title: Towards extracellular Ca2+ sensing by MRI: synthesis and calcium-dependent 1H and 17O relaxation studies of two novel bismacrocyclic Gd3+ complexes.
abstract: Two new bismacrocyclic Gd3+ chelates containing a specific Ca2+ binding site were synthesized as potential MRI contrast agents for the detection of Ca2+ concentration changes at the millimolar level in the extracellular space. In the ligands, the Ca2+-sensitive BAPTA-bisamide central part is separated from the DO3A macrocycles either by an ethylene (L1) or by a propylene (L2) unit [H4BAPTA is 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid; H3DO3A is 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid]. The sensitivity of the Gd3+ complexes towards Ca2+ and Mg2+ was studied by (1)H relaxometric titrations. A maximum relaxivity increase of 15 and 10% was observed upon Ca2+ binding to Gd2L1 and Gd2L2, respectively, with a distinct selectivity of Gd2L1 towards Ca2+ compared with Mg2+. For Ca2+ binding, association constants of log K = 1.9 (Gd2L1) and log K = 2.7 (Gd2L2) were determined by relaxometry. Luminescence lifetime measurements and UV-vis spectrophotometry on the corresponding Eu3+ analogues proved that the complexes exist in the form of monohydrated and nonhydrated species; Ca2+ binding in the central part of the ligand induces the formation of the monohydrated state. The increasing hydration number accounts for the relaxivity increase observed on Ca2+ addition. A 1H nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion and 17O NMR study on Gd2L1 in the absence and in the presence of Ca2+ was performed to assess the microscopic parameters influencing relaxivity. On Ca2+ binding, the water exchange is slightly accelerated, which is likely related to the increased steric demand of the central part leading to a destabilization of the Ln-water binding interaction.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Kirti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dhingra
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fousková
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Angelovski
authors.forename: Martin E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Nikos K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Logothetis
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tóth
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000378:metabolism*; D006859:Hydrogen; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D010100:Oxygen
chemical_list: D006859:Hydrogen; D005682:Gadolinium; D010100:Oxygen; D002118:Calcium