Ru-labeled ruthenocenoyl-glycine: comparison of clearance with hippuran

Ruthenocenoyl-glycine (ruppuran) is a metallocene analog of iodo-labeled hippuran. After injection of 103Ru-labeled ruppuran and ruthenocenoyl-1,1'-diglycine in rabbits, measurement with external detectors revealed a very rapid accumulation in the kidneys followed by rapid excretion of the 103Ru activity. By measurement of the radioactivity concentration in plasma and urine samples collected 1-60 min after IV injection, the plasma clearance was calculated and compared with the clearance of 125I-labeled hippuran injected simultaneously. The clearance of ruppuran and ruthenocenoyl-diglycine in rabbits was found to be somewhat higher than that of hippuran. Extrapolating to man (1.73 m3), plasma clearance with both ruthenocene derivatives was approximately 500-600 ml/min. Biochemical data as well as the nuclear properties of 97Ru indicate the usefulness of 97Ru-labeled ruthenocenoyl-glycine as a radiopharmaceutical for kidney function studies.