Synthesis of the Sulphonate and Phosphonate Derivatives of Mercaptoacetyltriglycine. X-Ray Crystal Structure of Na(2)[ReO(Mercaptoacetylglycylglycylaminomethanesulphonate)]·3H(2)O

Mercaptoacetyltriglycine forms complexes with (186/188)Re and (99m)Tc radionuclides that are useful in nuclear medicine because they are substrates of the renal anion transport system. However, the renal clearance of [MO(MAG(3))](2-)(MAG(3) = penta-anionic form of mercaptoacetyltriglycine, M = Re, Tc) complexes are less than ideal. Organic sulphonates are also transported by the renal anion transport system and phosphonates are similar to sulphonates in size and shape. In an effort to develop new ligands that form Re and Tc complexes and have improved renal clearances compared to [MO(MAG(3))](2-) complexes, the sulphonate and phosphonate derivatives of mercaptoacetyltriglycine were synthesized. The dianion [ReO(MAG(2)-AMS)](2-) (MAG(2)-AMS = penta-anionic form of mercaptoacetylglycylglycylaminomethanesulphonic acid) was prepared for characterization by exchange reaction of ReOCl(3)(Me(2)S)(OPPh(3)) and isolated as the disodium salt. The structure of Na(2)[ReO(MAG(2)-AMS)]·3H(2)O (6) was determined by X-ray diffraction. The coordination geometry is pseudo square pyramidal, with the nitrogen and sulfur donor atoms forming a square base and the oxo ligand at the apex. The deprotonated sulphonate group has a syn conformation with respect to the oxo ligand. The renal clearances of [(99m)TcO(MAG(2)-AMS)](2-) and [(99m)TcO(MAG(2)-AMP)](3-) were similar in rats and suggest that the difference in total charge between the SO(3)(-) and PO(3)(2-) groups is not important to renal clearance. However, their renal clearances were 40-50% less than that of [(99m)TcO(MAG(3))](2-) suggesting that the size and shape of the large tetrahedral SO(3)(-) and PO(3)(2-) groups of [(99m)TcO(MAG(2)-AMS)](2-) and [(99m)TcO(MAG(2)-AMP)](3-) inhibit recognition by the renal transport system compared to the small planar CO(2)(-) group of [(99m)TcO(MAG(3))](2-).