4-fluoroestradiol and Breast-Neoplasms

Fluorination preventing metabolic hydroxylation of 17β-estradiol (E

Topics: Animals; Breast Neoplasms; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Estradiol; Female; Organ Size; Rats, Inbred ACI; Risk Assessment; Uterus

The biodistribution and tumour uptake of a series of 16alpha-[(18)F]fluoroestradiol ([18F]FES) derivatives was determined in oestrogen receptors-positive (ER+) tumour-bearing mice to assess the impact of substituents, formulation and specific activity on target tissue uptake.. MC4-L2 and MC7-L1 murine ER+ cells were inoculated in Balb/c mice. The animals were injected with various [(18)F]FES derivatives substituted with 2- or 4-fluorine and/or an 11beta-methoxy group. The radiopharmaceuticals were formulated in 10% ethanol/saline or 10% ethanol/lipid emulsion. The organs were counted, and radioactivity concentrations were expressed as the percentage of the injected dose per gram tissue (%ID/g). To estimate the effect of specific activity on tumour uptake, the 4-fluoro-11beta-methoxy-16alpha-[(18)F]-fluoroestradiol (4F-M[(18)F]FES) was co-injected with different concentrations of non-radioactive estradiol to give an in vivo competitive inhibition curve.. 4F-M[(18)F]FES exhibited the highest average uterine uptake (%ID/g = 15.7 +/- 2.1). The highest uptake by the two mammary tumours was observed with [(18)F]FES (%ID/g = 3.1 and 3.4 +/- 0.3) and 11beta-methoxy-16alpha[(18)F]-fluoroestradiol (M-[(18)F]FES) (%ID/g = 3.2 and 3.3 +/- 0.6), followed by 4F-M[(18)F]FES (%ID/g = 2.5 and 2.3 +/- 0.3). The formulation had little influence on the biodistribution pattern. Co-injection with a total mass of estradiol >10(-10) mol blocked 4F-M[(18)F]FES tumour uptake.. All of the radiolabelled estradiol derivatives achieved significant target tissue uptake in vivo, both in ER+ tumours and the uterus. The formulation had little impact on the biodistribution of these compounds but some compounds (4F-M[(18)F]FES, M-[(18)F]FES and [(18)F]FES) had more favourable target tissue uptake and target-to-background ratios.

Topics: Animals; Breast Neoplasms; Estradiol; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Organ Specificity; Radionuclide Imaging; Radiopharmaceuticals; Receptors, Estrogen; Tissue Distribution

Steroidal and nonsteroidal estrogens substituted with halogens ortho to the phenolic hydroxyl group in the D ring at C-16 have been prepared as potential estrogen receptor-based imaging agents for human breast tumors. Estrogens bearing an aromatic fluorine ortho to a phenolic hydroxyl group were prepared by the Schiemann reaction on the corresponding methyl esters; other ortho-halogenated estrogens were prepared by direct halogenation. Steroidal estrogens substituted at the 16 alpha position were prepared by halogenation of estrone 3-acetate (17-enol acetate) followed by hydride reduction, and those substituted at the 16 beta position were prepared by epimerization prior to reduction. The binding affinity of these halogenated estrogens to the uterine estrogen receptor was measured relative to that of [3H]estradiol by a competitive binding assay. All of the monosubstituted ortho-fluorinated estrogens show very high binding affinity for the receptor (64--250% that of estradiol). The monosubstituted and symmetrically disubstituted bromo- and iodohexestrols and 2- and 4-substituted estradiols have binding affinities considerably lower than those of the fluoro compounds, the 4-substituted estradiols have affinities greater than the corresponding 2-substituted isomers. Introduction of a halogen (Cl, Br, I) at the 16 alpha position of 17 beta-estradiol results in compounds with receptor affinities comparable to that of 17 beta-estradiol itself; the 16 beta-epimers and the estrone derivatives are bound less well. Thus, provided that they can be labeled with suitable gamma-emitting radioisotopes at sufficiently high specific activity, it appears that the A-ring fluoroestrogens and 16 alpha-bromo- and 16 alpha-iodoestradiol-17 beta are excellent candidates for receptor-based imaging of human breast tumors.

Topics: Animals; Breast Neoplasms; Estradiol Congeners; Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; Female; In Vitro Techniques; Radionuclide Imaging; Receptors, Estrogen; Sheep; Structure-Activity Relationship; Uterus