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Detection of hypoxia in microscopic tumors using 131I-labeled iodo-azomycin galactopyranoside (131I-IAZGP) digital autoradiography

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European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Previous studies have shown that tumors less than 1 mm diameter derived from HT29 colorectal cancer cells are extremely hypoxic when grown intraperitoneally or intradermally in nude mice, whereas those of greater size (approximately 1–4 mm diameter) are not significantly hypoxic. The object of this study was to determine if digital autoradiography using the radiolabeled hypoxia imaging tracer iodo-azomycin galactopyranoside (131I-IAZGP) could detect hypoxia in this model.

Methods

Microscopic HT29 tumors were grown as disseminated peritoneal disease and intradermally in nude mice. Tumors ranged in size from a few hundred microns to several millimeters in diameter. Animals were intravenously administered 131I-IAZGP and pimonidazole 2 h before sacrifice. Following sacrifice, the intratumoral distribution of 131I-IAZGP was assessed by digital autoradiography and compared with immunofluorescence microscopic images of pimonidazole binding and carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) expression.

Results

The distributions of 131I-IAZGP, pimonidazole, and CAIX expression were similar. Tumors less than 1 mm diameter displayed high 131I-IAZGP uptake; these tumors also stained strongly for pimonidazole and CAIX. Larger tumors (approximately 1–4 mm diameter) were not significantly hypoxic and had low 131I-IAZGP accumulation.

Conclusion

131I-IAZGP can detect hypoxia in microscopic tumors. Microscopic tumors are useful models for the validation of hypoxia radiotracers, and digital autoradiography is an appropriate technique for studying the distribution of hypoxia radiotracers in microscopic tumors.

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Acknowledgments

Grant support: National Institute of Health grants R01 CA84596 and P01 CA115675, National Cancer Institute grant P30-CA 08748.

Conflicts of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Xiao-Feng Li, Xiaorong Sun, Makiko Suehiro, Mutian Zhang, James Russell, John L. Humm, C. Clifton Ling & Joseph A. O’Donoghue

  2. Imaging Center, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People’s Republic of China

    Xiao-Feng Li

  3. Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China

    Xiao-Feng Li

  4. Department of Nuclear Medicine, PET-CT Center, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaorong Sun

  5. Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Yuanyuan Ma

  6. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 530 S. Jackson Street, CCB-C07, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA

    Xiao-Feng Li

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  1. Xiao-Feng Li
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Correspondence to Xiao-Feng Li.

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Li, XF., Sun, X., Ma, Y. et al. Detection of hypoxia in microscopic tumors using 131I-labeled iodo-azomycin galactopyranoside (131I-IAZGP) digital autoradiography. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 37, 339–348 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-009-1310-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-009-1310-y

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