Replacement of the Lys linker with an Arg linker resulting in improved melanoma uptake and reduced renal uptake of Tc-99m-labeled Arg-Gly-Asp-conjugated alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone hybrid peptide.
The purpose of this study was to reduce the non-specific renal uptake of Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-conjugated alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) hybrid peptide through structural modification or L-lysine co-injection. The RGD motif {cyclic(Arg-Gly-Asp-DTyr-Asp)} was coupled to [Cys(3,4,10), D-Phe7, Arg11] alpha-MSH3-13 {(Arg11)CCMSH} through the Arg linker (substituting the Lys linker) to generate a novel RGD-Arg-(Arg11)CCMSH hybrid peptide. The melanoma targeting and pharmacokinetic properties of 99mTc-RGD-Arg-(Arg11)CCMSH were determined in B16/F1 melanoma-bearing C57 mice. The effect of L-lysine co-injection on the renal uptake was determined through the co-injection of L-lysine with 99mTc-RGD-Arg-(Arg11)CCMSH or 99mTc-RGD-Lys-(Arg11)CCMSH. Replacement of the Lys linker with an Arg linker exhibited a profound effect in reducing the non-specific renal uptake of 99mTc-RGD-Arg-(Arg11)CCMSH, as well as increasing the tumor uptake of 99mTc-RGD-Arg-(Arg11)CCMSH compared to 99mTc-RGD-Lys-(Arg11)CCMSH. 99mTc-RGD-Arg-(Arg11)CCMSH exhibited high tumor uptake (21.41+/-3.74% ID/g at 2 h post-injection) and prolonged tumor retention (6.81+/-3.71% ID/g at 24 h post-injection) in B16/F1 melanoma-bearing mice. The renal uptake values of 99mTc-RGD-Arg-(Arg11)CCMSH were 40.14-64.08% of those of 99mTc-RGD-Lys-(Arg11)CCMSH (p<0.05) at 0.5, 2, 4 and 24 h post-injection. Co-injection of L-lysine was effective in decreasing the renal uptakes of 99mTc-RGD-Arg-(Arg11)CCMSH by 27.7% and 99mTc-RGD-Lys-(Arg11)CCMSH by 52.1% at 2 h post-injection. Substitution of the Lys linker with an Arg linker dramatically improved the melanoma uptake and reduced the renal uptake of 99mTc-RGD-Arg-(Arg11)CCMSH, warranting the further evaluation of 188Re-labeled RGD-Arg-(Arg11)CCMSH as a novel MC1 receptor-targeting therapeutic peptide for melanoma treatment in the future.
Yang
Jianquan
J
College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
Guo
Haixun
H
Padilla
R Steve
RS
Berwick
Marianne
M
Miao
Yubin
Y
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001120:Arginine / Q000737:chemistry; D007553:Isotope Labeling; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism*; D008239:Lysine / Q000737:chemistry; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013667:Technetium / Q000737:chemistry; D051598:Whole Body Imaging; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000737:chemistry
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009842:Oligopeptides; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D000521:alpha-MSH; D013667:Technetium; C047981:arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones; D001120:Arginine; D008239:Lysine