A Piffanelli

Publications (93)240.96 Total impact

• Source

  Available from: Giovanni Di Domenico

  Article: YAP-(S)PET small animal scanner: Quantitative results

  G. Di Domenico, G. Zavattini, E. Moretti, A. Piffanelli, M. Giganti, A. Motta, N. Sabba, L. Uccelli, E. Benini, A. Duatti, C. Bolzati, A. Boschi, A. Del Guerra
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  ABSTRACT: The University of Ferrara YAP-(S)PET scanner is currently being employed in small animal SPECT studies, with ^99mTc labeled radiotracers, with the goal of obtaining quantitative activity measurements from region of interest (ROI) analysis of reconstructed images of rats. The measurements will be compared directly with traditional ex vivo measurement of activity with gamma counters. To achieve this goal, the scanner was calibrated relative to a standard Isodose dose calibrator which was calibrated with various certified activity sources. The calibration factor K was defined as the ratio of the activity measured with the Isodose (MBq) and the image count rate (cps). We find K = 0.1346 ± 0.0008 MBq/cps, with good linearity over a wide range of activities (9-88 MBq). With the calibrated scanner we compared results of activity measurements from images of whole-rat heart acquisitions versus excised hearts. We found good agreement between the two measurements.
  IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science 11/2003; · 1.45 Impact Factor
• Article: Bartter's syndrome and captopril scintigraphy: a case report.

  P Colamussi, S Panareo, C Cittanti, M Giganti, A Filice, T Baresic, El Maoued S, R Rizzati, A Piffanelli
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  ABSTRACT: We report a case of a woman who came to our attention because of hypokalemia, hyperreninemia and hyperaldosteronemia but with normal blood pressure. Under suspicion of a normotensive renal artery stenosis captopril and baseline scintigraphies were performed. Captopril scintigraphy demonstrated a bilateral progressive retention of radiopharmaceutical without significant excretion. The baseline study revealed a complete normalization of the scintigraphyc picture. A Magnetic Resonance Angiography (Angio-MRI) performed to evaluate renal arteries gave completely normal results. On the basis of the clinical picture and imaging findings a diagnosis of Bartter's syndrome was formulated. Renal function in Bartter's syndrome patients is maintained by hyperactivation of the renin angiotensin system. Acute administration of captopril in these patients induces an increase of renal plasma flow whereas it has no effects on glomerular filtration rate thus inducing a decrease of the filtration fraction: post captopril renal scintigraphy of our patient depicted exactly this feature. Although the diagnosis of Bartter's syndrome is based on the clinical picture and biochemical abnormalities, scintigraphic tests could be useful in differentiating Bartter's syndrome from other causes of hypokalemia.
  Annals of Nuclear Medicine. 01/2003;
• Article: A class of asymmetrical nitrido 99mTc heterocomplexes as heart imaging agents with improved biological properties.

  A Boschi, C Bolzati, L Uccelli, A Duatti, E Benini, F Refosco, F Tisato, A Piffanelli
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  ABSTRACT: Asymmetrical heterocomplexes containing a terminal technetium-nitrogen multiple bond coordinated to one diphosphine ligand (PNP) and one dithiocarbamate ligand (DBODC), were obtained through a simple two-step procedure under controlled conditions. The resulting complexes [99mTc(N)(PNP)(DBODC)]+ are monocationic, and possess a distorted square-pyramidal geometry where the Tc triple bond N multiple bond occupies an apical position and the diphosphine and dithiocarbamate ligands span the residual four coordination positions on the basal plane through the two phosphorus atoms and the two sulfur atoms, respectively. Biodistribution data in rats demonstrated that these complexes were rapidly extracted by the myocardium, and retained in this region for a prolonged time. After a few minutes post-injection, lung uptake became negligible, and liver washout was extremely rapid and quantitative. Analysis of heart/liver uptake ratios for these complexes revealed that their values increased exponentially in time, and after 60 min post-injection liver activity was almost completely eliminated into the intestine. Comparison with heart/liver ratios determined for 99mTc sestamibi and 99mTc tetrfosmin showed that values for these latter compounds were approximately 10 times lower than those measured for [99mTc(N)(PNP)(DBODC)]+ complexes at 60 min post-injection. In conclusion, the monocationic tracers [99mTc(N)(PNP)(DBODC)]+ exhibit high myocardial uptake in rats and dramatically high heart/lung and heart/liver ratios, suggesting that this novel class of perfusion agents could be conveniently employed to obtain heart images with superior imaging quality.
  Nuclear Medicine Communications 08/2002; 23(7):689-93. · 1.40 Impact Factor
• Article: Cytokine imbalance in pregnancies with fetal chromosomal abnormalities.

  F Vesce, C Scapoli, G Giovannini, L Tralli, G Gotti, A Valerio, A Piffanelli
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  ABSTRACT: The aim of the present study is to investigate the levels of some of the cytokines which may be involved in the mechanisms leading to the impairment of placental perfusion and to the onset of uterine contractions in pregnancies with fetal genetic abnormalities compared with controls. The amniotic fluid and maternal plasma levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and tumour necrosis factor-beta in patients with fetal chromosomal abnormalities were measured, as well as in euploid pregnancies in the seventh week of gestation. An increase of interleukin-6 (P = 0.034) and a decrease of interleukin-8 (P < or =0.0001) in amniotic fluid, and a decrease of interleukin-6 in the maternal plasma (P = 0.026) was shown in pregnancies with fetal chromosomal abnormalities. A positive correlation was observed between amniotic interleukin-8 and serum interleukin-6 in the presence of fetal aneuploidy (P < 0.006). Further investigations of cytokine imbalance in pregnancies with poor outcome as a consequence of genetic disorders rather than infection is warranted.
  Human Reproduction 04/2002; 17(3):803-8. · 4.47 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Dario Pelizzola

  Article: Supraregional interlaboratory quality-control survey for an immunoradiometric renin assay.

  A Piffanelli, A Morganti, F Mantero, A Cianetti, G C Zucchelli, G Giovannini, D Pelizzola
  Clinical Chemistry 01/2002; 47(12):2148-50. · 7.91 Impact Factor
• Conference Proceeding: Quantitative YAP-(S)PET small animal scanner: preliminary results

  G. Di Domenico, G. Zavattini, E. Moretti, A. Piffanelli, M. Giganti, A. Motta, N. Sabba, L. Uccelli, E. Benini, A. Duatti, C. Bolzati, A. Boschi, A. Del Guerra
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  ABSTRACT: We have successfully built and characterized small animal PET scanner based on 4 rotating planar detector heads. Each detector module is composed of a matrix of 400 YAP:Ce finger crystals (2×2×30 mm³ each) directly coupled to position sensitive photomultipliers (Hamamatsu R2486-06). By applying two high resolution collimators to two opposite detectors we realised an integrated PET-SPECT scanner for small animals. At present, at the Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine of the University of Ferrara, the scanner is employed in small animal SPECT studies with ^99mTc labeled radiotracers dedicated to obtain quantitative activity measurement in region of interest (ROI) directly from a reconstructed image of a in-vivo rat, with respect to the traditional ex-vivo measurement of activity with gamma counters. To achieve this goal, the scanner was calibrated referring it to a Isodose dose calibrator based on Geiger-Muller counters which previously underwent an absolute calibration with a known activity source. Preliminary results on quantitative tomographic heart perfusion and planar heart biokinetics studies are reported.
  Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record, 2001 IEEE; 12/2001
• Article: A multicentre observational study of radionuclide therapy in patients with painful bone metastases of prostate cancer.

  A Dafermou, P Colamussi, M Giganti, C Cittanti, M Bestagno, A Piffanelli
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  ABSTRACT: A multicentre observational study was conducted by the Italian Association of Nuclear Medicine between 1996 and 1998. Twenty-nine Nuclear Medicine Departments participated. The aims of the study were to systematically evaluate the efficacy, toxicity and repeatability of radionuclide therapy of painful bone metastases (RTBM) in a large number of patients and to assess its incidence in patients with prostate cancer. Out of 818 treatments performed with a single i.v. dose of 148 MBq of strontium-89 chloride or 1,295 MBq of rhenium-186 hydroxyethylidene diphosphonate (HEDP), 610 could be evaluated (527 with 89Sr and 83 with 186Re-HEDP). Eighty-one patients received multiple (up to five) RTBM. The total number of retreatments was 100. Patients were followed up for a period of 3-24 months. Results, assessed according to pain relief and consumption of analgesic drugs, were expressed at four levels: 1, no response; 2, mild response; 3, good response; 4, excellent response. Responses were: level 1 in 19%, level 2 in 21.3%, level 3 in 33.3% and level 4 in 26.4% of cases. Retreatments showed significantly (P<0.01) worse responses (48% levels 3+4), in comparison to first RTBM. Duration of palliation was 5.0+/-3.5 months, and was longer in cases of excellent response, in first RTBM, in patients with limited metastases and when 89Sr was used. Better responses were found in cases of limited skeletal disease, under good clinical conditions, when life expectancy exceeded 3 months, and in radiologically osteoblastic or mixed bone lesions. The only statistically significant predictive factor was life expectancy (P<0.001). Flare phenomenon (14.1% of cases) did not correlate with the response. Haematological toxicity (mild to moderate in most cases) mainly affected platelets, and was observed in 25.5% of cases overall and in 38.9% of retreatments. RTBM did not seem to prolong life, though in some cases scintigraphic regression of bone metastases was observed. The two radiopharmaceuticals did not show any statistically significant differences in palliative efficacy and toxicity, either in first RTBM or in retreatments.
  European Journal of Nuclear Medicine 07/2001; 28(7):788-98.
• Article: Radionuclide therapy for painful bone metastases. An Italian multicentre observational study. Writing Committee of an Ad Hoc Study Group.

  A Piffanelli, A Dafermou, M Giganti, P Colamussi, C Pizzocaro, M Bestagno
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  ABSTRACT: It has been affirmed that observational studies give analogous results to randomised controlled ones. A multicentre observational trial was conducted between 1996-1998 in order to evaluate the efficacy of palliative radionuclide therapy for bone metastases in a large number of patients. An evaluation was made on 510 patients with prostate cancer and painful bone metastases, treated with a single iv. dose of 89Sr-chloride (527 treatments) or 186Re-HEDP (83 treatments), in 29 Italian Nuclear Medicine Departments. Eighty-one patients received up to five injections, totalling 100 retreatments. Patients were followed up for a period of 3 months-2 years. Results were expressed at four levels of response: excellent, good, mild, and nil. Responses were excellent in 26.4%, good in 33.3%, mild in 21.3% and nil in 19% of all treatments, while good and excellent responses were obtained in 48% of retreatments. No statistically significant correlations were found between response and age of patients, skeletal extension of tumour, pretherapeutic PSA levels, evidence of non-bony metastases, previous chemotherapy and/or external-beam radiotherapy; osteolytic lesions responded worse than osteoblastic or mixed ones. Hematological toxicity (mild to moderate), mainly affecting platelets, was observed in 25.5% of all treatments and in 38.9% of retreatments. No clear differences were found between the two radiopharmaceuticals employed. Bearing in mind that observational studies can provide just as accurate results as randomised controlled trials, this study confirms the main findings of various limited monocentre trials.
  The quarterly journal of nuclear medicine: official publication of the Italian Association of Nuclear Medicine (AIMN) [and] the International Association of Radiopharmacology (IAR) 04/2001; 45(1):100-7.
• Article: Plasminogen activator system in serum and amniotic fluid of euploid and aneuploid pregnancies.

  F Vesce, C Scapoli, G Giovannini, A Piffanelli, A Geurts-Moespot, F C Sweep
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  ABSTRACT: To compare euploid and aneuploid pregnancies with respect to maternal serum and amniotic fluid (AF) levels of the components of the plasminogen system. The study population consisted of 123 single pregnancies at the 17th gestational week, 16 with minor chromosomal abnormalities, 15 aneuploid, and 92 euploid. Both groups with chromosomal abnormalities had significantly higher serum levels of urokinase plasminogen activator and its complexed form with its type-1 inhibitor compared with euploid pregnancies. In AF, tissue plasminogen activator was significantly lower in the aneuploid than the euploid group, whereas type-1 inhibitor of plasminogen activator was significantly higher in the cases with minor chromosomal abnormalities compared with euploid. At cutoff levels set at 100% sensitivity, the complexed form of urokinase plasminogen activator with its type-1 inhibitor had the strongest specificity (66.3%); after logarithmic transformation, its serum level was 7.53 times higher in aneuploidies than euploidies. Aneuploid pregnancies appear to be accompanied by abnormalities of the plasminogen activation system, which could lead to impaired placental perfusion and thus to abortion, fetal death, and fetal growth restriction.
  Obstetrics and Gynecology 04/2001; 97(3):404-8. · 4.73 Impact Factor
• Article: A CD(4)/T(4) receptor peptide ligand labeled with technetium-99m: synthesis and biological activity.

  A Boschi, L Uccelli, C Bolzati, M Marastoni, R Tomatis, S Spisani, S Traniello, A Piffanelli
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  ABSTRACT: The octapeptide D-Ala-Ser-Thr-Thr-Thr-Asn-Tyr-Thr-NH(2) ([D-Ala(1)]TNH(2)), an analog of peptide T (H-Ala-Ser-Thr-Thr-Thr-Asn-Tyr-Thr-OH) associated with CD(4)/T(4) receptors involved in human immunodeficiency virus infection, was combined with the chelating polyazamacrocycle 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (cyclam) to afford the bifunctional ligand cyc-[D-Ala(1)]TNH(2). This was then reacted with [(99m)TcO(4)](-) and Sn(2+) to yield the monocationic complex [(99m)Tc(O)(2)(cyc-[D-Ala(1)]TNH(2))](+). Biological activity of both the cyclam-peptide conjugate and the resulting Tc-99m complex were evaluated by measuring their chemotactic indexes. Results showed that N-cyclam acylation and subsequent labeling with Tc-99m of [D-Ala(1)]TNH(2) were tolerated, and both cyc-[D-Ala(1)]TNH(2) and [(99m)Tc(O)(2)(cyc-[D-Ala(1)]TNH(2))](+) retained the high chemotactic capacity of the original octapeptide. Biodistribution of the Tc-99m complex was carried out in rats. Fast blood clearance and no accumulation in organs of interest were observed.
  Nuclear Medicine and Biology 12/2000; 27(8):791-5. · 3.02 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Giovanni Di Domenico

  Article: An integrated PET-SPECT small animal imager: preliminary results

  A. Del Guerra, C. Damiani, G. Di Domenico, A. Motta, M. Giganti, R. Marchesini, A. Piffanelli, N. Sabba, L. Sartori, G. Zavattini
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  ABSTRACT: The authors have successfully built and characterised a small animal PET based on 4 rotating detectors with a spatial resolution <2 mm over its field of view and a sensitivity of 640 cps/μCi at the centre. The scanner is based on four matrices of 400 YAP:Ce finger crystals (2×2×30 mm³ each) coupled to Position Sensitive PhotoMultipliers (Hamamatsu R2486-06.) The authors have now applied two high resolution collimators to two opposite detectors, hence realising an integrated PET-SPECT scanner for small animals. The collimators are made of lead with 20 mm long, 0.6 mm hexagonal holes with 0.15 mm septa. The read-out and data acquisition system are handled by NIM-CAMAC standard electronics. The Field Of View (FOV) of the tomograph has a diameter of 4 cm and an axial length of 4 cm in both PET and SPECT configuration which is appropriate for mice and rat studies
  IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science 09/2000; · 1.45 Impact Factor
• Article: Synthesis of hybrid distamycin-cysteine labeled with 99mTc: a model for a novel class of cancer imaging agents.

  P G Baraldi, R Romagnoli, A Duatti, C Bolzati, A Piffanelli, N Bianchi, C Mischiati, R Gambari
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  ABSTRACT: The synthesis of a hybrid constituted by distamycin A and cysteine labeled with the gamma-emitting radionuclide 99mTc to afford the conjugate complex 5 is reported. This new radiopharmaceutical is of potential interest as tumor imaging agent in diagnostic nuclear medicine. The preparation of the hybrid distamycin A-cysteine 4 has been achieved by coupling deformyldistamycin A and Boc-Dmt-OH. Compound 4 was then successfully labeled with 99mTc by reaction with the novel, high-electrophilic, metal-containing fragment [99mTc(N)(PP)]2+ (PP = diphosphine ligand) yielding the 1:1 complex 5.
  Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 07/2000; 10(12):1397-400. · 2.55 Impact Factor
• Article: Synthesis of a novel class of nitrido Tc-99m radiopharmaceuticals with phosphino-thiol ligands showing transient heart uptake.

  C Bolzati, L Uccelli, A Boschi, E Malagò, A Duatti, F Tisato, F Refosco, R Pasqualini, A Piffanelli
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  ABSTRACT: A novel class of technetium-99m radiopharmaceuticals showing high heart uptake is described. These complexes were prepared through a simple and efficient procedure, and their molecular structure fully characterized. They are formed by a terminal Tc(triple bond)N multiple bond and two bidentate phosphine-thiol ligands [R(2)P-(CH(2))(n)SH, n=2,3] coordinated to the metal ion through the neutral phosphorus atom and the deprotonated thiol sulfur atom. The resulting geometry was trigonal bipyramidal. Biodistribution studies were carried out in rats. The complexes exhibited high initial heart uptake and elimination through liver and kidneys. The washout kinetic from heart was dependent on the nature of the lateral R groups on the phosphine-thiol ligands. When R=phenyl, heart activity was rapidly eliminated within 10-20 min. Instead, when R=tolyl, cyclohexyl, persistent heart uptake was observed. Extraction of activity from myocardium tissue showed that no change of the chemical identity of the tracer occurred after heart uptake. On the contrary, metabolization to more hydrophilic species occurred in liver and kidneys.
  Nuclear Medicine and Biology 06/2000; 27(4):369-74. · 3.02 Impact Factor
• Article: Underestimation of regional myocardial perfusion with Tc-99m sestamibi single-day rest-stress SPECT: a "drug washout" pitfall?

  C Cittanti, D Mele, P Colamussi, M Giganti, E Ricci, A Dafermou, L Uccelli, A Piffanelli
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  ABSTRACT: Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with a Tc-99m sestamibi single-day SPECT protocol is a widely used technique to examine patients with possible or known coronary artery disease. A 76-year-old man with a clinical history suggestive of ischemic heart disease underwent Tc-99m sestamibi myocardial SPECT imaging with a same-day rest and stress protocol after temporary discontinuation of his current therapy, which included calcium channel and beta blockers and nitrates. The scintigraphic pattern was consistent with an asymptomatic infarction of the posterolateral myocardial wall and periinfarct ischemia. One week later, the patient had a Tc-99m sestamibi myocardial SPECT study at rest without discontinuing therapy, and scintigraphic images showed normalization of the posterolateral wall perfusion defect. The angiographic study showed a 90% stenosis of the circumflex artery. This case suggests that, during a 1-day cardiac SPECT protocol, washout of therapeutic pharmaceuticals may be responsible for underestimation of myocardial rest perfusion in territory supplied by a coronary artery with a critical stenosis.
  Clinical Nuclear Medicine 05/2000; 25(4):255-7. · 3.67 Impact Factor
• Article: An alternative approach to the preparation of (188)Re radiopharmaceuticals from generator-produced [(188)ReO(4)](-): efficient synthesis of (188)Re(V)-meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid.

  C Bolzati, A Boschi, L Uccelli, A Duatti, R Franceschini, A Piffanelli
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  ABSTRACT: A new efficient approach for the preparation of (188)Re radiopharmaceuticals starting from [(188)ReO(4)](-), produced at a carrier-free level through the (188)W/(188)Re generator system, is described. The reaction procedure was based on the combined action of different reagents and has been applied in detail to the preparation of the therapeutic agent (188)Re(V)-DMSA (H(2)DMSA [meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid]). The most efficient combination required the use of SnCl(2), oxalate ions, and gamma-cyclodextrin. These were reacted with [(188)ReO(4)](-) and H(2)DMSA to afford the final radiopharmaceutical in high radiochemical purity, at room temperature, and in weakly acidic solution. The role played by the various reagents in the reaction was investigated. It was found that SnCl(2) behaved as the actual reducing agent, whereas oxalate and gamma-cyclodextrin greatly enhanced the ease of reduction of [(188)ReO(4)](-) through the action of two hypothetical mechanisms. In the first step of the reaction, oxalate ions gave rise to the formation of Re(VII) complexes with the concomitant expansion of the coordination sphere of the metal. This process strongly favored the electron transfer between Sn(2+) and Re(+7) centers, giving rise to intermediate reduced rhenium complexes. These species were further stabilized by the formation of transient host-guest aggregates with gamma-cyclodextrin and finally converted into (188)Re(V)-DMSA through simple replacement of the coordinated ligands by H(2)DMSA.
  Nuclear Medicine and Biology 05/2000; 27(3):309-14. · 3.02 Impact Factor
• Article: Quality control of 99Mo/99Tcm generators: results of a survey of the Radiopharmacy Working Group of the Italian Association of Nuclear Medicine (AIMN).

  M Marengo, C Aprile, C Bagnara, C Bolzati, C Bonada, G Candini, R Casati, S Civollani, F R Colombo, G Compagnone, [......], S Lazzari, C Minoia, D Pancaldi, A Ronchi, G Sanità di Toppi, R Saponaro, T Torregiani, L Uccelli, F Vecchi, A Piffanelli
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  ABSTRACT: A multicentre survey of the quality control of 99Tcm generators has been completed: 245 generators from seven different commercial sources were tested over a period of 2 years. The results indicate that the mean pH of the eluates was 5.8 +/- 0.6; the aluminium contents were typically < 10 ppm; the radiochemical purity was 99.8 +/- 0.4% and the median 99Mo content was 3.8 x 10(-4) percent. The elution profiles gave a volume of 1.9 ml to obtain 50% of the total eluted activity and of 4.9 ml to obtain 95%. Other radionuclide impurities and heavy metal breakthrough were evaluated by graphite furnace absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. National guidelines for the standardization of radiopharmacy procedures are currently being compiled.
  Nuclear Medicine Communications 11/1999; 20(11):1077-84. · 1.40 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Paolo Colamussi

  Article: New insights on flow-independent mechanisms of 99mTc-HMPAO retention in nervous tissue: in vitro study.

  P Colamussi, G Calò, S Sbrenna, L Uccelli, C Bianchi, C Cittanti, A Siniscalchi, M Giganti, R Roveri, A Piffanelli
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  ABSTRACT: SPECT using 99mTc-hexamethyl propyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) mainly reflects regional cerebral blood flow, however metabolic abnormalities also affect the retention of 99mTc-HMPAO. To rule out any flow factor, a test-tube model was used to evaluate the effects of metabolic alterations both on intracellular trapping of 99mTc-HMPAO and on extracellular glutamate and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) outflow from rat brain slices. Under control conditions, slices took up 7.0%+/-1.4% of 99mTc-HMPAO contained in the medium, whereas prelabeled slices released 10.8%+/-2.6% of their radioactive content; glutamate and LDH outflow were 49.1+/-21.6 pmol/mg protein/ min and 4.8+/-0.9 U/L/mg protein/min, respectively. The control medium was altered by adding a metabolic poison (5 mmol/L azide), removing glucose and replacing O2 with N2 to mimic ischemia (in vitro ischemia) and replacing Krebs solution with hypotonic medium to evoke cell lysis. Both azide and in vitro ischemia induced a significant increase in 99mTc-HMPAO release (15.8%+/-3.3% and 18.3%+/-6.2%, respectively), without any modification in LDH efflux. However, only azide reduced the uptake of the tracer. Conversely, glutamate outflow was massive during in vitro ischemia and was far lower during azide treatment. Under hypotonic medium conditions, the release of 99mTc-HMPAO, glutamate and LDH were dramatically increased. Surprisingly, a two-fold increase of 99mTc-HMPAO uptake was also found. When 1 mmol/L glutathione was added to the medium, to convert native lipophilic 99mTc-HMPAO into hydrophilic derivatives, tracer uptake was inhibited both under control and hypotonic medium conditions. This study provides evidence that not only poisoning of the tissue but also in vitro ischemia induced a reduction of 99mTc-HMPAO retention. Moreover, we demonstrated that injuries causing cell membrane disruption led to hyperfixation of 99mTc-HMPAO.
  Journal of Nuclear Medicine 10/1999; 40(9):1556-62. · 6.38 Impact Factor
• Article: [Nuclear medicine and rheumatology. Diagnostic and therapeutic integration].

  P Colamussi, N Prandini, C Cittanti, M Govoni, A Dafermou, M Giganti, F Trotta, A Piffanelli
  La radiologia medica 07/1999; 97(6):510-7. · 1.44 Impact Factor
• Article: Design and synthesis of a redox-active Tc-99m radiopharmaceutical with ferrocenedithiocarboxylate [FcCS = Fe(C5H4CS2)(C5H5)-].

  L Uccelli, C Bolzati, A Boschi, A Duatti, C Morin, R Pasqualini, M Giganti, A Piffanelli
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  ABSTRACT: The synthesis, at tracer level, of two Tc-99m complexes having the same chemical composition and structure, but differing by one electron in the total electron counting, is reported. These compounds have been prepared by reacting [99mTcO4]- with the piperidinium salt of the ligand ferrocenedithiocarboxylate {[Fe(II)(C5H4CS2)(C5H5)]- = FcCS}, in the presence of N-methyl S-methyldithiocarbazate as donor of N3-groups, and triphenylphosphine or SnCl2 as reducing agents. The formation of the neutral complex [99mTc(N)(FcCS)2] (compound A) and of the monocationic, mixed-valence complex [99mTc(N)(FcCS) (FcCS)]+ (compound B) {FcCS = [Fe(III)(C5H4CS2)(C5H5)]} was obtained in high yield. Both complexes comprise a terminal Tc triple bond N multiple bond and two FcCS ligands coordinated to the metal center through the two sulfur atoms of the -CS2 group, but they differ in the oxidation state of one of the two iron atoms of the coordinated FcCS ligands. In complex A, the two Fe atoms are both in the +2 oxidation state, while in B, one Fe atom is in the +2 and the other is in the +3 oxidation state. Thus, B is a mixed-valence Fe(II)-Fe(III) complex. B is easily converted into A by one-electron exchange with various reductants such as triphenylphosphine and excess SnCl2. Biodistribution studies in rats showed that complexes A and B are mostly retained in lungs and liver without any significant uptake in organs such as heart and brain.
  Nuclear Medicine and Biology 02/1999; 26(1):63-7. · 3.02 Impact Factor
• Conference Proceeding: First in vivo studies on rats with the YAPPET scanner

  A. Del Guerra, C. Damiani, G. Di Domenico, M. Giganti, A. Motta, A. Piffanelli, L. Uccelli, G. Zavattini, V. Bettinardi, M.C. Gilardi, R.M. Moresco, F. Fazio
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  ABSTRACT: At Ferrara University the authors have built a dedicated 3-D PET scanner (YAPPET) with a very high spatial resolution and sensitivity as necessary for radiopharmaceutical studies on rats and mice. In collaboration with the Institute H.S. Raffaele in Milano the authors have performed both distribution and dynamical uptake studies of various radioactive tracers in rats. They have performed tomographic studies after injecting live rats with FDG and FESP labeled with ¹⁸F, with FE-CIT and Flumazenil labeled with ¹¹C, and with ¹⁸F. The ¹⁸F-FDG, ¹⁸F-FESP and ¹¹C-FE-CIT images show the different distribution of the various tracers in the rat brain. The ¹⁸F was injected for imaging the rat skeleton. In addition, the authors studied the uptake and washout curve of ¹¹C Flumazenil in the rat brain from tomographic images
  Nuclear Science Symposium, 1999. Conference Record. 1999 IEEE; 02/1999