Name: preparation and in vitro characterization of dendrimer-based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging
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The financial support of the Max-Planck Society, the Turkish Ministry of National Education (PhD fellowship to S. G.), and the German Exchange Academic Service (DAAD, PhD fellowship to T. S.) are gratefully acknowledged.

1. Preparation of DCA

<ol>
	<li>Synthesis of the monomeric unit 46.
	<ol>
		<li>Synthesis of 4-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-(4,7,10-tris-tert-butoxycarbonylmethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododec-1-yl)butyric acid tert-butyl ester (2).
		<ol>
			<li>Dissolve (4,7-bis-tert-butoxycarbonylmethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraaza-cyclododec-1-yl)-acetic acid tert-butyl ester 1 (1.00 g, 1.94 mmol) in N,N-dimethylformamide (DM...

<ol>
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L., Faulkner, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synthesis+and+luminescence+properties+of+a+kinetically+stable+dinuclear+ytterbium+complex+with+differentiated+binding+sites.">Synthesis and luminescence properties of a kinetically stable dinuclear ytterbium complex with differentiated binding sites.</a> Chem. Commun. (13), 1550-1551 (2003).</li><li>Vibhute, S. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synthesis+and+characterization+of+pH-sensitive,+biotinylated+MRI+contrast+agents+and+their+conjugates+with+avidin.">Synthesis and characterization of pH-sensitive, biotinylated MRI contrast agents and their conjugates with avidin.</a> Org. Biomol. Chem. 11 (8), 1294-1305 (2013).</li><li>Vogel, A. I., Furniss, B. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Vogel's textbook of practical organic chemistry. 5th ed. , (1989).</li><li>Lundanes, E., Reubsaet, L., Greibrokk, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Chromatography : basic principles, sample preparations and related methods. , (2013).</li><li>Barge, A., Cravotto, G., Gianolio, E., Fedeli, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=How+to+determine+free+Gd+and+free+ligand+in+solution+of+Gd+chelates.+A+technical+note.">How to determine free Gd and free ligand in solution of Gd chelates. A technical note.</a> Contrast Media Mol. Imaging. 1 (5), 184-188 (2006).</li><li>Keeler, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Understanding NMR spectroscopy. 2nd ed. , (2010).</li><li>Hillenkamp, F., Peter-Katalini&#263;, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> MALDI MS : a practical guide to instrumentation, methods and applications. , (2007).</li><li>Peters, J. A., Huskens, J., Raber, D. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Lanthanide+induced+shifts+and+relaxation+rate+enhancements.">Lanthanide induced shifts and relaxation rate enhancements.</a> Prog. Nucl. Magn. Reson. Spectrosc. 28, 283-350 (1996).</li><li>Averill, D. J., Garcia, J., Siriwardena-Mahanama, B. N., Vithanarachchi, S. M., Allen, M. 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A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synthesis,+characterization,+and+biological+evaluation+of+integrin+alpha(v)beta(3)-targeted+PAMAM+dendrimers.">Synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation of integrin alpha(v)beta(3)-targeted PAMAM dendrimers.</a> Mol. Pharmaceut. 5 (4), 527-539 (2008).</li><li>Sherry, A. D., Caravan, P., Lenkinski, R. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Primer+on+Gadolinium+Chemistry.">Primer on Gadolinium Chemistry.</a> J. Magn. Reson. Imaging. 30 (6), 1240-1248 (2009).</li><li>Caki&#263;, N., G&#252;nd&#252;z, S., Rengarasu, R., Angelovski, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synthetic+strategies+for+preparation+of+cyclen-based+MRI+contrast+agents.">Synthetic strategies for preparation of cyclen-based MRI contrast agents.</a> Tetrahedron Lett. 56 (6), 759-765 (2015).</li><li>Polasek, M., Hermann, P., Peters, J. A., Geraldes, C. F. G. C., Lukes, I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=PAMAM+Dendrimers+Conjugated+with+an+Uncharged+Gadolinium(III)+Chelate+with+a+Fast+Water+Exchange:+The+Influence+of+Chelate+Charge+on+Rotational+Dynamics.">PAMAM Dendrimers Conjugated with an Uncharged Gadolinium(III) Chelate with a Fast Water Exchange: The Influence of Chelate Charge on Rotational Dynamics.</a> Bioconjugate Chem. 20 (11), 2142-2153 (2009).</li><li>Ali, M. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synthesis+and+relaxometric+studies+of+a+dendrimer-based+pH-responsive+MRI+contrast+agent.">Synthesis and relaxometric studies of a dendrimer-based pH-responsive MRI contrast agent.</a> Chem. Eur. J. 14 (24), 7250-7258 (2008).</li><li>Jackson, C. L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Visualization+of+dendrimer+molecules+by+transmission+electron+microscopy+(TEM):+Staining+methods+and+Cryo-TEM+of+vitrified+solutions.">Visualization of dendrimer molecules by transmission electron microscopy (TEM): Staining methods and Cryo-TEM of vitrified solutions.</a> Macromolecules. 31 (18), 6259-6265 (1998).</li><li>Jain, K., Kesharwani, P., Gupta, U., Jain, N. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Dendrimer+toxicity:+Let's+meet+the+challenge.">Dendrimer toxicity: Let's meet the challenge.</a> Int. J. Pharm. 394 (1-2), 122-142 (2010).</li><li>Rudovsky, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=PAMAM+dendrimeric+conjugates+with+a+Gd-DOTA+phosphinate+derivative+and+their+adducts+with+polyaminoacids:+The+interplay+of+global+motion,+internal+rotation,+and+fast+water+exchange.">PAMAM dendrimeric conjugates with a Gd-DOTA phosphinate derivative and their adducts with polyaminoacids: The interplay of global motion, internal rotation, and fast water exchange.</a> Bioconjugate Chem. 17 (4), 975-987 (2006).</li><li>Xu, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Toward+improved+syntheses+of+dendrimer-based+magnetic+resonance+imaging+contrast+agents:+New+bifunctional+diethylenetriaminepentaacetic+acid+ligands+and+nonaqueous+conjugation+chemistry.">Toward improved syntheses of dendrimer-based magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents: New bifunctional diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid ligands and nonaqueous conjugation chemistry.</a> J. Med. Chem. 50 (14), 3185-3193 (2007).</li><li>Nwe, K., Bryant, L. H., Brechbiel, M. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Poly(amidoamine)+Dendrimer+Based+MRI+Contrast+Agents+Exhibiting+Enhanced+Relaxivities+Derived+via+Metal+Preligation+Techniques.">Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimer Based MRI Contrast Agents Exhibiting Enhanced Relaxivities Derived via Metal Preligation Techniques.</a> Bioconjugate Chem. 21 (6), 1014-1017 (2010).</li><li>Livramento, J. B., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=First+in+vivo+MRI+assessment+of+a+self-assembled+metallostar+compound+endowed+with+a+remarkable+high+field+relaxivity.">First in vivo MRI assessment of a self-assembled metallostar compound endowed with a remarkable high field relaxivity.</a> Contrast Media Mol. 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Preparation of the dendrimeric MRI contrast agent requires appropriate selection of the monomeric unit (i.e., the chelator for Gd(III)). They reduce the toxicity of this paramagnetic ion and, to date, a wide variety of acyclic and macrocyclic chelators serve this purpose1-3. Among these, macrocyclic DOTA-type chelators possess the highest thermodynamic stability and kinetic inertness and, hence, are the most preferred choice for the preparation of inert MRI contrast agents1,18. Furthermore,...

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful and non-ionizing imaging technique widely used in biomedical research and clinical diagnostics due to its noninvasive nature and excellent intrinsic soft-tissue contrast. The most commonly used MRI methods utilize the signal obtained from water protons, providing high-resolution images and detailed information within the tissues based on differences in the density of the water signals. The signal intensity and the specificity of the MRI experiments can be further improved using contrast agents (CAs). These are paramagnetic or superparamagnetic species that affect the longitudinal (T1) and transverse (T2) relaxation times, respectively1,2.
Complexes of the lanthanide ion gadolinium with polyamino polycarboxylic acid ligands are the most commonly used T1 CAs. Gadolinium(III) shortens the T1 relaxation time of water protons, thus increasing the signal contrast in MRI experiments3. However, ionic gadolinium is toxic; its size approximates that of calcium(II), and it seriously affects calcium-assisted signaling in cells. Therefore, acyclic and macrocyclic chelates are employed to neutralize this toxicity. Various multidentate ligands have been developed so far, resulting in gadolinium(III) complexes with high thermodynamic stability and kinetic inertness1. Those based on the 12-membered azamacrocycle cyclen, in particular its tetracarboxylic derivative DOTA (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetate) are the most investigated and applied complexes of this CA class.
Nevertheless, GdDOTA-type CAs are low molecular weight systems, displaying certain disadvantages such as low contrast efficiency and fast renal excretion. Macromolecular and multivalent CAs may be a good solution to these problems4. Since CA biodistribution is mainly determined by their size, macromolecular CAs display much longer retention times within tissues. Equally important, the multivalency of these agents results in an increased local concentration of the monomeric MR probe (e.g., GdDOTA complex), substantially improving the acquired MR signal and the measurement quality.
Dendrimers are amongst the most preferred scaffolds for the preparation of multivalent CAs for MRI4,5. These highly branched macromolecules with well-defined sizes are prone to various coupling reactions on their surface. In this work, we report the preparation, purification, and characterization of a dendrimeric CA for MRI consisting of a generation 4 (G4) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer coupled to GdDOTA-like chelates (DCA). We describe the synthesis of the reactive DOTA derivative and its coupling to the PAMAM dendrimer. Upon complexation with Gd(III), the standard physicochemical characterization procedure of DCA was performed. Finally, MRI experiments were performed to demonstrate the ability of DCA to produce MR images with a stronger contrast than those obtained from low molecular weight CAs.

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	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Cyclen</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">CheMatech</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">C002</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">tert-Butyl bromoacetate&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">A14917</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">N,N-Dimethylformamide</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Fluka</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">40248</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Potassium carbonate</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">209619</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">4-(4-Nitrophenyl)butryic acid</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">335339</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:251px;">Thionyl chloride&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Acros Organics</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">382662500</td>
			<td style="width:259px;">Note: Corrosive substance; toxic if inhaled</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:251px;">Bromine</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Acros Organics</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">402841000</td>
			<td style="width:259px;">Note: causes severe skin burns, fatal if inhaled&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Diethyl ether</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">any source</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Sodium sulphate</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Acros Organics</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">196640010</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Chloroform&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">VWR Chemicals</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">22711.29</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:251px;">tert-Butyl 2,2,2-trichloroacetimidate</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">364789</td>
			<td style="width:259px;">Note: flammable substance; irritrant to skin and eyes</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="67">
			<td height="67" style="height:67px;width:251px;">Boron trifluoride etherate</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Acros Organics</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">174560250</td>
			<td style="width:259px;">48 % BF3. Note: Flammable substance; causes skin burns, fatal if inhaled&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Sodium bicarbonate</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Acros Organics</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">424270010</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Ethyl-acetate</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">any source</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td>For column chromatography</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">n-Hexane</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">any source</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td>For column chromatography</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:251px;">Bulb-to-bulb (Kugelrohr) distillation apparatus</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">B&#252;chi</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td>Model type: Glass oven B-585</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Silicagel</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Carl Roth GmbH</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">P090.2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Methanol</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">any source</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td>For column chromatography</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Dichloromethane&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">any source</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td>For column chromatography</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Ethanol</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">VWR Chemicals</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">20821.296</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Ammonia</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Acros Organics</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">428381000</td>
			<td style="width:259px;">7N Solution in Methanol</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Palladium&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">643181</td>
			<td style="width:259px;">15 % wet</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Hydrogenation apparatus PARR</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">PARR Instrument Company</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Celite 503</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">22151</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Sintered glass funnel</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">any source</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Thiophosgen</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">115150</td>
			<td style="width:259px;">Note: irritrant to skin; toxic if inhaled</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Triethylamine</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">A12646</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Dichloromethane&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Acros Organics</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">348460010</td>
			<td style="width:259px;">Extra dry&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Magnetic stirrer</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">any source</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">PAMAM G4 Dendrimer</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Andrews ChemService</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">AuCS - 297</td>
			<td style="width:259px;">&#160;10 % wt. solution in MeOH</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Lipophylic Sephadex LH-20</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">LH20100</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Thin-layer chromatography plates</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Merck Millipore</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">1.05554.0001</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Formic acid</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">VWR Chemicals</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">20318.297</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Lophylizer&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">any source</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:251px;">Gadollinium(III) chloride hexahydrate</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">G7532</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Sodium hydroxide</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Acros Organics</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">134070010</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">pH meter</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">any source</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:251px;">Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt dihydrate</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">E5134</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Mass spectrometer (ESI)</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Agilent</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td>Ion trap SL 1100&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Acetate buffer</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">any source</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td>pH 5.8</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Xylenol orange</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">52097</td>
			<td>20 &#956;M in acetate buffer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Hydrophylic Sephadex G-15</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">GE Healthcare</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">17-0020-01</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:251px;">Amicon Ultra-15 Centrifugal Filter Unit</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Merck Millipore</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">UFC900324</td>
			<td style="width:259px;">Ultracel-3 membrane (MWCO 3000)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Centrifuge</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">any source</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">NMR spectrometer&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Bruker</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td style="width:259px;">Avance III 300 MHz</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Topspin</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Bruker</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td style="width:259px;">version 2.1</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Combustion analysis instrument</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">EuroVector SpA</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td style="width:259px;">EuroEA 3000 Elemental Analyser&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">MALDI-ToF MS instrument</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Applied Biosystems</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td style="width:259px;">Voyager-STR</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Deuteriumoxid</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Carl Roth GmbH</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">6672.3</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">tert-Butyl alcohol</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Carl Roth GmbH</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">AE16.1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Vortex mixer</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">any source</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Norell NMR tubes</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Deutero GmbH</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">507-HP-7</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">NMR coaxial tube</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Deutero GmbH</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">coaxialb-5-7</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">DLS instrument</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Malvern</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td style="width:259px;">Zetasizer Nano ZS</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">0.20 &#956;m PTFE filter&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Carl Roth GmbH</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">KC94.1</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">HEPES</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Fisher BioReagents</td>
			<td style="width:136px;">BP310</td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Plastic tube vials</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">any source</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td style="width:259px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Dotarem</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Guerbet</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td style="width:259px;">NDC 67684-2000-1</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:251px;">MRI scanner</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Bruker</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td style="width:259px;">BioSpec 70/30 USR magnet (7 T). Note: potential hazards related to high magnetic fields</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:251px;">RF coil</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Bruker</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td style="width:259px;">dual frequency volume coil (RF RES 300 1H/19F 075/040 LIN/LIN TR)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Paravision (software)</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Bruker</td>
			<td style="width:136px;"></td>
			<td style="width:259px;">Version 5.1</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

preparation and in vitro characterization of dendrimer-based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging

Paramagnetic complexes of gadolinium(III) with acyclic or macrocyclic chelates are the most commonly used contrast agents (CAs) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Their purpose is to enhance the relaxation rate of water protons in tissue, thus increasing the MR image contrast and the specificity of the MRI measurements. Current clinically approved contrast agents are low molecular weight molecules that are rapidly cleared from the body. The use of dendrimers as carriers of paramagnetic chelators can play an important role in the future development of more efficient MRI contrast agents. Specifically, the increase in local concentration of the paramagnetic species results in a higher signal contrast. Furthermore, this CA provides a longer tissue retention time due to its high molecular weight and size. Here, we demonstrate a convenient procedure for the preparation of macromolecular MRI contrast agents based on poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers with monomacrocyclic DOTA-type chelators (DOTA &#8211; 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetate). The chelating unit was appended by exploiting the reactivity of the isothiocyanate (NCS) group towards the amine surface groups of the PAMAM dendrimer to form thiourea bridges. Dendrimeric products were purified and analyzed by means of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. Finally, high resolution MR images were recorded and the signal contrasts obtained from the prepared dendrimeric and the commercially available monomeric agents were compared.

The preparation of DCA consisted of two stages: 1) synthesis of the monomeric DOTA-type chelator (Figure 1) and 2) coupling of the chelator with the G4 PAMAM dendrimer and subsequent preparation of the dendrimeric Gd(III) complex (Figure 2). In the first stage, a cyclen-based DOTA-type chelator containing four carboxylic acids and an orthogonal group suitable for further synthetic modifications was prepared. The preparation commenced from...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Preparation and In Vitro Characterization of Dendrimer-based Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging at JoVE.com

Preparation and In Vitro Characterization of Dendrimer-based Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

This protocol describes the preparation and characterization of a dendrimeric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent that carries cyclen-based macrocyclic chelates coordinating paramagnetic gadolinium ions. In a series of MRI experiments in vitro, this agent produced an amplified MRI signal when compared to the commercially available monomeric analogue.

Preparation and In Vitro Characterization of Dendrimer-based Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Paramagnetic complexes of gadolinium(III) with acyclic or macrocyclic chelates are the most commonly used contrast agents (CAs) for magnetic resonance ...

The overall goal of this procedure is to show the preparation and characterization of a dendrimeric paramagnetic chelating which can be used as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging and to demonstrate its performance in an imaging experiment. This method can help answer key questions in the field of MRI contrast agents such as the properties and the efficacy of dendrimeric contrast agents. The main advantage of this technique is convenient preparation of the efficient MRI contrast agent with high protein, thus ensuring its easy characterization.This method can extend towards further structural modifications and functional optimizations of dendrimeric MRI contrast agents which is of great relevance for potential in vivo applications. The implications extend towards biomedical research and diagnostic imaging as the high molecular rate of dendrimeric contrast agents causes longer tissue retention times and substantially enhance the MRI signal. First, dissolve one gram of the macrocyclic precursor DO3A tributyl ester in five milliliters of DMF.Add 0.67 grams of potassium carbonate and stir at room temperature for 45 minutes. Add 0.87 grams of tert-butyl-2-bromo-4 4-nitrophenyl butatnoate in portions over an hour and continue stirring the reaction mixture for 18 hours. Then, remove the DMF with bulb-to-bulb vacuum distillation at 40 to 60 degrees Celsius.Purify the residue with silica gel column chromatography to obtain a round solid. Dissolve one gram of the solid in a mixture of 10 milliliters ethanol and 150 microliters of a seven normal ammonia solution in methanol. Add 150 milligrams of palladium on activated carbon and set up the bottle reactor in the hydrogenator.Shake the mixture for 16 hours under a 2.5 bar hydrogen atmosphere. Pour a suspension of diatomaceous earth in ethanol into a sintered glass funnel Filter the reaction mixture through the diatomaceous earth to remove the palladium carbon catalyst. Remove solvent from the filtrate on a rotary evaporator.Dissolve the resulting solid in 15 milliliters of dichloromethane and four equivalents triethylamine. To this, add 1.3 equivalents of thiophosgene and stir the mixture at room temperature for 16 hours. Remove the solvent from the reaction mixture on a rotary evaporator and purify the residue with silica gel column chromatography to obtain the DOTA-type monomer as a light brown solid.Prepare 66.7 milligrams of G4 PAMAM dendrimer from a 10%solution in methanol by evaporating the solvent on a rotary evaporator at 40 degrees Celsius. Dissolve the dendrimer in four milliliters of DMF. Add 0.105 milliliters of triethylamine to the dendrimer solution and stir for 45 minutes at 60 degrees Celsius.Then add 354 milligrams of the monomer in portions over an hour. Continue stirring at 45 degrees Celsius for 48 hours. Remove the solvent with bulb-to-bulb vacuum distillation.Pack a size exclusion chromatography column by swirling lipophilic gel filtration medium in methanol for three hours at room temperature. Collect one milliliter fractions using methanol as the eluent. Analyze the fractions by TLC.Remove solvent from the fractions containing the protected dendrimeric chelator on a rotary evaporator. Acquire a proton NMR spectrum of the compound and integrate the aromatic and aliphatic regions. Using these values, determine the number of protected DOTA-type macrocycles coupled to the G4 PAMAM dendrimer.To de-protect the product, dissolve the solid in five milliliters formic acid and stir the mixture at 60 degrees Celsius for 36 hours. Remove the formic acid with a rotary evaporator. Freeze dry the residue removed from the rotary evaporator to obtain the dendrimeric chelator.Using proton NMR, determine the number of macrocyclic units coupled to the dendrimer. Dissolve the freeze dried chelator in water. Use 0.1 molar sodium hydroxide to adjust the solution pH to 7.0.Add a solution of 113 milligrams Gadolinium III chloride in one milliliter water drop-wise to the chelator solution over a four-hour period. Periodically adjust the pH to 7.0 with 0.05 molar sodium hydroxide. Stir the mixture at room temperature for 24 hours.Then, add 158 milligrams of EDTA in portions over a four-hour period correcting the pH back to 7.0 as needed. Stir for another 24 hours at room temperature. Pack a size exclusion chromatography column with hydrophilic gel filtration medium swollen in water.Concentrate the reaction mixture, load the mixture onto the column, and elute with deionized water. Centrifuge the purified sample in a three kilodalton centrifuge filter unit for 30 minutes at 1, 800 times g. Repeat the filtration about five times to remove excess Gadolinium and EDTA.Confirm the absence of free Gadolinium ions in the filtrate with a xylenol orange test. Remove volatiles from the filtered sample and freeze dry the residue to obtain the dendrimeric contrast agent. Prepare a stock solution of DCA in water with a concentration between five and 10 millimolar.To determine the precise DCA concentration, first combine 360 microliters of the stock solution with 60 microliters of a D2O and tert-butanol standard. Place 400 microliters of the sample in an outer NMR tube. Place a coaxial NMR insert tube containing a tert-butanol and water reference solution into the sample tube.Acquire a proton NMR spectrum and measure the frequency shift between the tert-butanol signals of the reference and sample solutions. Calculate the DCA concentration using the shown formula, correcting for the added tert-butanol in the sample. Determine the concentration of a commercially available GdDOTA solution in the same way.Place DCA and GdDOTA solutions in HEPES buffer and water controls in two sets of plastic vials. Close vials with caps ensuring that no air bubbles are present. Into a 60 milliliter syringe, horizontally load the 0.01 and 0.02 millimolar DCA samples, one of the 0.5 and the 1.0 millimolar GdDOTA samples and two of the water controls.Repeat this procedure by loading the second set of samples into a second 60 milliliter syringe. Fill each syringe with one millimolar GdDOTA solution and cap the syringe tips. Place one of the syringes horizontally in an MRI scanner so that the samples are vertical with respect to the scanner.Slide the syringes into the center of the scanner. Select the anatomical scan to position the syringe at the isocenter of the magnet. Then press the traffic light button to perform adjustments of initial scanning parameters and start the scan.Choose the fast/slow angle shot method to perform T1 weighted imaging or the rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement method to perform T2 weighted imaging. Use the localizer scan to select coronal slice for the vertically aligned samples. Optimize the contrast to noise acquisition parameters and acquire the image.Use a circular ROI to determine average signal amplitude and standard deviation for the background and for each sample. Calculate the signal-to-noise ratio. NMR, MALDI-TOF MS, and elemental analysis indicated that an average of 49 macrocyclic units were conjugated to the G4 PAMAM dendrimer.The concentrations and longitudinal and transverse relaxation times of DCA solutions were also determined with NMR. The obtained relaxivity values were compared to a commercially available and clinically used GdDOTA monomer. The DCA performance was also compared to the GdDOTA monomer.Two sets of solutions had similar Gadolinium concentrations as determined by the number of conjugated macrocyclic units and the other two sets had similar molecular concentrations. In a T1 weighted imaging experiment with similar Gadolinium concentrations, the signal-to-noise ratio was slightly higher for DCA than for GdDOTA. When the solutions had similar concentrations by molecule, the DCA signal-to-noise ratio was about three times greater than that of GdDOTA.In a T2 weighted imaging experiment, the signal-to-noise ratio of the DCA was significantly lower than that of the GdDOTA in both concentration pairs, particularly at higher DCA concentrations. After watching this video, you should have a good understanding of how to prepare purified and characterized dendrimer-based MRI contrast agent. Following this procedure, different types of dendrimeric and nano-sized MRI contrast agents can be prepared by modifying the units of the molecule and conveniently analyzed.After mastering this technique, the researchers in the field of MRI contrast agent development should be able to prepare a range of specific probes to execute various functional studies of critical importance for contemporary molecular imaging.

Research

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