Radiochemical and biological characteristics of 99mTc-piroxicam for scintigraphy of inflammatory lesions

Piroxicam was labeled effectively with 99mTc due to the presence of electron donating atoms such as sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen in its structure. The labeling yield was found to be influenced by different factors such as the amount of piroxicam, stannous chloride dihydrate, pH of the reaction mixture, reaction time and reaction temperature. The suitable amount of stannous chloride dihydrate required to produce high labeling yield of 99mTc-piroxicam was 50 μg, above this quantity (200 μg) a colloidal solution was formed. Another factor which plays a significant role in this labeling reaction is the pH of the reaction medium. The labeling reaction was done only at alkaline pH range from 9-11, because piroxicam was not soluble at acidic or neutral pH. The labeling reaction proceeded well at room temperature and the complex was decomposed by heat. The labeled piroxicam (99mTc-piroxicam ) showed good localization in inflamed foci and good imaging must be taken at 24-hour post injection, as the ratio of both types of inflammation (sterile and septic) to the background are 10.6 and 8.7, respectively. (author)