Optimising the removal of inhaled plutonium and americium from the rat by administration of ZnDTPA in drinking water

Aerosolization of Zn-DTPA Decorporation Agent Using Jet and Ultrasonic Nebulizers

BACKGROUND

Chelating agents such as diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) can be used as a decorporation drug in the zinc (Zn) form to treat internal radioactive contamination after exposure to plutonium or americium in a nuclear accident. Although Zn-DTPA is normally administered intravenously, inhalation of Zn-DTPA in aerosol form is a better route for direct delivery to the lungs. This work investigates the feasibility of synthesizing Zn-DTPA from three common chemicals and aerosolizing it using a jet or ultrasonic nebulizer.

METHODS

The particle size distribution (PSD) of this decorporation agent at different concentrations were tested in vitro using two different methods: inertial impaction and aerodynamic time of flight. The particles were generated using either a jet nebulizer or an ultrasonic nebulizer. Two parameters, namely the mass median aerodynamic diameter and the geometric standard deviation, were assessed to determine the PSD of the generated aerosols. These parameters were obtained for different concentrations of Zn-DTPA using both nebulizers.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Zn-DTPA was successfully synthesized for decorporation purposes. Aerosol particles within the inhalable range were successfully generated by both nebulizers from four different concentrations of Zn-DTPA. It was found that the medication concentration did not affect the PSD of Zn-DTPA. The ultrasonic nebulizer was observed to produce a slightly larger aerosol particle size and required slightly longer treatment periods to deliver an effective dose to the lungs when compared with the jet nebulizer. Both nebulizers can be sustainably run to administer the agent for effective decorporation treatment of a large population after any major nuclear accident.

Decorporation of systemically distributed americium by a novel orally administered diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) formulation in beagle dogs

Novel decorporation agents are being developed to protect against radiological accidents and terrorists attacks. Radioactive americium is a significant component of nuclear fallout. Removal of large radioactive materials, such as 241Am, from exposed persons is a subject of significant interest due to the hazards they pose. The objective of this study was to evaluate the dose-related efficacy of daily doses of NanoDTPA™ Capsules for decorporating Am administered intravenously as a soluble citrate complex to male and female beagle dogs. In addition, the efficacy of the NanoDTPA™ Capsules for decorporating 241Am was directly compared to intravenously administered saline and DTPA. Animals received a single IV administration of 241Am(III)-citrate on Day 0. One day after radionuclide administration, one of four different doses of NanoDTPA™ Capsules [1, 2, or 6 capsules d(-1) (30 mg, 60 mg, or 180 mg DTPA) or 2 capsules BID], IV Zn-DTPA (5 mg kg(-1) pentetate zinc trisodium) as a positive control, or IV saline as a placebo were administered. NanoDTPA™ Capsules, IV Zn-DTPA, or IV saline was administered on study days 1-14. Animals were euthanized on day 21. A full necropsy was conducted, and liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs and trachea, tracheobronchial lymph nodes (TBLN), muscle samples (right and left quadriceps), gastrointestinal (GI) tract (stomach plus esophagus, upper and lower intestine), gonads, two femurs, lumbar vertebrae (L1-L4), and all other soft tissue remains were collected. Urinary and fecal excretion profiles were increased approximately 10-fold compared to those for untreated animals. Tissue contents were decreased compared to untreated controls. In particular, liver content was decreased by approximately eightfold compared to untreated animals. The results from this study further demonstrate that oral NanoDTPA™ Capsules are equally efficient compared to IV Zn-DTPA in decorporation of actinides.

Decorporation approach following rat lung contamination with a moderately soluble compound of plutonium using local and systemic Ca-DTPA combined chelation

Decorporation efficacy of prompt pulmonary delivery of DTPA dry powder was assessed following lung contamination with plutonium nitrate and compared to an intravenous injection of DTPA solution and a combined administration of both DTPA compounds. In addition, efficacy of a delayed treatment was assessed. In case of either early or late administration, insufflated DTPA was more efficient than intravenously injected DTPA in reducing the plutonium lung burden due to its high local concentration. Prompt treatment with DTPA powder was also more effective in limiting extrapulmonary deposits by removing the early transportable fraction of plutonium from lungs prior its absorption into blood. Translocation of DTPA from lungs to blood may also contribute to the decrease in extrapulmonary retention, as shown by reduced liver deposit after delayed pulmonary administration of DTPA. Efficacy of DTPA dry powder was further increased by the combined intravenous administration of DTPA solution for reducing extrapulmonary deposits of plutonium and promoting its urinary excretion. According to our results, the most effective treatment protocol for plutonium decorporation was the early pulmonary delivery of DTPA powder supplemented by an intravenous injection of DTPA solution. Following inhalation of plutonium as nitrate chemical form, this combined chelation therapy should provide a more effective method of treatment than conventional intravenous injection alone. At later stages following lung contamination, pulmonary administration of DTPA should also be considered as the treatment of choice for decreasing the lung burden.

Efficacy of orally administered amphipathic polyaminocarboxylic acid chelators for the removal of plutonium and americium: comparison with injected Zn-DTPA in the rat

Chelators are used to promote excretion of actinides and some other metals, but few are orally effective. The relative efficacies of orally administered triethylenetetraminepentaacetic acids (TT) with varying lipophilic properties on the removal of 241Am and 239Pu and comparison with parenteral Zn-DTPA was determined. The actinides were administered to adult rats 2 weeks prior to initiation of 30 d of chelation treatment. The TT compounds were given orally while Zn-DTPA was given twice weekly by injection. Total body content of 241Am was measured before and during the treatment period and organ contents of 241Am and 239Pu were measured at the end of the study. Significant reductions in 241Am occurred within the first week, with Zn-DTPA being the most effective. By 3 weeks, the most lipophilic chelator, C22TT was as effective as Zn-DTPA. After 30 d, reductions in organ content of 239Pu and 241Am directly correlated with increasing lipophilicity of the TT chelators. Oral C22TT was as effective as injected Zn-DTPA in liver and bone, the major organs of actinide deposition. The removal of 239Pu from the liver and reduction of redeposition of 239Pu in newly formed bone by C22TT was confirmed by neutron-induced autoradiographs. The amphipathic TT chelators may be useful as orally administered alternatives to current parenteral DTPA for the removal of actinide elements from the body, particularly for longer-term therapeutic applications.

Pentetate Calcium Trisodium (Ca-DTPA) and Pentetate Zinc Trisodium (Zn-DTPA)

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Chelation therapy by DFO-HOPO and 3,4,3-LIHOPO for injected Pu-238 and Am-241 in the rat: effect of dosage, time and mode of chelate administration

The effectiveness of the siderophore analogues DFO-HOPO (a hydroxypyridone derivative of desferrioxamine) and 3,4,3-LIHOPO (a linear tetrahydroxypyridinone) for the decorporation of 238Pu and 241Am from rat was studied. (1) Dosage-effect relationship. A similar treatment effect on Pu was achieved by single s.c. injection of 30 mumol kg-1 or by oral administration of 100 mumol kg-1 of either of the two ligands, provided the oral dose was administered earlier. In general, LIHOPO was more effective than DFO-HOPO: retention of Pu in the liver and bones was reduced by LIHOPO to < 10% of control values. No increase in renal retention of the actinides was observed. Whilst DFO-HOPO did not affect Am retention, a substantial reduction was achieved by LIHOPO. Removal effectiveness for injected LIHOPO on Pu was higher than that on Am, especially in the bones and after low ligand doses. Orally administered small doses of LIHOPO, however, mobilized more Am than Pu, both from the liver and the bone. (2) Time-effect relationship. The effectiveness of the injected ligands for Pu decreased exponentially with the time between exposure and treatment. With DFO-HOPO, the calculated half-times for decrease of mobilized fractions of Pu from the bone and liver were 5 and 12 h respectively. The effect of LIHOPO on Pu decreased much more slowly, with a half-time of 3-4 weeks. For instance, a single injection of 30 mumol kg-1 LIHOPO at 10 days post-Pu removed 30 and 50% activity from the bone and liver respectively. The removal effect of LIHOPO for Am in the liver decreased with time in the same way as for Pu but the mobilized fractions of skeletal and renal Am decreased from the first day with a half-time of only 8 and 4 days respectively.