Gallium-68 labeled red cells and platelets: new agents for positron tomography.

Red cells and platelets are labeled with Ga-68 by preparing the tga-68-hydroxy-quinoline (oxide) complex and mixing the complex with the separated cellular components. The complex is prepared by first breaking the Ga-68 EDTA chelate with concentrated hydrochloric acid, adsorption of the galluim on a strong anionic ion-exchange column, and elution of the gallium activity with distilled water. Oxine is added, the oxine complex extracted into chloroform, and--following evaporation and dissolution--the solution is added to either red cells or platelets that have been centrifuged from whole blood, washed, and suspended in normal saline. After 15 min of incubation , labeling efficiencies of greater than 90% and yields of 7 mCi are obtained from 18 mCi of Ga-68 EDTA eluted from the generator. After injection of the gallium-labeled red cells in dogs, excellent blood pool images were obtained by positron tomography. The distribution corresponded to that of 11CO-labeled red cells. When labeled platelets were injected into dogs with experimentally induced intimal injury of on carotid artery, the area of injury was clearly visualized 40 min after tracer injection.