Gallium(III) chelates of mixed phosphonate-carboxylate triazamacrocyclic ligands relevant to nuclear medicine: Structural, stability and in vivo studies.

Three triaza macrocyclic ligands, H6NOTP (1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N,N',N″-trimethylene phosphonic acid), H4NO2AP (1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N-methylenephosphonic acid-N',N″-dimethylenecarboxylic acid), and H5NOA2P (1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N,N'-bis(methylenephosphonic acid)-N″-methylene carboxylic acid), and their gallium(III) chelates were studied in view of their potential interest as scintigraphic and PET (Positron Emission Tomography) imaging agents. A 1H, 31P and 71Ga multinuclear NMR study gave an insight on the structure, internal dynamics and stability of the chelates in aqueous solution. In particular, the analysis of 71Ga NMR spectra gave information on the symmetry of the Ga3+ coordination sphere and the stability of the chelates towards hydrolysis. The 31P NMR spectra afforded information on the protonation of the non-coordinated oxygen atoms from the pendant phosphonate groups and on the number of species in solution. The 1H NMR spectra allowed the analysis of the structure and the number of species in solution. 31P and 1H NMR titrations combined with potentiometry afforded the measurement of the protonation constants (log KHi) and the microscopic protonation scheme of the triaza macrocyclic ligands. The remarkably high thermodynamic stability constant (log KGaL=34.44 (0.04) and stepwise protonation constants of Ga(NOA2P)2- were determined by potentiometry and 69Ga and 31P NMR titrations. Biodistribution and gamma imaging studies have been performed on Wistar rats using the radiolabeled 67Ga(NO2AP)- and 67Ga(NOA2P)2-chelates, having both demonstrated to have renal excretion. The correlation of the molecular properties of the chelates with their pharmacokinetic properties has been analysed.

Ga[NO2A-N-(α-amino)propionate] chelates: synthesis and evaluation as potential tracers for 68Ga PET.

The availability of commercial (68)Ge/(68)Ga cyclotron-independent (68)Ga(3+) generators is making Positron Emission Tomography (PET) accessible to most hospitals, which is generating a surge of interest in the design and synthesis of bi-functional chelators for Ga(3+). In this work we introduce the NO2A-N-(α-amino)propionic acid family of chelators based on the triazacyclononane scaffold. Complexation of the parent NO2A-N-(α-amino)propionic acid chelator and of a low molecular weight (model) amide conjugate with Ga(3+) was studied by (1)H and (71)Ga NMR. The Ga(3+) chelate of the amide conjugate shows pH-independent N3O3 coordination in the pH range 3-10 involving the carboxylate group of the pendant propionate arm in a 6 member chelate. For the Ga[NO2A-N-(α-amino)propionate] chelate, a reversible pH-triggered switch from Ga(3+) coordination to the carboxylate group to coordination to the amine group of the propionate arm was observed upon pH increase/decrease in the pH range 4-6. This phenomenon can conceivably constitute the basis of a physiological pH sensor. Both complexes are stable in the physiological range. The [(67)Ga][NO2A-N-(α-benzoylamido)propionate] chelate was found to be stable in human serum. Biodistribution studies of the (67)Ga(3+)-labeled pyrene butyric acid conjugate NO2A-N-(α-pyrenebutanamido)propionic acid revealed that, despite its high lipophilicity and concentration-dependent aggregation properties, the chelate follows mainly renal elimination with very low liver/spleen accumulation and no activity deposition in bones after 24 hours. Facile synthesis of amide conjugates of the NO2A-N-(α-amino)propionic acid chelator, serum stability of the Ga(3+) chelates and fast renal elimination warrant further evaluation of this novel class of chelators for PET applications.

Thermodynamic stability and relaxation studies of small, triaza-macrocyclic Mn(II) chelates.

Due to its favorable relaxometric properties, Mn(2+) is an appealing metal ion for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of three new triazadicarboxylate-type ligands and their Mn(2+) chelates (NODAHep, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4-diacetate-7-heptanil; NODABA, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4-diacetate-7-benzoic acid; and NODAHA, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4-diacetate-7-hexanoic acid). The protonation constants of the ligands and the stability constants of the chelates formed with Mn(2+) and the endogenous Zn(2+) ion have been determined by potentiometry. In overall, the thermodynamic stability of the chelates is lower than that of the corresponding NOTA analogues (NOTA = 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetate), consistent with the decreased number of coordinating carboxylate groups. Variable temperature (1)H NMRD and (17)O NMR measurements have been performed on the paramagnetic chelates to provide information on the water exchange rates and the rotational dynamics. The values of the (17)O chemical shifts are consistent with the presence of one water molecule in the first coordination sphere of Mn(2+). The three complexes are in the slow to intermediate regime for the water exchange rate, and they all display relatively high rotational correlation times, which explain the relaxivity values between 4.7 and 5.8 mM(-1) s(-1) (20 MHz and 298 K). These relaxivities are higher than expected for Mn(2+) chelates of such size and comparable to those of small monohydrated Gd(3+) complexes. The amphiphilic [Mn(NODAHep)] forms micelles above 22 mM (its critical micellar concentration was determined by relaxometry and fluorescence), and interacts with HSA via its alkylic carbon chain providing a 60% relaxivity increase at 20 MHz due to a longer tumbling time.

The interaction of La(3+) complexes of DOTA/DTPA glycoconjugates with the RCA(120) lectin: a saturation transfer difference NMR spectroscopic study.

The study of ligand-receptor interactions using high-resolution NMR techniques, namely the saturation transfer difference (STD), is presented for the recognition process between La(III) complexes of 1,4,7,10-tetrakis(carboxymethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane monoamide and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid bisamide glycoconjugates and the galactose-specific lectin Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA(120)). This new class of Gd(III)-based potential targeted MRI contrast agents (CAs), bearing one or two terminal sugar (galactosyl or lactosyl) moieties, has been designed for in vivo binding to the asialoglycoprotein receptor, which is specifically expressed at the surface of liver hepatocytes, with the aim of leading to a new possible diagnosis of liver diseases. The in vitro affinity constants for the affinity of the divalent La(III)-glycoconjugate complexes for RCA(120), used as a simple, water-soluble receptor model, were higher than those of the monovalent analogues. The combination of the experimental data obtained from the STD NMR experiments with molecular modelling protocols (Autodock 4.1) allowed us to predict the mode of binding of monovalent and divalent forms of these CAs to the galactose 1α binding sites of RCA(120). The atomic details of the molecular interactions allowed us to corroborate and supported the interaction of both sugar moieties and the linkers with the surface of the protein and, thus, their contribution to the observed interaction stabilities.

Ga(III) chelates of amphiphilic DOTA-based ligands: synthetic route and in vitro and in vivo studies.

In this work, we report on a synthetic strategy using amphiphilic DOTA (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid)-based chelators bearing a variable-sized α-alkyl chain at one of the pendant acetate arms (from 6 to 14 carbon atoms), compatible with their covalent coupling to amine-bearing biomolecules. The amphiphilic behavior of the micelles-forming Ga(III) chelates (critical micellar concentration), their stability in blood serum and their lipophilicity (logP) were investigated. Biodistribution studies with the (67)Ga-labeled chelates were performed in Wistar rats, which showed a predominant liver uptake with almost no traces of the radiochelates in the body after 24 h.

Gallium labeled NOTA-based conjugates for peptide receptor-mediated medical imaging.

We report a straightforward and efficient synthetic strategy for the synthesis of three model glycine-arginine-glycine-aspartic acid-glycine (GRGDG) conjugates based on derivatives of NOTA and of their Ga(III) complexes targeted to the integrin α(ν)ß(3) receptor. (71)Ga NMR spectroscopy showed that the Ga(III)-labeled conjugates are highly stable in aqueous solution. The (67)Ga-labeled conjugates proved to have high kinetic stability and showed a weak but specific binding to the receptors in a U87MG-glioblastoma cell line.

Triaza-based amphiphilic chelators: synthetic route, in vitro characterization and in vivo studies of their Ga(III) and Al(III) chelates.

Radiogallium chelates are important for diagnostic imaging in nuclear medicine (PET (positron emission tomography) and gamma-scintigraphy). Micelles are adequate colloidal vehicles for the delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents to organs and tissues. In this paper we describe the synthesis and in vitro and in vivo studies of a series of micelles-forming Ga(III) chelates targeted for the liver. The amphiphilic ligands are based on NOTA (NOTA=1,4,7-triazacyclonoane-N,N'N''-triacetic acid) and bear a alpha-alkyl chain in one of the pendant acetate arms (the size of the chain changes from four to fourteen carbon atoms). A multinuclear NMR study ((1)H, (13)C, (27)Al and (71)Ga) gave some insights into the structure and dynamics of the metal chelates in solution, consistent with their rigidity and octahedral or pseudo-octahedral geometry. The critical micellar concentration of the chelates was determined using a fluorescence method and (27)Al NMR spectroscopy (Al(III) was used as a surrogate of Ga(III)), both showing similar results and suggesting that the chelates of NOTAC6 form pre-micellar aggregates. The logP (octanol-water) determination showed enhancement of the lipophilic character of the Ga(III) chelates with the increase of the number of carbons in the alpha-alkyl chain. Biodistribution and gamma-scintigraphic studies of the (67)Ga(III) labeled chelates were performed on Wistar rats, showing higher liver uptake for [(67)Ga](NOTAC8) in comparison to [(67)Ga](NOTAC6), consistent with a longer alpha-alkyl chain and a higher lipophilicity. After 24h both chelates were completely cleared off from the tissues and organs with no deposition in the bones and liver/spleen. [(67)Ga](NOTAC8) showed high kinetic stability in blood serum.

Lanthanide chelates of (bis)-hydroxymethyl-substituted DTTA with potential application as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging.

A novel bis-hydroxymethyl-substituted DTTA chelator N'-Bz-C(4,4')-(CH(2)OH)(2)-DTTA () and its DTPA analogue C(4,4')-(CH(2)OH)(2)-DTPA () were synthesized and characterized. A variable-temperature (1)H NMR spectroscopy study of the solution dynamics of their diamagnetic (La) and paramagnetic (Sm, Eu) Ln(3+) complexes showed them to be rigid when compared with analogous Ln(3+)-DTTA and Ln(3+)-DTPA complexes, as a result of their C(4,4')-(CH(2)OH)(2) ligand backbone substitution. The parameters that govern the water (1)H relaxivity of the [Gd()(H(2)O)(2)](-) and [Gd()(H(2)O)](2-) complexes were obtained by (17)O and (1)H NMR relaxometry. While the relaxometric behaviour of the [Gd()(H(2)O)](2-) complex is very similar to the parent [Gd(DTPA)(H(2)O)](2-) system, the [Gd()(H(2)O)(2)](-) complex displays higher relaxivity, due to the presence of two inner sphere water molecules and an accelerated, near optimal water exchange rate. The [Gd()(H(2)O)(2)](-) complex interacts weakly with human serum albumin (HSA), and its fully bound relaxivity is limited by slow water exchange, as monitored by (1)H NMR relaxometry. This complex interacts weakly with phosphate, but does not form ternary complexes with bidentate bicarbonate and l-lactate anions, indicating that the two inner-sphere water molecules of the [Gd()(H(2)O)(2)](-) complex are not located in adjacent positions in the coordination sphere of the Gd(3+) ion. The transmetallation reaction rate of [Gd()(H(2)O)(2)](-) with Zn(2+) in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0) was measured to be similar to that of the backbone unsubstituted [Gd(DTTA-Me)(H(2)O)(2)](-), but twice faster than for [Gd(DTPA-BMA)(H(2)O)]. The in vivo biodistribution studies of the (153)Sm(3+)-labelled ligand () in Wistar rats reveal slow blood elimination and short term fixation in various organs, indicating some dissociation. The bis-hydroxymethyl-substituted DTTA skeleton can be seen as a new lead for the synthesis of high relaxivity contrast agents, although its low thermodynamic and kinetic stability will limit its use to in vitro and animal studies.

68Ga-PET: a powerful generator-based alternative to cyclotron-based PET radiopharmaceuticals.

PET (positron emission tomography) is a powerful diagnostic and imaging technique which requires short-lived positron emitting isotopes. The most commonly used are accelerator-produced (11)C and (18)F. An alternative is the use of metallic positron emitters. Among them (68)Ga deserves special attention because of its availability from long-lived (68)Ge/(68)Ga generator systems which render (68)Ga radiopharmacy independent of an onsite cyclotron. The coordination chemistry of Ga(3+) is dominated by its hard acid character. A variety of mono- and bifunctional chelators have been developed which allow the formation of stable (68)Ga(3+)complexes and convenient coupling to biomolecules. (68)Ga coupling to small biomolecules is potentially an alternative to (18)F- and (11)C-based radiopharmacy. In particular, peptides targeting G-protein coupled receptors overexpressed on human tumour cells have shown preclinically and clinically high and specific tumour uptake. Kit-formulated precursors along with the generator may be provided, similar to the (99)Mo/(99m)Tc-based radiopharmacy, still the mainstay of nuclear medicine.

Metal-ion-dependent biological properties of a chelator-derived somatostatin analogue for tumour targeting.

Somatostatin-based radioligands have been shown to have sensitive imaging properties for neuroendocrine tumours and their metastases. The potential of [(55)Co(dotatoc)] (dotatoc =4,7,10-tricarboxymethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1-ylacetyl-D-Phe-(Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Lys-Thr-Cys)-threoninol (disulfide bond)) as a new radiopharmaceutical agent for PET has been evaluated. (57)Co was used as a surrogate of the positron emitter (55)Co and the pharmacokinetics of [(57)Co(dotatoc)] were investigated by using two nude mouse models. The somatostatin receptor subtype (sst1-sst5) affinity profile of [(nat)Co(dotatoc)] on membranes transfected with human somatostatin receptor subtypes was assessed by using autoradiographic methods. These studies revealed that [(57)Co(dotatoc)] is an sst2-specific radiopeptide which presents the highest affinity ever found for the sst2 receptor subtype. The rate of internalisation into the AR4-2J cell line also was the highest found for any somatostatin-based radiopeptide. Biodistribution studies, performed in nude mice bearing an AR4-2J tumour or a transfected HEK-sst2 cell-based tumour, showed high and specific uptake in the tumour and in other sst-receptor-expressing tissues, which reflects the high receptor binding affinity and the high rate of internalisation. The pharmacologic differences between [(57)Co(dotatoc)] and [(67)Ga(dotatoc)] are discussed in terms of the structural parameters found for the chelate models [Co(II)(dota)](2-) and [Ga(III)(dota)](-) whose X-ray structures have been determined. Both chelates show six-fold coordination in pseudo-octahedral arrangements.

Gd(III)-EPTPAC16, a new self-assembling potential liver MRI contrast agent: in vitro characterization and in vivo animal imaging studies.

The recently reported amphiphilic chelate, [Gd(EPTPAC16)(H2O)]2-, forms supramolecular aggregates in aqueous solution by self-assembly of the monomers with a relaxometrically determined critical micellar concentration (CMC) of 0.34 mM. The effect of sonication on the aggregate size was characterized by dynamic light scattering and relaxometry, indicating the presence of premicellar aggregates and an overall decrease in aggregate size and polydispersity upon sonication, slightly below the CMC. [[153Sm](EPTPAC16)(H2O)]2- radiotracer was evaluated in vivo from gamma scintigraphy and biodistribution in Wistar rats. It was found to depend strongly on the sample concentration, below or above the CMC, and its sonication, in a way that correlates with the effect of the same factors on the size of the aggregates formed in solution. Below CMC, the very large aggregates of the [153Sm]3+ -labeled chelate were persistently and mainly taken up by the lungs, and also by the macrophage-rich liver and spleen. Sonication of this solution led to loss of the lung uptake. Above CMC, the metal chelate was mainly taken up by the liver, with very little uptake by the spleen and lungs. In vivo, dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI evaluation of the micellar [Gd(EPTPAC16)(H2O)]2- compound in Wistar rats showed a persistent hepatic positive-contrast effect in T1-weighted images, qualitatively similar to the clinically established Gd(III)-based hepatobiliary-selective agents. No enhancement effect was observed in the lungs because of the scarcity of mobile protons in this organ, despite the scintigraphic evidence of significant lung retention of the [153Sm]3+ -labeled chelate at concentrations below the CMC.

Supramolecular assembly of an amphiphilic Gd(III) chelate: tuning the reorientational correlation time and the water exchange rate.

We report the synthesis and characterization of the novel ligand H(5)EPTPA-C(16) ((hydroxymethylhexadecanoyl ester)ethylenepropylenetriaminepentaacetic acid). This ligand was designed to chelate the Gd(III) ion in a kinetically and thermodynamically stable way while ensuring an increased water exchange rate (kappa(ex)) on the Gd(III) complex owing to steric compression around the water-binding site. The attachment of a palmitic ester unit to the pendant hydroxymethyl group on the ethylenediamine bridge yields an amphiphilic conjugate that forms micelles with a long tumbling time (tau(R)) in aqueous solution. The critical micelle concentration (cmc = 0.34 mM) of the amphiphilic [Gd(eptpa-C(16))(H(2)O)](2-) chelate was determined by variable-concentration proton relaxivity measurements. A global analysis of the data obtained in variable-temperature and multiple-field (17)O NMR and (1)H NMRD measurements allowed for the determination of parameters governing relaxivity for [Gd(eptpa-C(16))(H(2)O)](2-); this is the first time that paramagnetic micelles with optimized water exchange have been investigated. The water exchange rate was found to be kappa(298)(ex) = 1.7 x 10(8) s(-1), very similar to that previously reported for the nitrobenzyl derivative [Gd(eptpa-bz-NO(2))(H(2)O)](2-) kappa(298)(ex) = 1.5 x 10(8) s(-1)). The rotational dynamics of the micelles were analysed by using the Lipari-Szabo approach. The micelles formed in aqueous solution show considerable flexibility, with a local rotational correlation time of tau(298)(l0) = 330 ps for the Gd(III) segments, which is much shorter than the global rotational correlation time of the supramolecular aggregates, tau(298)(g0) = 2100 ps. This internal flexibility of the micelles is responsible for the limited increase of the proton relaxivity observed on micelle formation (r(1) = 22.59 mM(-1) s(-1) for the micelles versus 9.11 mM(-1) s(-1) for the monomer chelate (20 MHz; 25 degrees C)).

Lanthanide(III) complexes of DOTA-glycoconjugates: a potential new class of lectin-mediated medical imaging agents.

The synthesis and characterization of a new class of DOTA (1,4,7,10-tetrakis(carboxymethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) monoamide-linked glycoconjugates (glucose, lactose and galactose) of different valencies (mono, di and tetra) and their Sm(III), Eu(III) and Gd(III) complexes are reported. The 1H NMR spectrum of Eu(III)-DOTALac2 shows the predominance of a single structural isomer of square antiprismatic geometry of the DOTA chelating moiety and fast rotation about the amide bond connected to the targeting glycodendrimer. The in vitro relaxivity of the Gd(III)-glycoconjugates was studied by 1H nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion (NMRD), yielding parameters close to those reported for other DOTA monoamides. The known recognition of sugars by lectins makes these glycoconjugates good candidates for medical imaging agents (MRI and gamma scintigraphy).

In vivo and in vitro (27)Al NMR studies of aluminum(III) chelates of triazacyclononane polycarboxylate ligands.

The metallic radioisotope of a known radiopharmaceutical chelate, (67)Ga(NOTA) (NOTA=1,4,7-triazacyclonane-1,4,7-triacetic acid), used for tumor detection, was substituted by the chemically similar but non radioactive aluminum ion. Our aim was to detect and evaluate the in vivo behavior of the chelate. For this purpose, Al(NOTA) and the related chelate Al(NODASA) (NODASA=1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1-succinic acid-4,7-diacetic acid) were studied using in vitro and in vivo (27)Al NMR spectroscopy in rats. Both chelates showed high stability towards acid catalyzed dissociation and their (27)Al NMR resonances are characteristic of highly symmetrical species, with chemical shifts within the range for octahedral or pseudo-octahedral geometries. The thermodynamic stability constant of the novel chelate Al(NODASA) was estimated using (27)Al NMR. The value obtained suggested that the chelate does not undergo in vivo demetalation by transferrin. The in vivo spectroscopic studies and the analysis of blood and urine samples for Al(III) concentrations indicated that the chelates remain intact under physiological conditions and that they are mainly eliminated from the body through the kidneys.

Alkaline Earth Metal and Lanthanide(III) Complexes of Ligands Based upon 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane-1,7-bis(acetic acid).

The macrocyclic ligand DO2A (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,7-bis(acetic acid)) was prepared and used as a building block for four new macrocyclic ligands having mixed side-chain chelating groups. These ligands and their complexes with Mg(II), Ca(II), and Ln(III) were studied extensively by potentiometry, high-resolution NMR, and water proton relaxivity measurements. The protonation constants of all compounds compared well with those of other cyclen-based macrocyclic ligands. All Ca(II) complexes were found to be more stable than the corresponding Mg(II) complexes. Trends for the stabilities of the Ln(III) complexes are discussed and compared with literature data, incorporating the effects of water coordination numbers, Ln(III) contraction, and the nature of the side chains and the steric hindrance between them. (1)H NMR titrations of DO2A revealed that the first and second protonations take place preferentially at the secondary ring nitrogens, while the third and fourth involved protonation of the acetates. (17)O NMR shifts showed that the DyDO2A(+) complex had two inner-sphere water molecules. Water proton spin-lattice relaxation rates for the GdDO2A(+) complex were also consistent with water exchange between bulk water and two inner-sphere Gd(III) coordination positions. Upon formation of the diamagnetic complexes of DO2A (Ca(II), Mg(II), La(III), and Lu(III)), all of the macrocyclic ring protons became nonequivalent due to slow conformational rearrangements, while the signals for the acetate CH(2) protons remained a singlet.