Design, Preparation, and Evaluation of a Novel99mTcN Complex of Ciprofloxacin Xanthate as a Potential Bacterial Infection Imaging Agent

Abstract

In order to seek novel technetium-99m bacterial infection imaging agents, a ciprofloxacin xanthate (CPF2XT) was synthesized and radiolabeled with [99mTcN]2+ core to obtain the99mTcN-CPF2XT complex, which exhibited high radiochemical purity, hydrophilicity, and good stability in vitro. The bacteria binding assay indicated that99mTcN-CPF2XT had specificity to bacteria. A study of biodistribution in mice showed that99mTcN-CPF2XT had a higher uptake in bacterial infection tissues than in turpentine-induced abscesses, indicating that it could distinguish bacterial infection from sterile inflammation. Compared to99mTcN-CPFXDTC, the abscess/blood and abscess/muscle ratios of99mTcN-CPF2XT were higher and the uptakes of99mTcN-CPF2XT in the liver and lung were obviously decreased. The results suggested that99mTcN-CPF2XT would be a potential bacterial infection imaging agent.