5-[123I/125I]iodo-2'-deoxyuridine in metastatic lung cancer: radiopharmaceutical formulation affects targeting

This study assesses targeting of lung metastases in mice with the radioiodinated thymidine analog 5-[(123)I/(125)I]iodo-2'-deoxyuridine ((123)I-IUdR/(125)I-IUdR), formulated with varying amounts of tributyltin precursor and injected intravenously.

Six- to 8-wk-old C57BL/6 mice were injected intravenously with B16F10 melanoma cells. Two weeks later, when lung tumors were established, the animals were injected intravenously with (125)I-IUdR synthesized using 1, 35, 100, 150, 200, or 250 microg 5-tributylstannyl-2'-deoxyuridine (SnUdR) in the presence of an oxidant. Nontumor-bearing mice were also injected with these formulations and served as control animals. Twenty-four hours later, the animals were killed, and the radioactivity associated with the lungs and other tissues was measured in a gamma-counter. The percentage injected dose per gram tissue (%ID/g) and tumor-to-nontumor ratios (T/NT ratios) were calculated. Phosphor imaging was done on lungs from tumor-bearing and nontumor-bearing mice injected with (125)I-IUdR formulated with each tin precursor concentration. Scintigraphy was also performed 3 and 24 h after intravenous injection of (123)I-IUdR.

The %ID/g (125)I-IUdR was higher in lungs of tumor-bearing animals than in lungs of control animals. Although the increase in SnUdR present led to a small but statistically significant decrease in the radioactive content of normal lungs, a 3-fold increase was observed in the lungs of tumor-bearing animals with radiopharmaceutical formulated with 100 microg SnUdR (5 microg per mouse). This enhancement in radioactive uptake by the lungs led to approximately 14-fold increases in T/NT ratios. Phosphor imaging ((125)I-IUdR) of lungs as well as scintigraphy ((123)I-IUdR) of whole animals substantiated these findings.

The formulation for the synthesis of radio-IUdR that leads to the highest %ID/g in tumor and the best T/NT ratio has been identified. Further studies are required to determine the factors responsible for specific enhancement in IUdR tumor uptake.