Inhibition of Kidney Uptake of Radiolabeled Somatostatin Analogs: Amino Acids or Gelofusine?/REPLY

The authors reported that Gelofusine significantly inhibited kidney uptake of [^sup 111^In-DTPA]octreotide to a level comparable to the level of inhibition by currently applied amino acid solutions. The megalin system was recently shown to be essential for kidney uptake of radiolabeled somatostatin analogs (6), making interventions at the megalin level interesting potential targets for renal protection during peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). On the basis of several reports, the authors stated that amino acid infusion for kidney protection may have several side effects such as vomiting and potentially fatal hyperkalemia. The authors reported that infusion of Gelofusine volumes did not cause side effects in 5 healthy volunteers; it was not stated, however, which parameters in addition to blood pressure and heart rate were investigated (2).