed highest labelling in the anteroventral nucleus of thalamus (17.34 +/- 0.76 pmol/g tissue). This study indicates a heterogeneous distribution of high-affinity nicotinic receptors in the human thalamus.