Gamma counting of iodine-125 using a metal-loaded liquid scintillator

Pharmacokinetic Parameters of Recombinant Human Cyclophilin A in Mice

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Cyclophilin A (CypA) is an isomerase that functions as a chaperone, housekeeping protein, and cyclosporine A (CsA) ligand. Secreted CypA is a proinflammatory factor, chemoattractant, immune regulator, and factor of antitumor immunity. Experimental data suggest clinical applications of recombinant human CypA (rhCypA) as a biotherapeutic for cancer immunotherapy, stimulation of tissue regeneration, treatment of brain pathologies, and as a supportive treatment for CsA-based therapies. The objective of this study is to analyze the pharmacokinetics of rhCypA in a mouse model.

METHODS

rhCypA was isotope-labeled with 125I and injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) or subcutaneously (s/c) into female mice as a single dose of 100 μg per mouse, equivalent to the estimated first-in-human dose. Analysis of 125I-rhCypA biodistribution and excretion was performed by direct radiometry of the blood, viscera, and urine of mice 0.5-72 h following its administration.

RESULTS

rhCypA showed rapid and even tissue-organ distribution, with the highest tropism (fT = 1.56) and accumulation (maximum concentration, Cmax = 137-167 μg/g) in the kidneys, its primary excretory organ. rhCypA showed the lowest tropism to the bone marrow and the brain (fT = 0.07) but the longest retention in these organs [mean retention time (MRT) = 25-28 h].

CONCLUSION

This study identified promising target organs for rhCypA's potential therapeutic effects. The mode of rhCypA accumulation and retention in organs could be primarily due to the expression of its receptors in them. For the first time, rhCypA was shown to cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in the brain. These rhCypA pharmacokinetic data could be extrapolated to humans as preliminary data for possible clinical trials.

Modification of LSC spectra of 125I by high atomic number elements

The ¹²⁵I pulse-height spectra via a liquid scintillation counter (LSC) displayed notable variations. The counting efficiencies of higher and lower energy peaks increased and decreased, respectively, with the enhancement of the amount of high atomic numbered elements within the cocktails. This tendency was ascribed to the increasing probability of the interaction of photons with the scintillation cocktail. Moreover, it was noted that the shape of a ¹²⁵I spectrum strongly depends on the amount of high atomic numbered elements.

Development of a simple radioimmunoassay for human C3a

A radioimmunoassay was devised for the human complement cleavage product, C3a, using charcoal separation and selective precipitation of interfering substances. When compared with the commercially available immunoassay now marketed, the assay reported here was somewhat simpler to perform; furthermore, it overcame delivery and availability problems in Europe. The assay showed a mean recovery of 87% of known amounts of C3a or C3adesarginine and had a sensitivity of 32 ng C3a per milliliter of plasma; coefficients of variance were comparable to other radioimmunoassays in common use. Using this assay in a first clinical application, we were able to document a small but statistically significant rise in [C3a] during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Superoxide anion production from mouse peritoneal macrophages stimulated with surface-bound IgG and immune complexes: adsorption characteristics of IgG in relationship to biological activity

The bridging of IgG antibody molecules by either multivalent antigen or protein A adsorbed to a polymer surface triggers superoxide anion (O-2) generation from mouse peritoneal macrophages. Macrophages, upon stimulation with IgG adsorbed to a hydrophobic polymer, polystyrene, also significantly generated O-2. In contrast, soluble IgG did not stimulate macrophages. From these results we speculated that IgG adsorbed to polystyrene produces the same kind of a conformational change in its Fc region as seen in immune complexes, and leads to enhancement of the ability of the Fc region to bind macrophage Fc receptors, acting as a multivalent cross-linking agent to aggregate the Fc receptors. The surface charge density of the immunosorbent did not affect the antigen recognition function of antibody, but markedly affected its effector function. These findings suggest that activation of the Fc receptor-mediated function of macrophages requires, on the one hand, optimal conformational change and orientation of IgG and immune complexes adsorbed to the polymer surface and, on the other hand, the bridging of IgG molecules by multivalent agents.