title: Technetium-99m-Labeled Sulfadiazine: a Targeting Radiopharmaceutical for Scintigraphic Imaging of Infectious Foci Due To Escherichia coli in Mouse and Rabbit Models.
abstract: Bacterial infection is one of the vital reasons of morbidity and mortality, especially in developing countries. It appears silently without bothering the geological borders and imposes a grave threat to humanity. Nuclear medicine technique has an important role in helping early diagnosis of deep-seated infections. The aim of this study was to develop a new radiopharmaceutical99mTc-labeling sulfadiazine as an infection imaging agent. Radiolabeling of sulfadiazine with technetium-99m (99mTc) was carried out using stannous tartrate as a reducing agent in the presence of gentistic acid at pH = 5. The quality control tests revealed ~98% labeling efficiency. Paper chromatographic (PC) and instant thin-layer chromatographic (ITLC) techniques were used to analyze radiochemical yield. Biodistribution and infection specificity of the radiotracer were performed with Escherichia coli (E. coli) infection-induced rats. Scintigraphy and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) study was performed in E. coli-infected rabbits. Scintigraphy indicated E. coli infection targeting potential of99mTc-SDZ, while biodistribution study showed minimal uptake of99mTc-SDZ in non-targeted tissues. The uptake in the kidneys was found 2.56 ± 0.06, 2.09 ± 0.10, and 1.68 ± 0.09% at 30 min, 1 h, and 4 h, respectively. The infected muscle (target) to non-infected muscle (non-target) ratio (T/NT) was found 4.49 ± 0.04, 6.78 ± 0.07, and 5.59 ± 0.08 at 30 min, 1 h, and 4 h, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Tauqeer
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan. draliraza@gcuf.edu.pk.
authors.forename: Syed Ali Raza
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2172-9066
authors.initials: SAR
authors.lastname: Naqvi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan.|Institute of Nuclear Medicine Oncology and Radiotherapy (INOR), Abbottabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Rashid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rasheed
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ameer Fawad
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Zahoor
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Usman
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, University of the Punjab, New Campus, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Zaib
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hussain
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004926:Escherichia coli; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D007553:Isotope Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D011817:Rabbits; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013411:Sulfadiazine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D013667:Technetium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013411:Sulfadiazine; D013667:Technetium
keywords: E. coli infection; Infection imaging; Radiolabeled compounds; Scintigraphy; Sulfadiazine; Technetium-99m