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Biomedical subjects

M D Francis

Publications and source records attributed to M D Francis.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

[32P] diphosphonate dose determination in patients with bone metastases from prostatic carcinoma.

In an initial safety study, phosphorus-32 (as diphosphonate) was administered intravenously to five patients with painful bone metastases from prostatic carcinoma; two patients received 9 mCi and three were given 3 mCi. Hematological, biochemical, ECG, x-ray, bone-scan data, and clinical observation, were followed for 2 mo. At both dose levels, bone-marrow depression was noted. One of the patients, who received 9 mCi, had only a slight dip in the levels of circulating white blood cells and platelets. The other 9-mCi patient was the only one with discrete metastases by bone scan; he had bone-marrow depression, from which he recovered, and was the only one of the five who had relief of bone pain.

Adenocarcinoma

An in vitro and in vivo investigation of mellitate and ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonate in calcium phosphate systems.

Comparisons of mellitate (MA) and ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonate (EHDP) have been carried out in studies of enamel etching, calcium phosphate crystal growth and animal calculus deposition. In enamel etch studies at pH 5, 6, or 7 and after treatment times of 5 or 170 min, EHDP was less damaging to enamel surfaces than MA as determined by scanning electron microscopy, grazing angle electron diffraction, and quantitative etch solution analyses. Both MA and EHDP inhibited hydroxyapatite crystal growth, although EHDP was more effective than MA. The formation of a tricalcium mellitate surface phase is suggested as the basis of the MA crystal growth effect on apatite. Both MA and EHDP also inhibited rat calculus formation, but EHDP was more effective than MA. The relation between crystal growth inhibition, surface phase solubility, and anti-calculus activity is discussed and a generalized principal for determining an effective inhibitor of calculus is suggested.

Animals

Sites and mechanisms of localization of technetium-99m phosphorus radiopharmaceuticals in acute myocardial infarcts and other tissues.

This study was performed to elucidate the localization at the cellular level of technetium-99m phosphorus ((99m)Tc-P) radiopharmaceuticals in acute myocardial infarcts and the mechanisms responsible for (99m)Tc-P uptake in acute myocardial infarcts and other tissues. In 20 dogs with proximal left anterior descending coronary arterial ligation for 1-3 days, elevated calcium levels were measured at all sites of increased (99m)Tc-P uptake (acute myocardial infarcts, necrotic thoracotomy muscle, lactating breast, and normal bone); however, a consistent linear relationship between (99m)Tc-P and calcium levels was not observed. A strong correlation (r = 0.95 and 0.99, n = 2 dogs) was demonstrated between levels of (3)H-diphosphonate and (99m)Tc-P in infarcted myocardium. Autoradiographic studies with (3)H-diphosphonate revealed extensive labeling in the infarct periphery which contained necrotic muscle cells with features of severe calcium overloading, including widespread hypercontraction as well as more selective formation of mitochondrial calcific deposits. Autoradiography also demonstrated labeling of a small population of damaged border zone muscle cells which exhibited prominent accumulation of lipid droplets and focal, early mitochondrial calcification. Cell fractionation studies revealed major localization of both (99m)Tc-P and calcium in the soluble supernate and membrane-debris fractions of infarcted myocardium and less than 2% of total (99m)Tc-P and calcium in the mitochondrial fractions; however, electron microscopic examination showed that mitochondria with calcific deposits were not preserved in the mitochondrial fractions. In vitro studies evaluating the role of serum protein binding on tissue uptake of (99m)Tc-P agents demonstrated that, in spite of significant complexing with serum proteins, serum (99m)Tc-P activity retained the ability to adsorp to calcium hydroxyapatite and amorphous calcium phosphate. In vivo studies showed that concentration of human serum albumin (labeled with iodine-131) in infarcted myocardium reached a maximum of only 3.8 times normal after a circulation time of 96 h, whereas (99m)Tc-P uptake was at least 10 times normal after a circulation time as short as 1 h. It is concluded that: (a) (99m)Tc-P uptake in acutely infarcted myocardium, and possibly other types of soft tissue damage, is limited to necrotic and severely injured cells; (b) concentration of (99m)Tc-P results from selective adsorption of (99m)Tc-P with various forms of tissue calcium stores, including amorphous calcium phosphate, crystalline hydroxyapatite, and calcium complexed with myofibrils and other macromolecules, possibly supplemented by calcium-independent complexing with organic macromolecules; and (c) lack of a linear relationship between (99m)Tc-P and tissue calcium levels mainly results from local differences in composition and physicochemical properties of tissue calcium stores and from local variations in levels of blood flow for delivery of (99m)Tc-P agents.

Animals

Factors affecting uptake and retention of technetium-99m-diphosphonate and 99m-pertechnetate in osseous, connective and soft tissues.

The bone scanning complex, 99mTc-Sn-EHDP, consisting of the nuclide technetium-99m, stannous ion and ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonate, administered intravenously is retained in soft tissues in proportion to increasing calcium content of the tissues. Within bone tissue, the retention is proportional to vascularity and to surface area of calcium phosphate in bones and not necessarily to calcium and phosphate concentration. The nuclidic agent 99mTcO4-BUT NOT THE 99MTc-diphosphonate is selectively taken up by the thyroid and this uptake can be blocked by administering sodium perchlorate. Among the connective tissues studied, the tracheal cartilage seems to have the greatest potential to calcify with increasing age of the animal and man. Soft tissue does not retain the bone scanning complex 99mTc-Sn-EHDP but does retain 99mTcO4-.

Age Factors

Bone scanning: radionuclidic reaction mechanisms.

One of the major successes of nuclear medicine in recent years has been the clinical utility of the 99mTc-labeled bone-imaging agents. This article is concerned with the evidence available for the mechanisms by which these and other such radiopharmaceuticals localize at sites in the skeleton.

Animals

In vitro stabilization of a low-tin bone-imaging agent (99mTc-Sn-HEDP) by ascorbic acid.

The presence of oxidants in the 99mTc-pertechnetate and of oxygen in diagnostic kits containing low concentrations of Sn(II) has a detrimental effect upon in vitro and in vivo stability. Maintaining a nitrogen atmosphere or increasing the Sn(II) concentration inhibits the formation of 99mTcO4-. However, the latter remedy is likely to cause uptake in the reticuloendothelial system and has been associated with false positive or negative brain scans. We used ascorbic acid (an antioxidant) to ensure the in vitro stability with the low-Sn(II) bone agent disodium etidronate. In vitro stability studies by instant thin-layer chromatography, using high-acitivity generators and "instant pertechnetate," yielded less than 2% free pertechnetate at 24 hr after preparation. Distribution studies in guinea pigs show neither altered distribution of the bone agent nor abnormal distribution of ascorbic acid, suggesting its sole function as a noncomplexing stabilizer.

Animals

Distribution of 99mTc-Sn diphosphonate and free 99mTc-pertechnetate in selected soft and hard tissues.

Because increased uptake of 99mTc-diphosphonate (ethane-hydroxy-1, 1-diphosphonate) occasionally occurs in the anterior neck region, the possible increased affinity of the diphosphonate bone-scanning agent for cartilage was investigated. In vivo scintigraphic studies and organ analyses from rats and rabbits injected with this bone scintigraphic agent were performed. Trachea-to-muscle uptake ratios were a high 45:1 in adult Sprague-Dawley rats and approached the femur-to-muscle ratio of 93:1. Technetium-99m-diphosphonate uptake was also increased, but to a lesser extent, in xiphoid cartilage, tendon, and ear cartilage; this was proportional to the calcium content of the organ. The thyroid showed a high affinity for free pertechnetate but not 99mTc-diphosphonate, providing further evidence that the increased neck uptake of this 99mTc-diphosphonate is due to tracheal, not thyroid activity. In addition, premedication of three patients with 200 mg of potassium-perchlorate did not block this neck uptake. Interpretation of scintigraphs performed with 99mTc-diphosphonate that show lesions in the cervical spine should take into account the potential for false-positive readings caused by this increased tracheal uptake.

Achilles Tendon

Correlation of neoplasms with incidence and localization of skeletal metastases: An analysis of 1,355 diphosphonate bone scans.

A total of 1,355 patients from clinical trails with the 99mTc-labeled bone agent, Osteoscan (99mTc-Sn -EHDP), has shown a higher incidence of skeletal abnormalities than previously reported. Overall in this study, 60% of bone scans were abnormal in patients with nonosseous neoplasms. Carcinoma of breast, lung, and prostate yielded 67%, 64%, and 62% skeletal involvement, respectively. Over 50% of all the skeletal abnormalities for the neoplastic indications were detected in the thorax and vertebra while the skull, pelvis, and extremities accounted for 22%, 38%, and 34%, respectively.

Bone Neoplasms