Preparation and biodistribution of [67Ga]-labeledoxytocin for SPECT purposes

Oxytocin [OT] is a paracrine hormone with various biological activities and many sex organs in both sexes, as well as many tumor cells have shown to have related receptors. In this study the development of a receptor imaging tracer for possible tumor imaging has been described. OT was successively labeled with [67Ga]-gallium chloride after conjugation with freshly prepared cyclic DTPA-dianhydride. The best results of the conjugation were obtained by the addition of 1 ml of a OT pharmaceutical solution [2 mg/ml, in phosphate buffer, pH=8] to a glass tube pre-coated with DTPA-dianhydride [0.02 mg] at 25°C with continuous mild stirring for 30 min. Radiochemical purity [RCP] of the labeled compound was determined, using RTLC and ITLC followed by stability tests and animal biodistribution studies. Radiolabeling took about 60 minutes with a RCP higher than 98% at optimized conditions [specific activity = 1000 Ci/mM, labeling efficiency 80%]. The stability of the tracer at room temperature was significant, up to an hour. Preliminary in vivo studies in normal female rat model showed ovary/blood and ovary/muscle ratio uptake of the tracer in 60 minutes to be 4.53 and 9.18, respectively. The result was consistent with the reported OT receptor distribution in normal female mammals. The radiolabeled oxytocin, prepared in this study, was a possible fast acting tracer for OT receptor imaging; studies however, more studies are required to determine the best imaging conditions especially in larger mammal animals

[Hepatobiliary dysfunction in patients with inflammatory bowel disease]

A high percent of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases [IBD] experience non intestinal symptoms. Many studies demonstrated that hepatobiliary disorders are the most common. Corresponding disorders consist of primary sclerosing cholangitis, non alcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH], biliary stones, pericholangitis, autoimmune hepatitis, liver amyloidosis, liver abscess, liver granuloma, hepatocellular carcinoma and primary biliary cirrhosis. However most studies concentrate on identifying primary sclerosing cholangitis, the most dreadful complication of IBD, other disorders like NASH and biliary stones are common and because of the similarity of symptoms to the primary disease may be ignored. In this article we review these disorders

Liver abnormality in celiac disease: report of a case

Many extra-intestinal manifestations are associated with celiac disease. One of the most important of them is hepatobiliary abnormalities. This association is recently under consideration. We report a 34-year-old man with elevated liver enzymes and primary diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Further follow up revealed celiac disease as the proper diagnosis in this patient

[Inflammatory bowel diseases and multiple sclerosis: a look on two cases]

The Inflammatory bowel diseases [IBD] have been found to accompany some neurological syndromes including multiple sclerosis [MS]. Recently, Several studies have reported and discussed the simultaneous presence of IBD and MS in some patients. Thus, in patients with either disease, the presence of signs and symptoms of the other should raise the clinical suspicion of the clinician and warrant special considerations. In this report, we introduce two IBD patients who have concomitant involvement of MS