Development and evaluation of a novel (99m)tc-labeled annexin A5 for early detection of response to chemotherapy

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 4;8(12):e81191. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081191. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

(99m)Tc-HYNIC-annexin A5 can be considered as a benchmark in the field of apoptosis imaging. However, (99m)Tc-HYNIC-annexin A5 has characteristics of high uptake and long retention in non-target tissues such as kidney and liver. To minimize this problem, we developed a novel (99m)Tc-labeled annexin A5 using a bis(hydroxamamide) derivative [C3(BHam)2] as a bifunctional chelating agent, and evaluated its usefulness as an imaging agent for detecting apoptosis. The amino group of C3(BHam)2 was converted to a maleimide group, and was coupled to thiol groups of annexin A5 pretreated with 2-iminothiolane. (99m)Tc labeling was performed by a ligand exchange reaction with (99m)Tc-glucoheptonate. Biodistribution experiments for both (99m)Tc-C3(BHam)2-annexin A5 and (99m)Tc-HYNIC-annexin A5 were performed in normal mice. In addition, in tumor-bearing mice, the relationship between the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy (5-FU) and the tumor accumulation of (99m)Tc-C3(BHam)2-annexin A5 just after the first treatment of 5-FU was evaluated. (99m)Tc-C3(BHam)2-annexin A5 was prepared with a radiochemical purity of over 95%. In biodistribution experiments, (99m)Tc-C3(BHam)2-annexin A5 had a much lower kidney accumulation of radioactivity than (99m)Tc-HYNIC-annexin A5. In the organs for metabolism, such as liver and kidney, radioactivity after the injection of (99m)Tc-HYNIC-annexin A5 was residual for a long time. On the other hand, radioactivity after the injection of (99m)Tc-C3(BHam)2-annexin A5 gradually decreased. In therapeutic experiments, tumor growth in the mice treated with 5-FU was significantly inhibited. Accumulation of (99m)Tc-C3(BHam)2-annexin A5 in tumors significantly increased after 5-FU treatment. The accumulation of radioactivity in tumor correlated positively with the counts of TUNEL-positive cells. These findings suggest that (99m)Tc-C3(BHam)2-annexin A5 may contribute to the efficient detection of apoptotic tumor response after chemotherapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Annexin A5* / chemical synthesis
  • Annexin A5* / chemistry
  • Autoradiography
  • Biological Assay
  • Cell Proliferation
  • In Situ Nick-End Labeling
  • Mice
  • Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Organotechnetium Compounds* / chemical synthesis
  • Organotechnetium Compounds* / chemistry
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Tissue Distribution
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Annexin A5
  • Organotechnetium Compounds
  • technetium Tc 99m HYNIC annexin V

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) (KAKENHI Grant Number 18790879) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. No additional external funding received for this study.