Technetium-99m complex of N-(2-pyridylmethyl)iminodiacetic acid as a new renal radiopharmaceutical.

A tetradentate chelating agent constituting of an iminodiacetic acid group and a nitrogen atom of pyridine, N-(2-pyridylmethyl)iminodiacetic acid (PMIDA), was coordinated with 99mTc and evaluated as a renal functional agent. The complex of PMIDA with 99mTc was prepared by using a stannous chloride solution as a reducing agent. The chelating efficiency was analyzed by thin layer chromatography and electrophoresis. Chelation with 99mTc resulted in a single radiochemical product. Biological studies were performed in mice and rats. 99mTc-PMIDA was removed from the circulation solely by the kidneys. Clearance of 99mTc-PMIDA from the blood and the kidneys was as rapid as that of 99mTc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid. The rate of blood clearance was unaffected by the administration of probenecid (a test for tubular secretion by the weak-acid mechanism), so that the glomerular filtration rate could be estimated by measuring its clearance from the blood. The results in animals with myohemoglobinuric acute renal failure suggested that 99mTc-PMIDA might be a useful renal function radiopharmaceutical.