OtherBASIC SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS

Comparison of Sigma-Ligands and Metabolic PET Tracers for Differentiating Tumor from Inflammation

Aren van Waarde, Pieter L. Jager, Kiichi Ishiwata, Rudi A. Dierckx and Philip H. Elsinga
Journal of Nuclear Medicine January 2006, 47 (1) 150-154;

Abstract

Novel radiopharmaceuticals for the detection of tumors and their metastases may be of clinical interest if they are more tumor selective than 18F-FDG. Increased glucose metabolism of inflammatory tissues is the main source of false-positive 18F-FDG PET findings in oncology. Methods: We compared the biodistribution of 4 PET tracers (2 σ-receptor ligands, 11C-choline, and 11C-methionine) with previously published biodistribution data of 3′-deoxy-3′-18F-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT) and of 18F-FDG in the same animal model. The model consisted of male Wistar rats that bore tumors (C6 rat glioma in the right shoulder) and also had sterile inflammation in the left calf muscle (induced by injection of 0.1 mL of turpentine). Twenty-four hours after turpentine injection, the rats received an intravenous bolus of PET tracer (approximately 30 MBq in the case of 18F and 74 MBq for 11C). Results: 18F-FDG showed the highest tumor-to-muscle ratio of all radiopharmaceuticals (13.2 ± 3.0, mean ± SD), followed at a large distance by the σ-1 ligand 11C-SA4503 (5.1 ± 1.7), 18F-FLT (3.8 ± 1.3), the non–subtype-selective σ-ligand 18F-FE-SA5845 (3.3 ± 1.5), 11C-choline (3.1 ± 0.4), and 11C-methionine (2.8 ± 0.3). σ-Ligands and 18F-FLT were relatively tumor selective (18F-FE-SA5845, greater than 30-fold; 11C-SA4503 and 18F-FLT, greater than 10-fold). The tumor selectivity of 11C-methionine was only slightly better than that of 18F-FDG. 11C-Choline showed equal uptake in tumor and inflammation. All tracers were avidly taken up by proliferative tissue (small intestine, bone marrow). High physiologic uptake of some compounds was observed in brain, heart, lung, pancreas, spleen, and salivary gland. Conclusion: σ-Ligands and 18F-FLT were more tumor selective than 18F-FDG, 11C-choline, or 11C-methionine in our animal model. However, these novel radiopharmaceuticals were less sensitive than were the established oncologic tracers.

Novel radiopharmaceuticals for the visualization of tumors and their metastases may be of clinical interest if they are more tumor selective than 18F-FDG. Increased glucose metabolism of inflammatory tissues is the main source of false-positive PET findings in oncology (1–3). Tumor-invading macrophages can induce high 18F-FDG uptake after anticancer therapy (3–5).

Various other approaches for tumor visualization have been described in the literature, including the use of radiolabeled amino acids (1,6,7), nucleosides (8–10), choline (11–13), and various receptor ligands (14–16). Some of these tracers may show greater tumor selectivity than 18F-FDG. Thymidine and methionine have been reported to show considerable uptake in malignant tissue but much less uptake in inflammatory cells than 18F-FDG (7,9). 11C-labeled choline has also been claimed to be better than 18F-FDG for discrimination between proliferative tissue and inflammation (17).

In recent years, σ-receptor ligands have been proposed as radiotracers for tumor imaging. Interest in these binding sites was roused for 3 reasons: First, σ-receptors are strongly overexpressed in a large variety of human tumors (18–20). Second, the σ-2 receptor density of tumors is a biomarker of cellular proliferation (21–23). Third, the activation of intracellular σ-2 receptors increases cytosolic calcium and introduces apoptosis via a caspase- and p53-independent mechanism (24–26). A radioligand for visualization of σ-receptors with PET could therefore be useful for detection of primary tumors and their metastases, for noninvasive assessment of tumor proliferative status, and for determination of the σ-receptor occupancy of antineoplastic drugs.

To the best of our knowledge, no information is available about the capability of radiolabeled σ-receptor ligands to differentiate malignant from inflammatory cells. Recently, we developed a rodent model in which each animal bears a tumor and also has sterile inflammation (27). This model allows assessment of the tumor selectivity of radiopharmaceuticals, each animal serving as its own control. When we started this project, suitable PET radioligands selective for the σ-2 subtype were not yet available, although a few potential tracers were later described (28). Thus, we decided to compare the biodistribution of 2 well-characterized σ-ligands, 11C-SA4503 (selective for the σ-1 subtype) and 18F-FE-SA5845 (not selective for a subtype) (29), in this model with that of 4 oncologic PET tracers, namely 11C-choline, 11C-methionine, 3′-deoxy-3′-18F-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT), and 18F-FDG. Data for the last 2 tracers came from a previous publication (27). Although a period of 120 rather than 60 min was chosen for sacrificing the animals in the previous report, the data can be compared with those in the present paper because the biodistribution of 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT reaches a steady state between 60 and 120 min.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Materials

18F-FE-SA5845 and 11C-SA4503 were made by reaction of 18F-fluoroethyl tosylate and 11C-methyl iodide, respectively, with the corresponding 4-O-methyl compound (36). The decay-corrected radiochemical yields of 18F-FE-SA5485 and 11C-SA4503 were 4%–7% and 9%–11%, respectively. The specific radioactivities of 18F-FE-SA5485 and 11C-SA4503 were greater than 74 TBq/mmol and greater than 11 TBq/mmol, respectively, at the time of injection. The injected mass of the σ-receptor ligands (a maximum of 6.7 nmol of 11C-SA4503 in a 331-g rat, i.e., 20 pmol/g, and a maximum of 0.5 nmol of 18F-FE-SA5845 in a 331-g rat, i.e., 1.5 pmol/g) did not exceed the tumor-tissue σ-receptor capacity, which has been reported as 98 pmol/g for the σ-1 subtype and 551 pmol/g for the σ-2 subtype in C6 glioma (assuming a cellular protein content of 10%) (20). In previous animal studies using the same dose of the ligands, we consistently observed specific binding of 11C-SA4503 and 18F-FE-SA5845 in all target organs, including the C6 tumor (29). 11C-Methionine was prepared by methylation of l-homocysteine thiolactone with 11C-methyl iodide. The radiochemical yield was 60%, and specific activities were greater than 2 TBq/mmol. 11C-Choline was synthesized by the reaction of 11C-methyl iodide with dimethylaminoethanol at 100°C for 5 min. Unreacted substrates were removed by evaporation, and 11C-choline was further purified using a cation-exchange resin. The product was dissolved in saline. All radiochemical purities were greater than 95%.

Animal Model

Relevant details about our animal model (including PET images and findings from histology) were reported in a previous paper (27). C6 glioma cells (2 × 106, in a mixture of Matrigel [Becton Dickenson] and Dulbecco's minimal essential medium with 5% fetal calf serum) were subcutaneously injected into the right shoulder of male Wistar rats, 11 d before tracer injection. Ten days later, 0.1 mL of turpentine was intramuscularly injected into the thigh of the left hind leg, to produce a sterile inflammation within 24 h. Turpentine injection is an established model of sterile inflammation (27,30). The animal experiments were performed by licensed investigators in compliance with the Law on Animal Experiments of The Netherlands. Twenty animals were used in total.

Biodistribution Experiments

Eleven days after the inoculation of C6 tumor cells and 24 h after the turpentine injection, the rats were anesthetized using sodium pentobarbital (60 mg/kg intraperitoneally). We used pentobarbital rather than ketamine because ketamine (particularly the R-enantiomer) binds to σ-receptors and reduces the target-to-nontarget ratios of σ-ligands (29). The animals were kept under anesthesia for the rest of the experiment. A bolus of either 11C-choline, 11C-methionine, 11C-SA4503, or 18F-FE-SA5845 was administered by intravenous injection through a lateral tail vein (0.3 mL containing approximately 74 MBq of the 11C-tracers or 30 MBq of 18F-FE-SA5845). The rats were sacrificed 60 min after radiotracer injection by extirpation of the heart. Blood was collected, and normal tissues (brain, fat, bone, heart, intestines, kidney, liver, lung, skeletal muscle, pancreas, spleen, submandibular gland, and urinary bladder) were excised. Urine was collected, and blood plasma and a blood cell fraction were obtained from blood centrifugation (5 min at 1,000g). The complete tumor (1.8 ± 1.0 g) was excised and separated from muscle and skin. Inflamed muscle could be distinguished from the surrounding tissue by its pale color and the odor of turpentine. The inflamed region was excised from the affected thigh. All samples were weighed, and the radioactivity was measured using a CompuGamma CS 1282 counter (LKB-Wallac), applying a decay correction. The results were expressed as dimensionless standardized uptake values (SUVs) (dpm measured per gram of tissue/dpm injected per gram of body weight). Tissue-to-plasma and tumor-to-muscle concentration ratios of radioactivity were also calculated.

Statistical Analysis

Differences between the various tracers were tested for statistical significance using the 2-sided Student t test for independent samples. P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Tumor-to-plasma, tumor-to-muscle, and tumor-to-inflammation ratios of tracer uptake were calculated for each rat. A tumor selectivity index was calculated for each tracer and individual animal, using the following formula: (tumor SUV – muscle SUV)/(inflammation SUV – muscle SUV). This figure represents the tumor-to-inflammation ratio corrected for background activity.

RESULTS

Animal Growth and Development of Tumor

The growth rate of a C6 tumor in rats was variable, as reported previously (27). Tumor mass at radiotracer injection was 1.8 ± 1.0 g in the present study (mean ± SD; range, 0.29–3.32 g). During the 2 wk of acclimation after purchase and the 11 d after tumor inoculation, the animals showed significant weight gain (about 80 g). Body weight of the rats at the biodistribution experiments was 331 ± 34 g. The animals were fed ad libitum, using standard laboratory chow.

Histologic examination of the excised specimens of tumor and inflamed muscle showed small areas of necrosis in both tissues, composing less than 10% of the total tissue volume.

Biodistribution of 11C-SA4503

Uptake of radioactivity after injection of 11C-SA4503, the radioligand selective for the σ-1 subtype, was highest in the liver, followed by pancreas, kidney, bone marrow, and small intestine. Moderate tracer uptake was found in spleen, submandibular gland, lung, large intestine, brain, and C6 tumor. Low uptake of radioactivity was observed in heart, adipose tissue, muscle, plasma, and red blood cells (Table 1).

View this table:
TABLE 1

SUVs at 60 Minutes After Injection

Tracer uptake was not significantly higher in the inflamed muscle than in the contralateral healthy tissue. Thus, 11C-SA4503 proved to be fairly tumor selective. A value greater than 10 was calculated for the selectivity index (Fig. 1). 11C-SA4503 had the best tumor-to-plasma ratio (10.2 ± 2.7) and the second best tumor-to-muscle ratio (5.1 ± 1.7) of all studied compounds (Fig. 1).

FIGURE 1. 
FIGURE 1. 

Target-to-nontarget ratios and selectivity index (tumor-to-inflammation ratio corrected for background in normal muscle). Data are plotted as mean ± SEM. CHOL = 11C-choline; FESA = 18F-FE-SA5845; MET = 11C-methionine; SA = 11C-SA4503. SEM for selectivity index of FESA, SA, and FLT cannot be given because, in some animals, tracer uptake in inflamed muscle equaled that in contralateral healthy muscle.

Biodistribution of 18F-FE-SA5845

The biodistribution of the non–subtype-selective σ-ligand 18F-FE-SA5845 was similar to that of 11C-SA4503, as was reported previously for a different animal model (female nude rats, HSD Ham RNU rnu (29)). Uptake of 18F was highest in the liver, followed by pancreas, kidney, and submandibular gland. Moderate tracer uptake was found in spleen, intestines, lung, bone marrow, brain, and C6 tumor. Low levels of radioactivity were detected in heart, adipose tissue, muscle, plasma, and red blood cells (Table 1).

Tracer uptake in the inflamed muscle was virtually equal to that in the contralateral healthy leg (Table 1). 18F-FE-SA5845 showed the highest tumor selectivity of all studied compounds. A value greater than 30 was calculated for the selectivity index (Fig. 1). 18F-FE-SA5845 displayed moderate tumor-to-muscle (3.3 ± 1.5) and tumor-to-plasma (3.8 ± 1.0) concentration ratios (Fig. 1).

Biodistribution of 11C-Choline

After injection of 11C-choline, the highest uptake of radioactivity was observed in liver, followed by kidney, lung, pancreas, and spleen. Submandibular gland, bone marrow, intestines, heart, and the C6 tumor showed moderate tracer uptake. Low levels of radioactivity were found in brain, adipose tissue, muscle, plasma, and red blood cells (Table 1).

Quite surprisingly, inflamed muscle accumulated about the same amount of radioactivity as the C6 tumor (Table 1). Thus, 11C-choline did not show any tumor selectivity in this animal model (Fig. 1). Moderate tumor-to-muscle ratios of radioactivity were reached after 1 h, namely 3.1 ± 0.4 (Fig. 1).

Biodistribution of 11C-Methionine

11C-Methionine and 11C-choline had different biodistributions. For 11C-methionine, the highest uptake of radioactivity was in pancreas, followed by liver and bone marrow. Intestines, spleen, kidney, lung, submandibular gland, heart, and the C6 tumor showed moderate tracer uptake. The fairly high levels of radioactivity in plasma were remarkable. Low levels of radioactivity were found in brain, adipose tissue, muscle, and red blood cells (Table 1).

Accumulation of radioactivity in the inflamed muscle was slightly higher than in muscle of the contralateral healthy leg (Table 1). In contrast to 11C-choline, 11C-methionine was moderately tumor selective. A value of 5.9 with a high SD was calculated for the selectivity index (Fig. 1). This high SD is due to variability of tracer uptake in normal muscle tissue. 11C-Methionine showed the lowest tumor-to-muscle ratios of all studied compounds, namely 2.8 ± 0.3 (Fig. 1).

DISCUSSION

11C-SA4503, the radioligand selective for the σ-1 subtype, produced favorable results in our animal model, although this tracer does not bind to σ-2 receptors, which have been reported to be particularly overexpressed in tumor cells, including C6 rat glioma (20). The tumor selectivity of 11C-SA4503 (>10) was significantly greater than that of 18F-FDG (3.5 ± 1.2) or 11C-methionine (5.9 ± 3.1) and comparable to the selectivity of the nucleoside 18F-FLT (Fig. 1) (27). Moreover, 11C-SA4503 showed the highest tumor-to-plasma ratio (10.2 ± 2.7) and the second highest tumor-to-muscle ratio (5.1 ± 1.7) of all studied tracers (Fig. 1). These data indicate that 11C-SA4503 should be further evaluated to examine its potential for tumor detection in humans. However, 11C-SA4503 and its analog 18F-FE-SA5845 show high physiologic uptake in the central nervous system. The SUV in this healthy tissue is even higher than in the C6 glioma (Table 1). Thus, a high uptake of σ-ligands in normal brain may preclude their use for the detection of brain tumors. Similar limitations are known for 18F-FDG.

The tumor selectivity of the non–subtype-selective σ-ligand 18F-FE-SA5845 was outstanding, a value greater than 30 being reached after 1 h of biodistribution in our rat model (Fig. 1). However, tumor-to-plasma and tumor-to-muscle ratios of 18F-FE-SA5845 were significantly lower than those of 11C-SA4503 and comparable to those of the nucleoside 18F-FLT (Fig. 1). Although 18F-FE-SA5845 binds to both σ-1 and σ-2 receptors with high affinity—in contrast to 11C-SA4503, which binds only to σ-1 receptors—the 18F compound is cleared less rapidly from plasma than is the 11C-labeled drug (Table 1). Lower tumor-to-plasma ratios of 18F-FE-SA5845 are mainly due to a less rapid disappearance of this radioligand from the circulation.

Although some authors have claimed that a better discrimination between proliferative tissue and inflammation is possible with 11C-choline-PET than with 18F-FDG PET (17,31), our animal model indicates that 11C-choline is even less tumor selective than 18F-FDG (selectivity index, 1.0 ± 0.2 vs. 3.5 ± 1.2; P < 0.01) (Fig. 1). Data from our rat model are in accordance with recent animal and human studies that have described a strong accumulation of 11C-choline and 18F-fluorocholine in inflamed synovium (32), pelvic inflammatory disease (33), inflammatory granulation tissue (34), and experimental bacterial infections (35). The underlying cause of the high uptake of 11C-choline by neutrophils is not clear but may be related to a rapid turnover of membrane phospholipids, which are involved in chemotactic signaling and endocytosis.

The tumor selectivity of 11C-methionine was not significantly better than that of 18F-FDG in our animal model (5.9 ± 3.1 vs. 3.5 ± 1.2; P = 0.22) (Fig. 1). This observation is in accordance with literature data indicating that 11C-methionine does accumulate in brain abscesses (36,37) or sites of chronic inflammation in Rasmussen encephalitis (38). Moreover, 11C-methionine has been reported to show high uptake in experimental Staphylococcus aureus infections (39). Better discrimination between tumor and inflammation may be possible by using methionine with the label in the carboxyl group rather than the methyl group, because the uptake of 11C-carboxyl amino acids is a better reflection of the local protein synthesis rate (6), and the mitotic activity of inflammatory cells at the site of inflammation is negligible.

All studied tracers showed moderate to high accumulation in rapidly dividing tissue (bone marrow in the skeleton, mucosa in the intestines, malignant cells in the tumor), as should be expected from proliferation markers. The strikingly high levels of radioactivity that are observed in plasma after injection of 11C-methionine (Table 1) are due to synthesis of plasma proteins (e.g., albumin) by the liver (6).

CONCLUSION

The σ-ligand 18F-FE-SA5845 showed high tumor selectivity in our animal model, whereas the tumor selectivity of the σ-1 agonist 11C-SA4503 was comparable to that of the nucleoside 18F-FLT. The relatively good capability of the σ-ligands to differentiate tumor from inflammation suggests that these radiopharmaceuticals may be of interest for the detection, using PET, of a residual tumor mass after therapy. However, a high physiologic uptake of σ-ligands within the central nervous system can preclude the use of such tracers for the detection of brain tumors. 11C-Choline did not show any tumor selectivity in our rat model. This tracer may produce false-positive PET results in cancer patients.

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  • Received for publication August 31, 2005.
  • Accepted for publication October 7, 2005.
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