Experimental Study of 99mTc-Metallothionein Biodistribution in Intact Animals

• Published in: Physics of atomic nuclei Vol. 86; no. 12; pp. 2728 - 2731
• Main Authors: Tishchenko, V. K., Lebedeva, A. A., Fedorova, A. V., Orlenko, S. P., Minaeva, N. G., Shegai, P. V., Ivanov, S. A., Kaprin, A. D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01-12-2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Medical Physics and Biophysics; Particle and Nuclear Physics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Technetium; Technetium isotopes; Thyroid gland; metallothionein; nuclear medicine; technetium-99m; radiopharmaceutical
• ISSN: 1063-7788; 1562-692X
• DOI: 10.1134/S1063778823110467

Metallothioneins are a special group of low-molecular-weight proteins with metal-binding properties, which make them promising chelators for the development of targeted radiopharmaceuticals, as well as with technetium-99m. The aim of this work is to study the biodistribution of
99m
Tc-metallothionein conjugate (
99m
Tc-MT) in intact mice in comparison with unbound technetium-99m (Na
99m
TcO
4
). Low uptake of
99m
Tc-MT in the thyroid gland (1.20 ± 0.30%/g versus 267.2 ± 59.0%/g for Na
99m
TcO
4
) demonstrates the high stability of
99m
Tc-MT in vivo. The
99m
Tc-MT complex is rapidly eliminated from the bloodstream through the kidneys and is characterized by a reduced uptake in most organs and tissues compared to Na
99m
TcO
4
.