Sensitive enzyme immunoassay for the quantification of aclacinomycin A using beta-D-galactosidase as a label.

A sensitive enzyme immunoassay method (EIA) for an anticancer drug, aclacinomycin A (ACM), has been developed. With a double-antibody technique, ACM at a concentration as low as 100 pg/tube can be detected. An antibody to ACM was obtained by immunizing rabbits with an antigen prepared by coupling ACM with mercaptosuccinylated bovine serum albumin via N-maleoyl aminobutyric acid (MABA) as a coupling agent. Enzyme labeling of ACM was performed with beta-D-galactosidase (beta-Gal; EC 3.2.1.23) via m-maleoyl benzoic acid (MBA). The standard curve of the assay was linear on a logit-log plot over a concentration range of 30 pg to 10 ng. The antibody detected ACM and its metabolites, MA144 M1 (M1), MA144 N1 (N1), MA144 S1 (S1), and aklavin (T1) equally well, but was only minimally reactive with aklavinone (D1) and 7-deoxyaklavinone (C1), thus suggesting that this EIA can detect the total amounts of ACM and its biologically active glycosides among metabolites of ACM. This EIA is practically free from interference by any other anticancer drugs. Using this assay, serum levels of ACM equivalents can be determined accurately after administration of the drug to rats at a single dose of 10 mg/kg. Since ACM is now undergoing clinical trial, the EIA of the drug will be a valuable tool in clinical pharmacological studies.