Preparation of ~(99)Tc~m-DTPA-Folate and biodistribution study in athymic mice

The purpose of this article is to study the preparation and biodistribution of Tcm-DTPA-folate in nude 99 mice with a human tumor cell implant. DTPA-folate was synthesized by conjugating folic acid to diethylenetriaminepentaacetic(DTPA), then radiolabeled with 99Tcm. The radio-chemical purity and stability were evaluated. The biodistribution of Tcm-DTPA-folate in nude mice with a human tumor cell implant was studied. The 99 result showed that the radiolabelling yield of Tcm-DTPA-folate was as high as 98%. After 4 h at room temperature, 99 the radiochemical purity of Tcm-DTPA-folate was still over 90%. Tcm-DTPA-folate conjugation showed marked 99 99 tumor-specific deposition in vivo. The tumor-to-muscle ratio at 8 h post intraperitoneal injection was 7.5. 99Tcm-DTPA-folate appears to be a potential radiopharmaceutical for targeting tumor-associated folate receptor.