Isomeric trimethylene and ethylene pendant-armed cross-bridged tetraazamacrocycles and in vitro/in vivo comparisions of their copper(II) complexes

Inorg Chem. 2011 Apr 4;50(7):3078-86. doi: 10.1021/ic200014w. Epub 2011 Mar 7.

Abstract

Ethylene cross-bridged tetraamine macrocycles are useful chelators in coordination, catalytic, medicinal, and radiopharmaceutical chemistry. Springborg and co-workers developed trimethylene cross-bridged analogues, although their pendant-armed derivatives received little attention. We report here the synthesis of a bis-carboxymethyl pendant-armed cyclen with a trimethylene cross-bridge (C3B-DO2A) and its isomeric ethylene-cross-bridged homocyclen ligand (CB-TR2A) as well as their copper(II) complexes. The in vitro and in vivo properties of these complexes are compared with respect to their potential application as (64)Cu-radiopharmaceuticals in positron emission tomography (PET imaging). The inertness of Cu-C3B-DO2A to decomplexation is remarkable, exceeding that of Cu-CB-TE2A. Electrochemical reduction of Cu-CB-TR2A is quasi-reversible, whereas that of Cu-C3B-DO2A is irreversible. The reaction conditions for preparing (64)Cu-C3B-DO2A (microwaving at high temperature) are relatively harsh compared to (64)Cu-CB-TR2A (basic ethanol). The in vivo behavior of the (64)Cu complexes was evaluated in normal rats. Rapid and continual clearance of (64)Cu-CB-TR2A through the blood, liver, and kidneys suggests relatively good in vivo stability, albeit inferior to (64)Cu-CB-TE2A. Although (64)Cu-C3B-DO2A clears continually, the initial uptake is high and only about half is excreted within 22 h, suggesting poor stability and transchelation of (64)Cu to proteins in the blood and/or liver. These data suggest that in vitro inertness of a chelator complex may not always be a good indicator of in vivo stability.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Aza Compounds / chemistry*
  • Copper / chemistry*
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Cyclopropanes / chemistry*
  • Ethylenes / chemistry*
  • Macrocyclic Compounds / chemistry
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemical synthesis
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemistry*
  • Stereoisomerism

Substances

  • Aza Compounds
  • Cyclopropanes
  • Ethylenes
  • Macrocyclic Compounds
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Copper
  • ethylene
  • cyclopropane