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Kazuyuki Hashimoto

Publications and source records attributed to Kazuyuki Hashimoto.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Therapeutic effects of a 186Re-complex-conjugated bisphosphonate for the palliation of metastatic bone pain in an animal model.

UNLABELLED: Previously, based on the concept of bifunctional radiopharmaceuticals, we developed a highly stable (186)Re-mercaptoacetylglycylglycylglycine (MAG3) complex-conjugated bisphosphonate, [[[[(4-hydroxy-4,4-diphosphonobutyl)carbamoylmethyl]carbamoylmethyl]carbamoylmethyl]carbamoylmethanethiolate] oxorhenium(V) ((186)Re-MAG3-HBP), for the treatment of painful bone metastases. This agent showed a superior biodistribution as a bone-seeking agent in normal mice when compared with (186)Re-1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonate ((186)Re-HEDP). In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of (186)Re-MAG3-HBP using an animal model of bone metastasis. METHODS: The model was prepared by injecting syngeneic MRMT-1 mammary tumor cells into the left tibia of female Sprague-Dawley rats. (186)Re-MAG3-HBP (55.5, 111, or 222 MBq/kg) or (186)Re-HEDP (55.5 MBq/kg) was then administered intravenously 21 d later. To evaluate the therapeutic effects and side effects, tumor size and peripheral blood cell counts were determined. Palliation of bone pain was evaluated by a von Frey filament test. RESULTS: In the rats treated with (186)Re-HEDP, tumor growth was comparable with that in untreated rats. In contrast, when (186)Re-MAG3-HBP was administered, tumor growth was significantly inhibited. Allodynia induced by bone metastasis was attenuated by treatment with (186)Re-MAG3-HBP or (186)Re-HEDP, but (186)Re-MAG3-HBP tended to be more effective. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that (186)Re-MAG3-HBP could be useful as a therapeutic agent for the palliation of metastatic bone pain.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Assessment of 186Re chelate-conjugated bisphosphonate for the development of new radiopharmaceuticals for bones.

INTRODUCTION: The preferable pharmacokinetics of rhenium-186 (186Re)-monoaminemonoamidedithiol-conjugated or 186Re-mercaptoacetyltriglycine-conjugated bisphosphonates (BPs) suggested that the molecular design would be applicable to other radionuclides such as 68Ga, 99mTc, 153Sm and 177Lu. In this study, a key factor affecting the pharmacokinetics of a chelate-conjugated BP was investigated to estimate the validity and the applicability of molecular design. METHODS: Chemically inert and well-characterized tricarbonyl[186Re][(cyclopentadienylcarbonyl amino)-acetic acid]rhenium ([186Re]CpTR-Gly) was conjugated with 3-amino-1-hydroxypropylidene-1,1-bisphosphonate and purified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to prepare [186Re](1-{3-[tricarbonyl(cyclopentadienylcarbonyl amino)-acetylamido]-1-hydroxy-1-phosphono-propyl}-phosphonic acid)rhenium ([186Re]CpTR-Gly-APD). Plasma stability, plasma protein binding, hydroxyapatite (HA) binding and the pharmacokinetics of [186Re]CpTR-Gly-APD were compared with those of 186Re 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonate (HEDP). The effect of HEDP coadministration and preadministration on the pharmacokinetics of [186Re]CpTR-Gly-APD was also determined. RESULTS: The HPLC-purified [186Re]CpTR-Gly-APD showed higher plasma stability, higher HA binding, higher bone accumulation and lower plasma protein binding than did 186Re-HEDP. However, HA binding of [186Re]CpTR-Gly-APD decreased to levels slightly higher than that of 186Re-HEDP at similar HEDP concentrations. Bone accumulation of [186Re]CpTR-Gly-APD also decreased to levels similar to that of 186Re-HEDP when [186Re]CpTR-Gly-APD was coinjected with HEDP equivalent to that in 186Re-HEDP. In contrast, HEDP pretreatment did not impair bone accumulation of the two 186Re-labeled compounds. However, a delay in blood clearance and an increase in renal radioactivity levels were observed particularly with 186Re-HEDP. CONCLUSIONS: Although 186Re-HEDP possessed HA binding and bone accumulation similar to those of [186Re]CpTR-Gly-APD, the specific activity of 186Re-labeled BPs was found to play a crucial role in bone accumulation and blood clearance. Thus, the molecular design of chelate-conjugated BP would be useful for the development of bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals with a variety of radionuclides by selecting chelating molecules that provide high specific activities.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Rhemium-186-monoaminemonoamidedithiol-conjugated bisphosphonate derivatives for bone pain palliation.

To develop a radiopharmaceutical for the palliation of painful bone metastases based on the concept of bifunctional radiopharmaceuticals, we synthesized a bisphosphonate derivative labeled with rhenium-186 (186Re) that contains a hydroxyl group at the central carbon of its bisphosphonate structure, we attached a stable 186Re-MAMA chelate to the amino group of a 4-amino butylidene-bisphosphonate derivative [N-[2-[[4-[(4-hydroxy-4,4-diphosphonobutyl)amino]-4-oxobutyl]-2-thioethylamino]acetyl]-2-aminoethanethiolate] oxorhenium (V) (186Re-MAMA-HBP) and we investigated the effect of a hydroxyl group at the central carbon of its bisphosphonate structure on affinity for hydroxyapatite and on biodistribution by conducting a comparative study with [N-[2-[[3-(3,3-diphosphonopropylcarbamoyl)propyl]-2-thioethylamino]acetyl]-2-aminoethanethiolate] oxorhenium (V) (186Re-MAMA-BP). The precursor of 186Re-MAMA-HBP, trityl (Tr)-MAMA-HBP, was obtained by coupling a Tr-MAMA derivative to 4-amino-1-hydroxybutylidene-1,1-bisphosphonate. 186Re-MAMA-HBP was prepared by a reaction with 186ReO(4-) and SnCl2 in citrate buffer after the deprotection of the Tr groups of Tr-MAMA-HBP. After reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, 186Re-MAMA-HBP had a radiochemical purity of over 95%. Compared with 186Re-MAMA-BP, 186Re-MAMA-HBP showed a greater affinity for hydroxyapatite beads in vitro and accumulated a significantly higher level in the femur in vivo. Thus, the introduction of a hydroxyl group into 186Re complex-conjugated bisphosphonates would be effective in enhancing accumulation in bones. These findings provide useful information on the design of bone-seeking therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Development of fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay for high throughput screening of interferon-gamma.

BACKGROUND: Human interferon-gamma (hIFN-gamma) is produced by lymphocytes and has a variety of biological properties. Measurement of hIFN-gamma is widely used for various immunological responses for allergic or autoimmune diseases. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is an established immunoassay used to quantify cellular metabolites or cytokines. ELISA requires many incubation and wash steps and is not practically suitable for screening large numbers of samples. METHODS: We have developed a fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay (FLISA) method for the detection of hIFN-gamma. We measured the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of the hIFN-gamma production by interleukin (IL)-18 binding protein and anti-IL-18 monoclonal antibody. The IC50 described by FLISA was compared with that by ELISA. RESULTS: We developed a new system for measuring hIFN-gamma using Allophycocyanine (APC) fluorescent protein and compared it with the previous method using Cy5.5. The proposed FLISA had a smaller coefficient of variation than ELISA, and the means of coefficient of variation using the same samples measured by ELISA and FLISA were, respectively, 11.1% and 3.8%, suggesting that the edge effect often giving non-specific results may be smaller in FLISA than in ELISA. CONCLUSIONS: The improved FLISA system proposed is ideally suited for efficient measurements of hIFN-gamma. This homogeneous and multiplex method will be a powerful tool for high throughput screening for drug discovery research.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed2005

Molecular mechanism of a temperature-sensitive phenotype in peroxisomal biogenesis disorder.

Peroxisomal biogenesis disorders include Zellweger syndrome and milder phenotypes, such as neonatal adrenoleukodystrophy (NALD). Our previous study of a NALD patient with a marked deterioration by a fever revealed a mutation (Ile326Thr) within a SH3 domain of PEX13 protein (Pex13p), showing a temperature-sensitive (TS) phenotype in peroxisomal biogenesis. Clinical TS phenotypes also have been reported in several genetic diseases, but the molecular mechanisms still remain to be clarified. The immunofluorescent staining with anti-Pex13p antibody also revealed TS phenotype of the I326T mutant protein itself in the patient cells. Protease digestion of the recombinant Pex13p-SH3 domain showed an increase of protease susceptibility, suggesting a problem of mutant protein fold. Conformational analyses against urea denaturation using urea gradient gel electrophoresis or fluorescence emission from tryptophan residue revealed that the mutant protein should be easily unfolded. Far-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectra demonstrated that both wild-type and the mutant protein have antiparallel beta-sheets as their secondary structure with slightly different extent. The thermal unfolding profiles measured by CD showed a marked lower melting temperature for I326T protein compared with that of wild-type protein. Analysis of the protein 3D-structure indicated that the Ile326 should be a core residue for folding kinetics and the substitution of Ile326 by threonine should directly alter the kinetic equilibrium, suggesting a marked increase of the unfolded molecules when the patient had a high fever. Structural analyses of the protein in the other genetic diseases could provide an avenue for better understanding of genotype-phenotype correlations.

Amino Acid Motifs↗
PubMed2004

Generation of highly stable IL-18 based on a ligand-receptor complex structure.

Human interleukin-18 (hIL-18), initially cloned as an IFN-gamma-inducing factor, has a key role in many inflammatory diseases. We have previously developed a high production system for correctly folded active hIL-18 protein, leading to the revelation of the 3D-structure and the receptor binding mode. These findings can strongly indicate the experimental and medical applications of IL-18; however, the recombinant protein is prone to be inactivated forming multimers. Recently, therapeutic approaches using recombinant IL-18 have shown the effectiveness for treatment of cancer; indicating the necessity of a more stable protein for therapy with intertrial reliability. Here we have generated a highly stable hIL-18 with replacement of cysteine by serine based on the tertiary structure and the binding mechanism, retaining the biological activity. Similar rational designs can be applied to develop new therapeutic molecules of other cytokines.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Systematic optimization of active protein expression using GFP as a folding reporter.

Many recombinant proteins have been used as drugs; however, human proteins expressed using heterologous hosts are often insoluble. To obtain correctly folded active proteins, many optimizations of expression have been attempted but usually are found to be applicable only for specific targets. Interleukin-18 (IL-18) has a key role in many severe disorders including autoimmune diseases, and therapeutic approaches using IL-18 have been reported. However, production of IL-18 in Escherichia coli resulted in extensive inclusion body formation and previous conventional screenings of expression conditions could obtain only a condition with a low yield. To address the problem, we applied a folding reporter system using green fluorescent protein (GFP) for screening of the expression conditions for hIL-18. The established system efficiently screened many conditions, and optimized conditions for the expression of hIL-18 significantly enhanced the final yield of the active protein. Systematic screening using a GFP reporter system could be applied for the production of other proteins and in other organisms.

Escherichia coli↗
PubMed2003

Skeletal affinity of Tc(V)-DMS is bone cell mediated and pH dependent.

In spite of recent advances in bone cellular and molecular biology, there is still a poor correlation between these parameters and data obtained from bone scintigraphy. Diphosphonate derivatives radiolabelled with technetium-99m (Tc-BPs) have long been recognised as bone-seeking agents with an affinity for areas of active mineralisation. However, during clinical trials with a pH-sensitive tumour agent, the pentavalent technetium complex of dimercaptosuccinic acid [Tc(V)-DMS] showed a noticeable osteotropic character only in bone pathologies (bone metastases, Paget's diseases) and lacked accumulation in normal mature bone. To decipher the osteotropic character of Tc(V)-DMS, a study at the cellular level was considered necessary. Moreover, to learn more about the role of Tc bone agents, acid-base regulation by bone tissue or cells was studied. First, biological parameters in body fluid were measured under systemic acidosis, induced by glucose administration, in normal and Ehrlich ascites tumour (EAT)-bearing mice. Then, in vivo biodistribution studies using Tc(V)-DMS or a conventional Tc-BP agent were carried out. The effect of glucose-mediated acidification on the skeletal distribution of the Tc agents in the mice provided valuable hints regarding the differential mediation of bone cells in skeletal tissue affinity for the agents. Thereafter, in vitro studies on osteoblast and osteoclast cells were performed and the comparative affinity of Tc(V)-DMS and Tc-BP was screened under diverse acidification conditions. Moreover, studies were also carried out on acid-base parameters related to the cellular uptake mechanism. Very specific pH-sensitive Tc(V)-DMS accumulation only in the osteoclastic system was detected, and use of Tc(V)-DMS in the differential detection of osteoblastic and osteoclastic metastases is discussed.

Acidosis↗
PubMed2003

The structure and binding mode of interleukin-18.

Interleukin-18 (IL-18), a cytokine formerly known as interferon-gamma- (IFN-gamma-) inducing factor, has pleiotropic immunoregulatory functions, including augmentation of IFN-gamma production, Fas-mediated cytotoxicity and developmental regulation of T-lymphocyte helper type I. We determined the solution structure of IL-18 as a first step toward understanding its receptor activation mechanism. It folds into a beta-trefoil structure that resembles that of IL-1. Extensive mutagenesis revealed the presence of three sites that are important for receptor activation: two serve as binding sites for IL-18 receptor alpha (IL-18Ralpha), located at positions similar to those of IL-1 for IL-1 receptor type I (IL-1RI), whereas the third site may be involved in IL-18 receptor beta (IL-18Rbeta) binding. The structure and mutagenesis data provide a basis for understanding the IL-18-induced heterodimerization of receptor subunits, which is necessary for receptor activation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2003

Optimized gene synthesis and high expression of human interleukin-18.

Human interleukin-18 (hIL-18), originally known as an IFN-gamma-inducing factor, is a recently cloned cytokine that is secreted by Kupffer cells of the liver and by stimulated macrophages. We have previously established a method of expression and purification of IL-18. The yield however remains low and the insufficient expression of a heterologous protein could be due to skewed codon usage between the expression host and the cDNA donor. The sequence of mature hIL-18 has 37 a.a. rare codons for Escherichia coli in a total of 157 a.a. To overcome this problem, gene synthesis was performed with optimized codons for the expression host E. coli. The final yield of the hIL-18 protein with optimized codons was about five times higher than the yield with the native sequence. Using a minimal medium, this system produces large quantities of labeled proteins that can be used in NMR analysis. Our simple and efficient production system can be applied to the production of other cytokines for new structural and therapeutic use.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2003

In vivo recognition of cyclopentadienyltricarbonylrhenium (CpTR) derivatives.

In vivo metabolism of [(188)Re]tricarbonyl(carboxycyclopentadienyl)rhenium ([(188)Re]CpTR-COOH) and its glycine conjugate ([(188)Re]CpTR-Gly) was investigated to estimate the applicability of cyclopentadienyltricarbonylrhenium (CpTR) compounds to (186/188)Re-labeling reagents for polypeptides and peptides. Both [(188)Re]CpTR derivatives were stable after incubation in a buffered-solution and in murine plasma at 37 degrees C for 6 h. Plasma protein binding was hardly observed with the two derivatives. However, different biodistribution and metabolic fates were observed with the two CpTR derivatives. While more lipophilic [(188)Re]CpTR-COOH was excreted by both hepatobiliary and urinary excretion, the majority of less lipophilic [(188)Re]CpTR-Gly was excreted by urinary excretion. In addition, while [(188)Re]CpTR-Gly was rapidly excreted into urine as its intact structure, [(188)Re]CpTR-COOH was metabolized to more hydrophilic compounds including its glycine conjugate, [(188)Re]CpTR-Gly. Renal excretion of [(188)Re]CpTR-Gly was significantly reduced in probenecid retreated mice. The present studies reinforced that CpTR core remained stable under biological environment. CpTR-COOH was partially recognized as an aromatic acid and was metabolized as such. However, glycine conjugation rendered CpTR-COOH hydrophilic enough to be excreted into urine without further metabolism. These findings suggested that radiolabeling reagents that liberate [(186/188)Re]CpTR-Gly from covalently conjugated (186/188)Re-labeled polypeptides and peptides by the action of renal brush border enzymes would be useful to reduce renal radioactivity levels.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Transient lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum in acute cerebellitis.

We report the reversible magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in a 2-year-old girl with acute cerebellitis. The high signal intensity in the cerebellum was obvious on diffusion-weighted images, and the splenium of the corpus callosum also showed high signal intensity on T2-weighted images and on diffusion-weighted images. The lesion in the splenium quickly returned to normal 72 hours later, whereas the hyperintensity in the cerebellum persisted for 1 week until clinical improvement was achieved. The findings in our patient suggested the particular vulnerability of the splenium of the corpus callosum compared to other regions and the importance of the MRI examinations including diffusion-weighted images in the early stage of encephalitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2002

The neurotic versus delusional subtype of taijin-kyofu-sho: their DSM diagnoses.

The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the diagnostic concepts of taijin-kyofu-sho (TKS) and social phobia, by comparing the clinical diagnosis of TKS and the operational diagnosis of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edition, revised; DSM-III-R). Three evaluators conducted semistructured interview for DSM-III-R (SCID axis I and II, the Japanese version) to 88 outpatients who visited Jikei University Daisan Hospital, Japan, over a period of 1 year, requesting Morita therapy. The patients were also independently diagnosed by three psychiatrists to identify TKS. A total of 65.8% of 38 cases of TKS were diagnosed as social phobia. Among the neurotic TKS cases, the percentage was high at 81.5%, while among the delusional TKS cases it was 27.3%. A total of 42.1% of the TKS cases were diagnosed as mood disorder; 60.5% of the TKS cases presented some axis II disorders, among which avoidant personality disorder was the most prevalent (31.6%). There was no significant difference between the neurotic and delusional subtypes of TKS, regarding comorbidity with axis I diagnoses. As for axis II diagnoses, delusional TKS patients had a higher rate of comorbidity with paranoid personality disorder, although they demonstrated very similar trends in comorbidity with all other personality disorders. In the diagnostic system of DSM-III-R, it is highly likely that the neurotic and delusional subtypes of TKS will be seen to correspond to different diagnostic categories.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Diagnostic consideration of Morita shinkeishitsu and DSM-III-R.

The purpose of the present study was to empirically and objectively clarify the diagnostic standing of Morita shinkeishitsu, the subject of Morita therapy, by comparing and contrasting it with the operational diagnosis of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edition, revised; DSM-III-R). Morita therapists' clinical diagnoses of 88 outpatients who requested Morita therapy were compared with the results of the independently conducted operational diagnoses (structured clinical interview for DSM (SCID) for DSM-III-R, the Japanese version). In view of the result of axis I diagnoses, Morita shinkeishitsu corresponds to anxiety disorders, although it is a complex that also embodies mood disorders, which were found in one-quarter of the cases, as well as personality disorders, which were found in half of the cases, especially cluster C (avoidant, obsessive-compulsive, and dependent personality disorders). Morita shinkeishitsu is almost equivalent to anxiety disorders (DSM-III-R, axis I), and is a complex, a part of which includes mood disorders and cluster C personality disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Evaluation before and after pranlukast administration with the QOL questionnaire (revised version 2001) for pediatric patients with bronchial asthma and their parents or caregivers].

We conducted a longitudinal investigation with the QOL questionnaire (revised version 2001) before and after the 4-week-administration of a leukotriene receptor antagonist pranlukast. A significant improvement in the < 4 yrs group was observed at week 1, and that in > or = 4 yrs group at week 2. Under these conditions, the overall QOL score, physical domains and mental domains, significantly improved in both the < 4 yrs group and the > or = 4 yrs group. Overall, a slight correlation was observed between ratio changes in QOL scores and differences in symptom scores. However, no correlation was found in part of patients, suggesting that the QOL questionnaire allows measurement of mental changes in the patients themselves and their parents or caregivers for therapeutic effects which cannot be determined with ordinary physical findings only. In "event present" group, a significant difference in physical and mental domains was revealed by the comparison of QOL scores before and after administration. And furthermore in "event absence" group, the p-value for physical domain and mental domain was 0.0505 and 0.0912 in the < 4 yrs group, respectively, 0.0101 and 0.0446 in the > or = 4 yrs group, respectively. The above results led us to consider the QOL questionnaire (revised version 2001) useful for routine medical care. Furthermore, pranlukast was considered useful for improvement not only of physical symptoms of bronchial asthma but also of the patient's QOL, although the placebo effects in this open trial must be considered.

Anti-Asthmatic Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Development of a rhenium-186-labeled MAG3-conjugated bisphosphonate for the palliation of metastatic bone pain based on the concept of bifunctional radiopharmaceuticals.

Rhenium-186-1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonate (186Re-HEDP) has been used for the palliation of metastatic bone pain. Delayed blood clearance and high gastric uptake of radioactivity have been observed upon injection, due to the instability of (186)Re-HEDP in vivo. In this study, on the basis of the concept of bifunctional radiopharmaceuticals, we designed a stable 186Re-mercaptoacetylglycylglycylglycine (MAG3) complex-conjugated bisphosphonate, [[[[(4-hydroxy-4,4-diphosphonobutyl)carbamoylmethyl]carbamoylmethyl]carbamoylmethyl]carbamoylmethanethiolate]oxorhenium(V) (186Re-MAG3-HBP). As a precursor, [1-hydroxy-1-phosphono-4-[2-[2-[2-(2-tritylmercaptoacetylamino)acetylamino]acetylamino]acetylamino]butyl]phosphonic acid (Tr-MAG3-HBP) was synthesized by the conjugation of N-[(tritylmercapto)acetyl]glycylglycylglycine (Tr-MAG3) with the bisphosphonate analogue. After deprotection of the trityl group of Tr-MAG3-HBP, 186Re-labeling was performed by reacting 186ReO4- with SnCl2 in citrate buffer. After purification by HPLC, 186Re-MAG3-HBP showed a radiochemical purity of over 95%. To compare the stability of 186Re-MAG3-HBP and 186Re-HEDP, these (186)Re complexes were incubated in phosphate buffer. No measurable decomposition of 186Re-MAG3-HBP occurred over a 24-h period, while only approximately 30% of 186Re-HEDP remained intact 24 h postincubation. In biodistribution experiments, the radioactivity level of 186Re-MAG3-HBP in bone was significantly higher than that of (186)Re-HEDP. Blood clearance of 186Re-MAG3-HBP was faster than that of 186Re-HEDP. In addition, the gastric accumulation of 186Re-MAG3-HBP radioactivity was lower than that of 186Re-HEDP. In conclusion, 186Re-MAG3-HBP is expected to be a useful radiopharmaceutical for the palliation of metastatic bone pain.

Bone Neoplasms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of [188Re]organorhenium-labeled antibody fragments with renal enzyme-cleavable linkage for low renal radioactivity levels.

Renal localization of radiolabeled antibody fragments constitutes a problem in targeted imaging and radiotherapy. We have reported that Fab fragments labeled with 3'-[131I]iodohippuryl Nepsilon-maleoyl-lysine (HML) showed markedly low renal radioactivity levels even shortly after injection, due to a rapid and selective release of m-[131I]iodohippuric acid by the action of brush border enzymes. To estimate the applicability of the molecular design to metallic radionuclides, [188Re]tricarbonyl(cyclopentadienylcarbonate)rhenium ([188Re]CpTR-COOH) was conjugated with Nepsilon-tert-butoxycarbonyl-glycyl-lysine or Nepsilon-maleoyl-glycyl-lysine to prepare [188Re]CpTR-GK-Boc or [188Re]CpTR-GK. The cleavage of the glycyl-lysine linkage of the two compounds generates a glycine conjugate of [188Re]CpTR-COOH ([188Re]CpTR-Gly), which possesses in vivo behaviors similar to those of m-iodohippuric acid. The hydrolysis rate of the peptide bond in [188Re]CpTR-GK-Boc was compared with that in 3'-[125I]iodohippuryl Nepsilon-Boc-lysine ([125I]HL-Boc) using brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) prepared from rat kidneys. [188Re]CpTR-GK was conjugated to thiolated Fab fragments to prepare [188Re]CpTR-GK-Fab. The biodistribution of radioactivity after injection of [188Re]CpTR-GK-Fab was compared with that of [125I]HML-Fab and [188Re]CpTR-Fab prepared by conjugating N-hydroxysuccinimidyl ester of [188Re]CpTR-COOH with antibody fragments. While [188Re]CpTR-GK-Boc liberated [188Re]CpTR-Gly in BBMVs, [125I]HL-Boc liberated m-[125I]iodohippuric acid at a much faster rate. In addition, although [125I]HL-Boc was hydrolyzed by both metalloenzymes and nonmetalloenzymes, metalloenzymes were responsible for the cleavage of the peptide linkage in [188Re]CpTR-GK-Boc. In biodistribution studies, [188Re]CpTR-GK-Fab exhibited significantly lower renal radioactivity levels than did [188Re]CpTR-Fab. However, the renal radioactivity levels of [188Re]CpTR-GK-Fab were slightly higher than those of [125I]HML-Fab. The analysis of urine samples collected for 6 h postinjection of [188Re]CpTR-GK-Fab showed that [188Re]CpTR-Gly was the major radiometabolite. In tumor-bearing mice, [188Re]CpTR-GK-Fab significantly reduced renal radioactivity levels without impairing the radioactivity levels in tumor. These findings indicate that the molecular design of HML can be applied to metallic radionuclides by using a radiometal chelate of high inertness and by designing a radiometabolite of high urinary excretion when released from antibody fragments following cleavage of a glycyl-lysine linkage. This study also indicates that a change in chemical structure of a radiolabel attached to a glycyl-lysine linkage significantly affected enzymes involved in the hydrolysis reaction. Since there are many kinds of enzymes that cleave a variety of peptide linkages on the renal brush border membrane, selection of a peptide linkage optimal to a radiometal chelate of interest may provide radiolabeled antibody fragments that exhibit renal radioactivity levels similar to those of [131I]HML-labeled ones. The in vitro system using BBMVs might be useful for selecting an appropriate peptide linkage.

Animals↗