Amino sugars labelled with γ-emitters: organ distribution and metabolism of 103Ru-ruthenocene derivatives in mice

Metallocenes labelled with γ-emitters (59Fe, 103Ru, 191Os) have a potential as diagnostics in nuclear medicine. Therefore, biochemical qualities of amino-sugar derivatives (glucosamine, galactosamine, mannosamine) were studied in mice. In contrast to 103RuCl3, the excretion of the labelled ruthenocene sugar derivatives was very rapid, and the organ distribution was completely different. The organs with the highest 103Ru-concentration were kidney and liver. Galactosamine-induced hepatitis changed the organ distribution of all tested amino-sugar derivatives. In the urine, the main radioactive compound was the injected amino-sugar derivative. This and the comparison of the organ distribution of 14C-labelled N(ruthenocyl)aminosorbit with the 103Ru-labelled compound suggest that the ruthenocene moiety is relatively stable. (author)