Study of monoglutathionyl conjugates TC-99M-sestamibi and TC-99M-tetrofosmin transport mediated by the multidrug resistance-associated protein isoform 1 in glioma cells.

The emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major obstacle to successful chemotherapy of malignant glioma tumors. Overexpression of the multidrug resistance-associated protein isoform 1 (MRP1), associated with a high level of intracellular glutathione (GSH), is a well-characterized mechanism of MDR in glioma cells. Previously, we have investigated the role of GSH and MRP1 in the accumulation of two radiopharmaceuticals classically used in nuclear medicine: (99m)Tc-sestamibi (MIBI) and (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin (TFOS), in a model of glioma cell lines. Although the involvement of GSH in MRP1-mediated transport of the two radiopharmaceuticals has been demonstrated, the exact transport mechanisms involving phase II (conjugation) and phase III (efflux) detoxification of these lipophilic cations has not been fully elucidated. To clarify the difference of release kinetics observed between MIBI and TFOS, we have studied the efficiency of formation of monogluthationyl conjugates mediated by glutathione S-transferses (GSTs). Our results clearly demonstrate that, in our model, the main efflux mechanism for radiopharmaceuticals is on monoglutathionyl-conjugates of MIBI (MIBI-SG) and TFOS (TFOS-SG). These mechanisms involving MRP1, and the phase II of detoxification is not efficient for TFOS in resistant glioma cells. A relatively slower catalytic efficiency of formation of TFOS-SG conjugate (0.006%.s(-1)) prevents its expulsion, contrary to MIBI (0.133%.s(-1)), suggesting that TFOS should be interesting in the detection and management of patients with high-grade glioma.

Uptake of cationic technetium complexes in cultured human carcinoma cells and human xenografts.

We evaluated lipophilicity, in vitro cell accumulation, and biodistribution of a series of 99mTc-ether isonitrile complexes to determine whether increased lipophilicity promotes extraction by tumor or enhances imaging properties of the radiopharmaceutical. Nine 99mTc-sestamibi analogs were synthesized and their lipophilicity was determined. Net cellular accumulation and membrane-potential-independent uptake were quantitatively compared in cultured human colon, breast, and lung carcinoma cells. The biodistribution of [99mTc-(2-methoxy-2-ethyl-isocyanopropane)6]+ (99mTc-MMBI) and [99mTc-(2-ethoxy-2-methyl-1-isocyanopropane)6]+ (99mTc-EIBI) was studied in nude mice using subcutaneous, subrenal capsule, and hepatic tumor xenografts. Accumulation of these compounds in colon cells correlated with increasing lipophilicity. Compared with 99mTc-sestamibi, 99mTc-EIBI exhibited (i) in colon cells both higher net accumulation and a higher specific/nonspecific uptake ratio; (ii) in all three cell lines higher membrane-potential-dependent accumulation; and (iii) in all subcutaneous tumor xenografts and in colon subrenal capsule and hepatic tumor xenografts higher tumor/background ratios.

A novel areneisonitrile Tc complex inhibits the transport activity of MDR P-glycoprotein.

P-glycoprotein (Pgp), the product of the multidrug resistance (MDR1) gene, has been an important cancer target for development of MDR modulators that act to inhibit Pgp efflux transport activity. From a series of novel substituted areneisonitrile analogues of Tc-sestamibi, a known Pgp transport substrate, emerged the hexakis(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylisonitrile)Tc(I) complex (Tc-TMPI) as a potential modulator of Pgp. Tracer 99mTc-TMPI showed net cellular accumulation in inverse proportion to expression of Pgp and enhancement upon addition of classic MDR modulators. At pharmacological concentrations, the carrier-added 94Tc-TMPI complex showed potent inhibition of Pgp-mediated 99mTc-sestamibi transport (EC50, 1.1 +/- 0.2 microM) and displacement of a Pgp-specific photolabel in a concentration-dependent manner. We conclude that 99Tc-TMPI directly inhibited Pgp transport activity and serves as a convenient template for development of nonradioactive Re(I) analogues as novel MDR modulators.