(99m)Tc-HYNIC-derivatized ternary ligand complexes for (99m)Tc-labeled polypeptides with low in vivo protein binding

6-Hydrazinopyridine-3-carboxylic acid (HYNIC) is a representative agent used to prepare technetium-99m ((99m)Tc)-labeled polypeptides with tricine as a coligand. However, (99m)Tc-HYNIC-labeled polypeptides show delayed elimination rates of the radioactivity not only from the blood but also from nontarget tissues such as the liver and kidney. In this study, a preformed chelate of tetrafluorophenol (TFP) active ester of (99m)Tc](HYNIC)(tricine)(benzoylpyridine: BP) ternary complex was synthesized to prepare (99m)Tc-labeled polypeptides with higher stability against exchange reactions with proteins in plasma and lysosomes using the Fab fragment of a monoclonal antibody and galactosyl-neoglycoalbumin (NGA) as model polypeptides. When incubated in plasma, (99m)Tc](HYNIC-Fab)(tricine)(BP) showed significant reduction of the radioactivity in high molecular weight fractions compared with (99m)Tc](HYNIC-Fab)(tricine)(2.) When injected into mice, (99m)Tc](HYNIC-NGA)(tricine)(BP) was metabolized to (99m)Tc](HYNIC-lysine)(tricine)(BP) in the liver with no radioactivity detected in protein-bound fractions in contrast to the observations with (99m)Tc](HYNIC-NGA)(tricine)(2.) In addition, (99m)Tc](HYNIC-NGA)(tricine)(BP) showed significantly faster elimination rates of the radioactivity from the liver as compared with (99m)Tc](HYNIC-NGA)(tricine)(2.) Similar results were observed with (99m)Tc-labeled Fab fragments where (99m)Tc](HYNIC-Fab)(tricine)(BP) exhibited significantly faster elimination rates of the radioactivity not only from the blood but also from the kidney. These findings indicated that conjugation of (99m)Tc](HYNIC)(tricine)(BP) ternary ligand complex to polypeptides accelerated elimination rates of the radioactivity from the blood and nontarget tissues due to low binding of the (99m)Tc](HYNIC)(tricine)(BP) complex with proteins in the blood and in the lysosomes. Such characteristics would render the TFP active ester of (99m)Tc](HYNIC)(tricine)(BP) complex attractive as a radiolabeling reagent for targeted imaging.