Engineering lanthanide complexes with controlled water exchange rates for magnetic resonance imaging
The control of the rate of water exchange in lanthanide complexes is critical to their future development as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging. In traditional T/sub 1/ shortening agents an optimal water residence lifetime (/spl tau//sub M/) of around 25 ns is required if the highest relaxivities are to be achieved. In contrast the newer PARACEST agents require that water exchange is much slower with /spl tau//sub M/ on the order of microseconds. It is now possible to rationally design complexes that exhibit water exchange rates that are ideal for their intended use. The selection of appropriate ligating groups allow a broad control mechanism. Anionic ligating groups such as carboxylates favour faster exchange whereas neutral ligands such as amides favour slower exchange. By altering the steric hindrance around the water coordination site water exchange rates can be fine tuned. The steric hindrance can be altered by controlling the coordination environment of the lanthanide ion and optimal water exchanges rates so achieved.
Solution dynamics and stability of lanthanide(III) (S)-2-(p-nitrobenzyl)DOTA complexes.
Addition of a benzyl substituent to the macrocyclic ring of DOTA has a substantial impact on the conformational ring flipping motion of the macrocycle in the resulting LnDOTA complexes. The p-NO2-benzyl substituent in the Ln(p-NO2-Bn-DOTA)- complexes lies in an equatorial position and effectively "locks" the conformation of the ring into the deltadeltadeltadelta configuration. The presence of the p-NO2-benzyl group also increases the population of the square antiprismatic (SAP) coordination isomer for all Ln(p-NO2-Bn-DOTA)- complexes relative to that seen for the respective LnDOTA- complexes. Despite this increase in SAP isomer population, the rate of water exchange in these complexes remains comparatively fast. The kinetic and thermodynamic stabilities of the Ln(p-NO2-Bn-DOTA)- complexes are also slightly lower than the corresponding LnDOTA- complexes but appear to be sufficiently high for in vivo use.
Transition metal-chelate complexes as relaxation modifiers in nuclear magnetic resonance.
Studies are reported of relaxation modifiers for use in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging systems. Chelate complexes of transition metal salts are under investigation to determine their ability to reduce the spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) of the nucleus under observation and to reduce the toxicity of the metal ion. The ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) complexes of FeCl3, GdCl3, and MnCl2 are not as effective as the respective salts in reducing T1 of water protons at 90 MHz. For Mn, this diminution in ability is offset by a significant reduction in toxicity. Explanations for this loss of effectiveness are discussed.