Imaging intratumoral convection: pressure-dependent enhancement in chemotherapeutic delivery to solid tumors.

PURPOSE: Low-molecular weight (LMW) chemotherapeutics are believed to reach tumors through diffusion across capillary beds as well as membrane transporters. Unexpectedly, the delivery of these agents seems to be augmented by reductions in tumor interstitial fluid pressure, an effect typically associated with high-molecular weight molecules that reach tumors principally through convection. We investigated the hypothesis that improved intratumoral convection can alter tumor metabolism and enhance the delivery of a LMW chemotherapeutic agent to solid tumors. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: For this purpose, we applied 31P/19F magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) to examine the influence of type I collagenase on tumor bioenergetics and the delivery of 5-fluorouracil (5FU) to HT29 human colorectal tumors grown s.c. in mice. RESULTS: Collagenase effected a 34% reduction in tumor interstitial fluid pressure with an attendant disintegration of intratumoral collagen. Neither mice-administered collagenase nor controls receiving PBS showed changes in (31)phosphorus MRS-measured tumor bioenergetics; however, a time-dependent increase in the content of extracellular inorganic phosphate (Pi(e)) was observed in tumors of collagenase-treated animals. (31)Phosphorus MRSI showed that this increase underscored a more homogeneous distribution of Pi(e) in tumors of experimental mice. (19)Fluorine MRS showed that these changes were associated with a 50% increase in 5FU uptake in tumors of experimental versus control animals; however, this increase resulted in an increase in 5FU catabolites rather than fluoronucleotide intermediates that are required for subsequent cytotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that the modulation of convective flow within tumors can improve the delivery of (LMW) chemotherapeutics and show the potential role for noninvasive imaging of this process in vivo.

Enzyme homologues have distinct reaction paths through their transition states.

Recent studies of the bacterial enzymes EcMTAN and VcMTAN showed that they have different binding affinities for the same transition state analogue. This was surprising given the similarity of their active sites. We performed transition path sampling simulations of both enzymes to reveal the atomic details of the catalytic chemical step, which may be the key for explaining the inhibitor affinity differences. Even though all experimental data would suggest the two enzymes are almost identical, subtle dynamic differences manifest in differences of reaction coordinate, transition state structure, and eventually significant differences in inhibitor binding. Unlike EcMTAN, VcMTAN has multiple distinct transition states, which is an indication that multiple sets of coordinated protein motions can reach a transition state. Reaction coordinate information is only accessible from transition path sampling approaches, since all experimental approaches report averages. Detailed knowledge could have a significant impact on pharmaceutical design.

Conformational freedom in tight binding enzymatic transition-state analogues.

Transition-state analogues of bacterial 5'-methylthioadenosine/S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidases (MTANs) disrupt quorum-sensing pathways in Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae, demonstrating the potential to limit pathogenicity without placing bacteria under intense selective pressure that leads to antibiotic resistance. Despite the similarity of the crystal structures of E. coli MTAN (EcMTAN) and V. cholerae MTAN (VcMTAN) bound to DADMe-Immucillin-A transition-state (TS) analogues, EcMTAN demonstrates femtomolar affinity for BuT-DADMe-Immucillin-A (BDIA) whereas VcMTAN possesses only picomolar affinity. Protein dynamic interactions are therefore implicated in this inhibitor affinity difference. We conducted molecular dynamics simulations of both EcMTAN and VcMTAN in complex with BDIA to explore differences in protein dynamic architecture. Simulations revealed that electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions with BDIA are similar for both enzymes and thus unlikely to account for the difference in inhibitor affinity. The EcMTAN-BDIA complex reveals a greater flexibility and conformational freedom of catalytically important atoms. We propose that conserved motions related to the EcMTAN transition state correlate with the increased affinity of BDIA for EcMTAN. Transition-state analogues permitting protein motion related to formation of the transition state are better mimics of the enzymatic transition state and can bind more tightly than those immobilizing catalytic site dynamics.

Imaging of alkaline phosphatase activity in bone tissue.

The purpose of this study was to develop a paradigm for quantitative molecular imaging of bone cell activity. We hypothesized the feasibility of non-invasive imaging of the osteoblast enzyme alkaline phosphatase (ALP) using a small imaging molecule in combination with (19)Flourine magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging ((19)FMRSI). 6, 8-difluoro-4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate (DiFMUP), a fluorinated ALP substrate that is activatable to a fluorescent hydrolysis product was utilized as a prototype small imaging molecule. The molecular structure of DiFMUP includes two Fluorine atoms adjacent to a phosphate group allowing it and its hydrolysis product to be distinguished using (19)Fluorine magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((19)FMRS) and (19)FMRSI. ALP-mediated hydrolysis of DiFMUP was tested on osteoblastic cells and bone tissue, using serial measurements of fluorescence activity. Extracellular activation of DiFMUP on ALP-positive mouse bone precursor cells was observed. Concurringly, DiFMUP was also activated on bone derived from rat tibia. Marked inhibition of the cell and tissue activation of DiFMUP was detected after the addition of the ALP inhibitor levamisole. (19)FMRS and (19)FMRSI were applied for the non-invasive measurement of DiFMUP hydrolysis. (19)FMRS revealed a two-peak spectrum representing DiFMUP with an associated chemical shift for the hydrolysis product. Activation of DiFMUP by ALP yielded a characteristic pharmacokinetic profile, which was quantifiable using non-localized (19)FMRS and enabled the development of a pharmacokinetic model of ALP activity. Application of (19)FMRSI facilitated anatomically accurate, non-invasive imaging of ALP concentration and activity in rat bone. Thus, (19)FMRSI represents a promising approach for the quantitative imaging of bone cell activity during bone formation with potential for both preclinical and clinical applications.