GPER-Targeted, Tc-Labeled, Nonsteroidal Ligands Demonstrate
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Published OnlineFirst July 16, 2014; DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-14-0289 Molecular Cancer Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressors Research GPER-Targeted, 99mTc-Labeled, Nonsteroidal Ligands Demonstrate Selective Tumor Imaging and In Vivo Estrogen Binding Tapan K. Nayak1,2, Chinnasamy Ramesh3, Helen J. Hathaway1,4, Jeffrey P. Norenberg2,4, Jeffrey B. Arterburn3,4, and Eric R. Prossnitz1,4 Abstract Our understanding of estrogen (17b-estradiol, E2) receptor biology has evolved in recent years with the discovery and characterization of a 7-transmembrane-spanning G protein–coupled estrogen receptor (GPER/GPR30) and the development of GPER-selective functional chemical probes. GPER is highly expressed in certain breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers, establishing the importance of noninvasive methods to evaluate GPER expression in vivo.Here, we developed 99mTc-labeled GPER ligands to demonstrate the in vivo status of GPER as an estrogen receptor (ER) and for GPER visualization in whole animals. A series of 99mTc(I)-labeled nonsteroidal tetrahydro-3H-cyclopen- ta[c]quinolone derivatives was synthesized utilizing pyridin-2-yl hydrazine and picolylamine chelates. Radioligand receptor binding studies revealed binding affinities in the 10 to 30 nmol/L range. Cell signaling assays previously demonstrated that derivatives retaining a ketone functionality displayed agonist properties, whereas those lacking such a hydrogen bond acceptor were antagonists. In vivo biodistribution and imaging studies performed on mice bearing human endometrial and breast cancer cell xenografts yielded significant tumor uptake (0.4–1.1%ID/g). Blocking studies revealed specific uptake in multiple organs (adrenals, uterus, and mammary tissue), as well as tumor uptake with similar levels of competition by E2 and G-1, a GPER-selective agonist. In conclusion, we synthesized and evaluated a series of first-generation 99mTc-labeled GPER-specific radioligands, demonstrating GPER as an estrogen- binding receptor for the first time in vivo using competitive binding principles, and establishing the utility of such ligands as tumor imaging agents. These results warrant further investigation into the role of GPER in estrogen- mediated carcinogenesis and as a target for diagnostic/therapeutic/image-guided drug delivery. Implications: These studies provide a molecular basis to evaluate GPER expression and function as an ER through in vivo imaging. Mol Cancer Res; 12(11); 1635–43. Ó2014 AACR. Introduction in premenopausal women compared with postmenopausal Estrogens mediate profound effects throughout the body women or age-matched men is widely attributed to the presence of 17b-estradiol (E2), the predominant and most and regulate physiologic and pathologic processes in both – women and men. The lower prevalence of many diseases potent endogenous estrogen (1 3). E2, although common- ly recognized as the female sex hormone, also has critical roles in additional normal physiologic processes within the nervous, immune, vascular, muscular, skeletal, and endo- 1Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine, Univer- – sity of New Mexico Health Science Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico. crine systems (2, 4 8). In addition, E2 signaling plays an 2College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Science Center, important role in various pathologic conditions and dis- Albuquerque, New Mexico. 3Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, orders, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, hyperten- New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico. 4University of New Mexico Cancer Center, University of New Mexico Health Science Center, sion, osteoporosis, cognitive and behavioral alterations, Albuquerque, New Mexico. neurodegenerative diseases, as well as metabolic and im- – Note: Supplementary data for this article are available at Molecular Cancer mune disorders (2, 4 8). However, elucidating the exact Research Online (http://mcr.aacrjournals.org/). role(s) of E2 in these processes is often complicated by the Current address for T.K. Nayak: F Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Grenzacher- existence of several types of E2 receptors (ERs) and mul- strasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland. tiple modes of cellular signaling mechanisms that span time Corresponding Author: Eric R. Prossnitz, Department of Cell Biology and frames from seconds to hours, or even days (6, 9). The Physiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131. Phone: actions of E2 have traditionally been ascribed to one of the 505-272-5647; Fax: 505-272-1421; E-mail: [email protected] two closely related classical nuclear hormone receptors, doi: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-14-0289 ERa and ERb, which are best characterized for regulating Ó2014 American Association for Cancer Research. gene expression (10, 11), and their membrane-localized www.aacrjournals.org 1635 Downloaded from mcr.aacrjournals.org on September 30, 2021. © 2014 American Association for Cancer Research. Published OnlineFirst July 16, 2014; DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-14-0289 Nayak et al. variants. Recent studies have revealed the contribution of tive 99mTc-labeled agents for demonstrating the status of a novel G protein-coupled estrogen receptor GPER (pre- GPER as an ER in vitro and in vivo. In vivo biodistribution viously GPR30), which belongs to the family of seven- and competition binding studies with E2 and G-1 were transmembrane G protein–coupled receptors, to many of performed in mice bearing ERa/b-negative and GPER- the rapid cellular and biologic responses to E2 (6, 12–14). expressing type II human endometrial carcinoma Hec50 GPER is expressed in numerous tissues and the scope of tumors and ERa/b- and GPER-positive human breast research into its many functions has increased dramatically adenocarcinoma MCF7/HER2-18 tumors. Our results over the last decade (15–23); nevertheless, isolated reports demonstrate not only that GPER functions in vivo as have failed to observe GPER-mediated estrogenic responses an E2-binding receptor, but also that GPER-selective in the uterus or the mammary gland or GPER-dependent 99mTc-labeled ligands can be used to visualize breast and estrogen binding in cell-based systems (24–26). endometrial tumors in vivo. GPER protein is (over) expressed in approximately 50% of all breast cancers and correlates with clinical and patho- logic biomarkers of poor outcome, such as tumor size and the Materials and Methods presence of metastases, regardless of ER status (27). Addi- Chemical synthesis of nonsteroidal GPER-specific tional studies have found that GPER protein is overexpressed ligands in ovarian cancer where it is associated with lower survival Synthetic derivatives of the GPER-targeting tetrahydro- rates (28, 29). Similarly, GPER is overexpressed in tumors 3H-cyclopenta[c]quinoline scaffold possessing different che- where E2 and progesterone receptors are downregulated and lating heterocyclic aminocarboxylate ligands with demon- in high-risk endometrial cancer patients with lower survival strated capacity for the formation of neutral tricarbonylrhe- rates (30, 31). GPER is also widely expressed in cancer cell nium(I) and tricarbonyltechnetium(I) complexes at the C8 lines isolated from diverse organs as well as primary tumors of position were prepared as previously described (54). Ligand the thyroid, lung, prostate, pancreas, and testicular germ compounds containing a pyridin-2-yl-hydrazinylethanoic cells, in addition to the breast, endometrium, and ovaries acid group (1,3,4), or pyridin-2-yl-methylaminoethanoic (6, 12, 32–34). acid (2), were prepared as the tert-butyl esters with nitrogen Importantly, in patients with breast cancer treated only groups protected as tert-butoxycarbonyl derivatives, and with tamoxifen, GPER protein expression increased and deprotected with trifluoroacetic acid in dichloromethane at survival was markedly reduced in patients with initial GPER- ambient temperature before labeling. The nonradioactive positive tumors, suggesting that patients with breast cancer tricarbonylrhenium(I) complexes (5-Re - 8-Re) were pre- who have high GPER protein expression should not be pared as previously described (54). treated exclusively with tamoxifen (35). Cellular effects of tamoxifen via GPER were further demonstrated through Radiosynthesis of 99mTc(I)-labeled nonsteroidal tamoxifen-mediated stimulation of tumor cell proliferation GPER-specific ligands and migration (36–38). Thus, although anti-estrogens such The organometallic aqua ion labeling agent [99mTc a þ as tamoxifen, fulvestrant, and raloxifene function as ER (CO)3(H2O)3] was prepared by adding 3.7 GBq of freshly – 99m antagonists, they act as GPER agonists (39 42), stimulating eluted Na- TcO4 to the Isolink kit (Tyco healthcare, proliferation and other cellular activities via the GPER- Mallinckrodt) as previously described (55). The alkaline 99m þ mediated transactivation of EGFR (43). [ Tc(CO)3(H2O)3] mixture was then neutralized to Several radiopharmaceuticals have been developed pH 7 with acetic acid. The synthetic chelates 1-4 were for the noninvasive imaging and assessment of ER status dissolved in ethanol and 10 mg of each derivative was added – a 99m þ (44 48). The most successful E2 radiopharmaceutical 16 - to the prepared [ Tc(CO)3(H2O)3] mixture. The reac- [18F]fluoroestradiol-17b (FES) is under clinical investiga- tion mixture was stirred for 2 hours at room temperature. tion and to date has produced promising results in PET Alternatively, the mixture was heated to 80C for 30 imaging of ER-expressing tumors, in particular for the evalua- minutes