Metal ion speciation in blood plasma : gallium-67-citrate and MRI contrast agents

Metal chelate ions are commonly used in medical diagnostic imaging as MRI contrast or imaging agents. The efficacy of these metals depends on their in vivo behavior, which in turn depends on their in vivo speciation. A computer model has been used to simulate the speciation of Ga3+ and Gd3+ in blood plasma. The model has been tested against known clinical data and then used to investigate Ga3+ uptake by tumor cells. The iatrogenic effect of a gadopentetic acid enhanced MRI scan upon the biodistribution of 67Ga citrate has also been calculated. The speciation of Ga3+ calculated using the computer model is concordant with clinical data. The results support transferrin mediated uptake of Ga3+ by tumor cells but also account for Ga(III) biodistribution observed in hypotransferrinemic subjects. In a study of the effect of gadopentetic acid upon 67Ga gallium citrate, neither residual DTPA nor [Gd(DTPA)]2- cause significant changes in the speciation of Ga(III). The calculations show that dissociation of 4% of the administered gadopentetic acid results in the formation of a mixed, Gd(III) and Ga(III), metal transferrin complex and a 100-fold increase in the concentration of [Ga(OH)4]-. Computer simulation is a valuable tool which can be used to explain/understand in vivo behavior of radioactive metal ions.