Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2026. Vol. 71. № 2

DOI:10.33266/1024-6177-2026-71-2-69-80

W.Yu. Ussov¹, M.L. Belyanin², E.V. Barysheva³, A.A. Tulupov^{4, 10}, Li Yong Ping⁵,
O.Y. Borodin⁶, Shan YaMing⁵, S.M. Minin¹, K.N. Sorokina⁶, Yu.B. Lishmanov²,
O.P. Aleksandrova^{7, 8}, Zhou Jianghan¹¹ N.L. Shimanovsky⁹ 

Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Accumulation of Gluconic Acid Complexes with ^99mTc and Mn(II) in Gliomas and Metastatic Brain Lesions, using Dynamic Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography

¹ E.N. Meshalkin National Research Medical Center, Novosibirsk, Russia

² National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia 

³ JSC Medical and Diagnostic Center, Tomsk, Russia 

⁴ Institute “International Tomographic Center”, Novosibirsk, Russia 

⁵ Changchun Sino-Russian Science and Technology Park Co., Ltd, Changchun, China

⁶ Tomsk Regional Oncological Dispensary, Tomsk, Russia 

⁷ National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Moscow, Russia 

⁸ Rosatom Technical Academy, Obninsk, Russia 

⁹ N.I. Pirogov Russian National Medical Research University, Moscow, Russia 

¹⁰ Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia

¹¹ School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China

Contact person: Wladimir Yuryevich Ussov, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Relevance: A promising direction for the successful development of diagnostic tomography is the creation of pairs of paramagnetic contrasts for MRI and radiopharmaceuticals for SPECT with identical biological and pharmacokinetic properties. Comparing the results of contrast-enhanced MRI and SPECT scans could provide then fundamentally new information. 

Purpose: To evaluate the imaging abilities of ^99mTc-gluconate as an RFP for SPECT/CT, in comparison with Mn-gluconate (for paramagnetic contrast enhancement in MRI), in the course of creation of a new generation of diagnostic agents for combined SPECT/MRI studies of brain tumors. 

Material and methods: ^99mTc-gluconate was obtained by labeling for 30 minutes, at room temperature above 25°C, 370‒540 MBq of Technetium ‒ 99m eluate in a volume of 2‒4 ml, from a ⁹⁹Mo/^99mTc generator, while the lyophilized labeling kit included 2.5 mg of gluconic acid, 0.10 mg of SnCl₂×2H₂O as a reducing agent, 7.5 mg sodium hydrophosphate dodecahydrate and 1.5 mg ascorbic acid. Mn(II)-gluconate was obtained in one step from manganese(II) oxide or carbonate and gluconic acid or sodium gluconate, with their mixing in molar amounts in a ratio of 1:2, dispersion and stirring in a ball mill for 20‒30 minutes, dissolution in saline solution, sterilization by microfiltration and obtaining 0.5 M solution of Mn(II)-gluconate, pH 6.5‒7.8, The study comprised the results of an examination of nine patients with low-grade (3‒4 degrees of anaplasia) brain gliomas, one patient with meningioma of the middle cranial fossa, and three patients with brain metastases (kidney, lung, and breast cancers). All underwent SPECT with ^99mTc-gluconate on a Gemini dual-detector gamma camera (Technicare, USA), controlled by the Scinti 3.3 computer system (NPF Gelmos, Russia) after the injection of 370‒540 MBq of the RFP. A dynamic planar study was recorded after injection, for 20 minutes, with blood samples taken to assess the clearance of rfp. SPECT then included 64‒128 planar projections of 360° rotation detectors with a set of 50,000 pulses each, in a 64 × 64 matrix. The rate of absorption of rfp and paramagnetic substances by tumors and the indices (Tumor)/(Healthy tissue) were calculated. The rate of absorption of the drug by the tumor was calculated as the ratio of the concentration in the tumor tissue to the area under the concentration curve in the blood. 

Results: The rate of contrast  absorption from blood to tumor was 6.72 ±2.01 (3.5; 12.1) ml/min/100 g for ^99mTc-gluconate and 5.93 ± 2.95 (3.2; 10.1) ml/min/100 g for Mn-gluconate for peripheral gliomas, the correlation between them was highly reliable, as Y = ‒0,14 + 0,89×X (r = 0.89, p = 0.000372). The unaffected gray matter of the brain showed an order of magnitude lower absorption rate from the blood, respectively 0.20 ±0.09 (0.07; 0.41) ml/min/100 g of ^99mTc-gluconate and 0.23 ± 0.12 (0.05; 0.49) ml/min/100 g for Mn-gluconate. Indexes (Tumor)/(Healthy tissue) were 15.2 ± 3.28 (11.19; 21.23) for ^99mTc-gluconate and 11.28 ± 9.80 (2.4; 30.26) for Mn-gluconate, with the correlation equation Y = 0.74 + 0.67×X (r = 0.94, p = 0.00684), indicating the biological identity of these complexes. 

Conclusion: The results of the assessment of tumor accumulation of gluconic acid complexes with ^99mTc- and Mn substantiate the possibility of wider use in neuro-oncology of rfp ^99mTc-gluconate in SPECT and Mn-gluconate in MRI as a paramagnetic analogue of ^99mTc-gluconate, with high affinity to brain tumors, and possibility of MRI/SPECT fused studies.

Keywords: SPECT/CT, MRI, radiopharmaceuticals, ^99mTc-gluconate, Mn-gluconate, paramagnetic contrast enhancement, pharmacokinetics, neuro-oncology, gliomas, meningeomas, brain metastases

For citation: Ussov WYu, Belyanin ML, Barysheva EV, Tulupov AA, Li Yong Ping, Borodin OY, Shan YaMing, Minin SM, Sorokina KN, Lishmanov YuB, Aleksandrova OP, Zhou Jianghan Shimanovsky NL.  Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Accumulation of Gluconic Acid Complexes with ^99mTc and Mn(II) in Gliomas and Metastatic Brain Lesions, using Dynamic Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography. Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2026;71(2):69–80. DOI:10.33266/1024-6177-2026-71-2-69-80

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Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Financing. This work has been carried out without additional funding support, within the framework of the Cooperation Agreement between the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia, and the Sino‒Russian Park of Science and Technologies, Changchun, China.

Contribution. Article was prepared with equal participation of the authors.

Article received: 20.01.2026. Accepted for publication: 25.02.2026.