• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.333-343
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• 2002

Purpose: A new linker, hydrazino nicotinamide (HYNIC), was recently introduced for labelling of liposome with $^{99m}Tc$. In this study we synthesized HYNIC derivatized PEG (polyethylene glycol)-liposomes radiolabeled with $^{99m}Tc$. Materials and Methods: In order to synthesize HYNIC-DSPE (distearoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine) which is a crucial component for $^{99m}Tc$ chelation, first of all succinimidyl 6-BOC-hydrazinopyridine-3-carboxylic acid was synthesized from 6-chloronicotinic acid by three sequential reactions. A DSPE derivative of succinimidyl 6-BOC-hydrazinopyridine-3-carboxylic acid was transformed into HYNIC-DSPE by HCI/dioxane. HYNIC-PEG-liposomes were prepared by hydration of the dried lipid mixture of EPC (egg phosphatidyl choline): PEG-DSPE : HYNIC-DSPE:cholesterol (1.85:0.15:0.07:1, molar ratio). The HYNIC-PEG-liposomes were labeled with $^{99m}Tc$ in the presence of $SnCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$ (a reducing agent) and tricine (a coligand). To investigate the level of in vivo transchelation of $^{99m}Tc$ in the liposomes, the $^{99m}Tc$-HYNiC-PES-liposomes were incubated with a molar excess of DTPA, cysteine or glutathione solutions at $37^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour. The radiolabeled liposomes were also incubated in the presence of human serum at $37^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours. Results: 6-BOC-hydrazinopyridine-3-carboxylic acid was synthesized with 77.3% overall yield. The HYNIC concentration in the PEG-coated liposome dispersion was 1.08 mM. In condition of considering the measured liposomal size of 106 nm, the phospholipid concentration of $77.5\;{\mu}mol/m{\ell}$ and the liposomal particle number of $5.2{\times}10^{14}$ liposomes/ml, it is corresponded to approximate 1,250 nicotinyl hydrazine group per liposome in HYNIC-PEG-liposome. The removal of free $^{99m}Tc$ was not necessary because the labeling efficiency were above 99%. The radiolabeled liposomes maintained 98%, 96% and 99%, respectively, of radioactivity after incubation with transchelators. The radiolabeled liposomes possessed above 90% of the radioactivity in serum. Conclusion: These results suggest that the HYNIC can be synthesized easily and applied in labelling of PEG-liposomes with $^{99m}Tc$.