Targeting radiopharmaceuticals--II. Evaluation of new trivalent metal complexes with different overall charges

Three new multidentate ligands designed to have high affinity for Ga3+, In3+ and Fe3+ have been synthesized. N-(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N'-pyridoxylethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid (HBPLED), N-(2-hydroxy-3,5-dimethylbenzyl)-N'-(3-hydroxy-1,2,5-trimethyl-4- pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid (Me4HBPLED) and N,N'-bis(3-hydroxy-1,2,5-trimethyl-4-pyridylmethyl) ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid (DMPLED). These ligands give metal-ligand (M-L) complexes with (M = Ga3+, In3+, Fe3+) overall charges of -1.0 and +1, respectively. The 67Ga, 68Ga and 111In complexes of each of the three ligands and the 59Fe complex of Me4HBPLED were prepared, characterized and their biodistributions determined in rats after intravenous injection. Despite the differences in overall charge, the biological behavior of all three 111In complexes were similar, in that the radioactivity cleared rapidly via the kidney. The biodistributions of the 68Ga and 67Ga complexes were comparable to that of the 111In complex counterpart. Also, the 59Fe-Me4HBPLED biodistribution was not significantly different from those of the 68Ga- and 111In-Me4HBPLED. The renal clearance rate seems insensitive to the overall M-L charge; suggesting that the hydrophilic periphery of the ligand rather than the overall molecular charge determines the biological fate (with respect to renal clearance).