Dy-EOB-DTPA: tolerance and pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers and preliminary liver imaging in patients.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the tolerance and pharmacokinetics of the new liver-specific x-ray contrast agent Dy-EOB-DTPA [(4S)-4-(4-ethoxybenzyl)-3,6,9-tris(carboxylatomethyl)-3,6,9-triazaundecanedioic acid, dysprosium (Dy) complex, disodium salt] in healthy volunteers and to obtain preliminary imaging data by abdominal spiral computed tomography (CT) in tumor patients with liver metastases. METHODS: A total of 40 healthy male volunteers received 10-minute intravenous infusions of 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.375, or 0.5 mmol/kg Dy-EOB-DTPA (n = 6 per dose group) or placebo (n = 10). Blood, urine, and feces were sampled for Dy measurements by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and for the detection of possible metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis with ICP-AES detection. Safety parameters were determined before, during, and after the study. Two patients with suspected liver metastases first received 120 mL of iopromide (300 mg iodine/mL; approximately 0.6 mmol/kg) and, 24 or 72 hours later, Dy-EOB-DTPA at a dose of 0.25 mmol/kg. Computed tomography images were obtained 50 seconds after iopromide administration and before and 90 minutes after Dy-EOB-DTPA administration. RESULTS: Dysprosium-EOB-DTPA was well tolerated. At the higher doses (0.375 and 0.5 mmol/kg), there was a slight increase in side effect intensity. In general, nausea, headache, and paresthesia mainly were reported as mild to moderate adverse events. Laboratory parameters did not exceed the normal range. Electrocardiographic, vital sign, or hemodynamic parameters were not affected by contrast agent administration. The terminal half-life of elimination of Dy-EOB-DTPA was approximately 1.5 hours, total clearance was 2 to 3 mL x min(-1) x kg(-1), and the renal clearance was approximately 1.5 mL x min(-1) x kg(-1). There was a significant dose dependence for the following parameters: maximal concentration in blood, terminal half-life, mean residence time, total clearance, urinary excretion, and fecal excretion. The volume of distribution in the steady state and renal clearance were not dependent on dose. In the blood and urine, no metabolites of Dy-EOB-DTPA could be detected. In the tumor patients, CT scanning after Dy-EOB-DTPA injection increased the number of detected metastases from 27 (plain scan) to 40 (iopromide) and then to 41 (Dy-EOB-DTPA) in patient No. 1 and from 1 (plain scan and iopromide) to 3 (Dy-EOB-DTPA) in patient No. 2. CONCLUSIONS: Dysprosium-EOB-DTPA was shown to be a well-tolerated liver-specific contrast agent. Its pharmacokinetic profile is characterized by a terminal half-life of approximately 1.5 hours. There are indications of saturation of liver uptake at the highest dose level of 0.5 mmol/kg. In comparison with plain scans and scans performed after iodinated contrast agent administration, Dy-EOB-DTPA seems to increase the number of detectable liver lesions.

1-Boraadamantane: reactivity towards di(1-alkynyl)silicon and -tin compounds: first access to 7-metalla-2,5-diboranorbornane derivatives.

1-Boraadamantane (1) reacts with di(1-alkynyl)silicon and -tin compounds 2 (Me2M(C...CR)2: M=Si; R=Me (a), tBu (b), SiMe3 (c); M=Sn, R=SiMe3 (e)) in a 1:1 ratio by intermolecular 1,1-alkylboration, followed by intramolecular 1,1-vinylboration, to give siloles 5a-c and the stannole 5e, respectively, in which the tricyclic 1-boraadamantane system is enlarged by two carbon atoms. Owing to the high reactivity of 1, a second fast intermolecular 1,1-alkylboration competes with the intramolecular 1,1-vinylboration as the second major step in the reaction if the substituent R at the C...C bond is small (2a) and/or if the M-C... bond is also highly reactive, as in 2d (M=Sn, R= Me) and 2e (M=Sn, R=SiMe3). This leads finally to the novel octacyclic 7-metalla-2,5-diboranorbornane derivatives 8a, 8d, and 8e, of which 8e was characterized by X-ray analysis in the solid state. 1,1,2,2-Tetramethyldi(1-propynyl)disilane, MeC...C-SiMe2SiMe2-C...CMe (3), reacts with 1 to give mainly a 1,2-dihydro-1,2,5-disilaborepine derivative 9 and the octacyclic compound 11, which is analogous to 8a but with an Me4Si2 bridge. All new products were characterized in solution by 1H, 11B, 13C, 29Si, and 119Sn NMR spectroscopy. For 8 and 11, highly resolved 29Si and 119Sn NMR spectra revealed the first two-bond isotope-induced chemical shifts, 2delta10/11B(29Si) and 2delta10/11B(119Sn) respectively, to be reported.

Metal-induced B-H activation: addition of methyl acetylene carboxylates to Cp*Rh-, Cp*Ir-, (p-cymene)Ru-, and (p-cymene)Os half-sandwich complexes containing the chelating 1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane-1,2-dithiolate ligand

The reactions of the 16e half-sandwich complexes [Cp*M[S2C2(B10)H10)]] (1: M=Rh; 2: M = Ir) and [eta6-(4-isopropyltoluene)M[S2C2(B10H10)] (3: M=Ru; 4: M=Os) with both methyl acetylene monocarboxylate and dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylate were studied in order to obtain more evidence for B-H activation, ortho-metalation, and B(3,6)-substitution of the carborane cluster. In the case of rhodium, the reaction of 1 with methyl acetylene monocarboxylate led to new complexes after twofold insertion into one of the Rh-S bonds (7), and twofold insertion together with B-substitution at the carborane cage (8). In the case of iridium, the reactions of 2 with methyl acetylene monocarboxylate gave two geometrical isomers 10 and 11, in which the alkyne is inserted into one of the Ir-S bonds, followed by hydrogen transfer from the carborane via the metal to the former alkyne and formation of an Ir-B bond. Only one type each (12 and 13) of these isomers was obtained from the reactions of the ruthenium and osmium half-sandwich complexes 3 and 4. The 16e starting materials 1-4 reacted with dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylate at room temperature to give the complexes 14-17, respectively, which are formed by addition of the C=C bond to the metal center and insertion into one of the metal-sulfur bonds. The proposed structures in solution were deduced from NMR data (1H, 11B, 13C, 103Rh NMR), and X-ray structural analyses were carried out for the rhodium complexes 7 and 8.

Crystal structures and thermotropic properties of alkyl alpha-D-glucopyranosides and their hydrates.

Thermotropic properties and crystal structures of alkyl alpha-D-glucopyranosides and their hydrates were estimated by X-ray, DSC and thermogravimetric measurements (TGA). Monohydrates rapidly lose their crystal water several degrees below the melting point of the anhydrous glucopyranosides. The melting points of the monohydrates measured in DSC pressure cells (chain length longer than seven) are lower, and the clearing points higher than those of the anhydrous glucosides. Layer distances of smectic and crystalline phases of anhydrous compounds were established. Melting points, densities and layer distances of the crystalline anhydrous glucopyranosides display strong even-odd effects. The strong decrease of these effects in the case of the monohydrates can be elucidated by the results of X-ray crystal structure analysis.

Rhodium-Induced Selective B(3)/B(6)-Disubstitution of ortho-Carborane-1,2-dithiolate.

The various reactive sites in the 16 e complex 1 invite addition reactions with alkynes. After addition of 2 to one of the Rh-S bonds, B-H activation takes place which finally leads to the complex 3, in which a B(3)/B(6)-disubstituted o-carborane cage is present for the first time.

Iterative lineshape fitting of MAS NMR spectra: a tool to investigate homonuclear J coupling in isolated spin pairs.

Possibilities and limitations of iterative lineshape fitting procedures of MAS NMR spectra of isolated homonuclear spin pairs, aiming at determination of magnitudes and orientations of the various interaction tensors, are explored. Requirements regarding experimental MAS NMR spectra as well as simulation and fitting procedures are discussed. Our examples chosen are the isolated 31P spin pairs in solid Na4P2O7. 10H2O, (1), and Cd(NO3)2. 2PPh3, (2). In both cases the two 31P chemical shielding tensors in the molecular unit are related by C2 symmetry, and determination of the orientations of these two tensors in the molecular frame is possible. In addition, aspects of homonuclear J coupling will be addressed. For 1, both magnitude and sign of 2Jiso(31P, 31P) (Jiso = -19.5 +/- 2.5 Hz) are obtained; for 2, (Jiso = +139 +/- 3 Hz) anisotropy of J with an orientation of the J-coupling tensor collinear, or nearly collinear, with the dipolar coupling tensor can be excluded, while absence or presence of anisotropy of J with any other relative orientation of the J-coupling tensor cannot be determined.

The structure of 3'-O-anthraniloyladenosine, an analogue of the 3'-end of aminoacyl-tRNA.

3'-O-Anthraniloyladenosine, an analogue of the 3'- terminal aminoacyladenosine residue in aminoacyl-tRNAs, was prepared by chemical synthesis, and its crystal structure was determined. The sugar pucker of 3'-O-anthraniloyladenosine is 2'-endo resulting in a 3'-axial position of the anthraniloyl residue. The nucleoside is insynconformation, which is stabilized by alternating stacking of adenine and benzoyl residues of the neighboring molecules in the crystal lattice. The conformation of the 5'-hydroxymethylene in 3'-O- anthraniloyladenosine is gauche-gauche. There are two intramolecular and two intermolecular hydrogen bonds and several H-bridges with surrounding water molecules. The predominant structure of 3'-O-anthraniloyladenosine in solution, as determined by NMR spectroscopy, is 2'-endo,gauche-gauche and anti for the sugar ring pucker, the torsion angle around the C4'-C5'bond and the torsion angle around the C1'-N9 bond, respectively. The 2'-endo conformation of the ribose in 2'(3')-O-aminoacyladenosine, which places the adenine and aminoacyl residues in equatorial and axial positions, respectively, could serve as a structural element that is recognized by enzymes that interact with aminoacyl-tRNA or by ribosomes to differentiate between aminoacylated and non-aminoacylated tRNA.

Kinetics and biotransformation of lormetazepam. II. Radioimmunologic determinations in plasma and urine of young and elderly subjects: first-pass effect.

A specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay has been developed for a new benzodiazepine, lormetazepam. After intravenous injection, lormetazepam levels in plasma fell in three (alpha, beta, gamma) dispositional phases, two of them (alpha, beta) mainly reflecting different distribution processes. The terminal (gamma) phase correlated well with the rate of renal elimination of glucuronides. Oral doses were completely absorbed with widely varying absorption half-lifes (t1/2s) amounting to an average of 0.67 +/- 0.53 hr. Dose-dependent maximum plasma levels were reached in about 2 hr. Lormetazepam undergoes first-pass metabolism of about 20% of an oral dose. Total clearance was in the range of 200 ml/min. There was a trend toward slower terminal disposition phase in elderly subjects. In younger subjects, the terminal phase t1/2 was about 10 hr. Lormetazepam glucuronide peak plasma levels were reached by about 6 hr. Thereafter, the level fell in one (elimination) phase, with a t1/2 of 12 hr in young subjects and with a significantly (p < 0.05) different t1/2 of about 20 hr in the elderly. Renal clearance was calculated as about 30 to 40 ml and did not show an age-dependent difference. Recovery of lormetazepam glucuronide with urine amounted to 70% to 80% of the dose during 72 hr after intravenous injection in both age groups.

The pharmacokinetics and biotransformation of the new benzodiazepine lormetazepam in humans. I. Absorption, distribution, elimination and metabolism of lormetazepam-5-14C.

The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of the new benzodiazepine lormetazepam were investigated in five male volunteers using the 14C-labelled drug (position 5). Lormetazepam was administered intravenously and orally, at a dose of 0.2 and 2 mg respectively, to each of the test subjects. Measurements of total radioactivity showed that the drug was absorbed completely and eliminated almost exclusively by the renal route. Maximum plasma level of active ingredient and total radioactivity were observed about 2 hours and 5 hours following oral administration. As early as 30 min following oral administration, concentration of active ingredient amounted to 80% of the maximum values. After both treatments the terminal half-life of total radioactivity and lormetazepam glucuronide in plasma corresponded to the half-life of elimination in urine of about 13 hours. After enzymatic hydrolysis with beta-glucuronidase/arylsulphatase, an average of 90% of total radioactivity from various urine and plasma samples was extractable with ether. Extracts from plasma contained only unchanged drug, indicating free and conjugated lormetazepam as ingredients of total radioactivity. Extracts from urine could be separated into lormetazepam and its N-demethylation derivative lorazepam. The relative amount of excreted lorazepam conjugate was demonstrated to be time-dependent, probably due to enterohepatic circulation. Since less than 6% of the total dose was demethylated by both routes of administration, it can be assumed that lormetazepam is the active product.