Biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of (188)Re-liposomes and their comparative therapeutic efficacy with 5-fluorouracil in C26 colonic peritoneal carcinomatosis mice

BACKGROUND: Nanoliposomes are designed as carriers capable of packaging drugs through passive targeting tumor sites by enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effects. In the present study the biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, micro single-photon emission computed tomography (micro-SPECT/CT) image, dosimetry, and therapeutic efficacy of (188)Re-labeled nanoliposomes ((188)Re-liposomes) in a C26 colonic peritoneal carcinomatosis mouse model were evaluated. METHODS: Colon carcinoma peritoneal metastatic BALB/c mice were intravenously administered (188)Re-liposomes. Biodistribution and micro-SPECT/CT imaging were performed to determine the drug profile and targeting efficiency of (188)Re-liposomes. Pharmacokinetics study was described by a noncompartmental model. The OLINDA|EXM(®) computer program was used for the dosimetry evaluation. For therapeutic efficacy, the survival, tumor, and ascites inhibition of mice after treatment with (188)Re-liposomes and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), respectively, were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: In biodistribution, the highest uptake of (188)Re-liposomes in tumor tissues (7.91% ± 2.02% of the injected dose per gram of tissue [%ID/g]) and a high tumor to muscle ratio (25.8 ± 6.1) were observed at 24 hours after intravenous administration. The pharmacokinetics of (188)Re-liposomes showed high circulation time and high bioavailability (mean residence time [MRT] = 19.2 hours, area under the curve [AUC] = 820.4%ID/g*h). Micro-SPECT/CT imaging of (188)Re-liposomes showed a high uptake and targeting in ascites, liver, spleen, and tumor. The results were correlated with images from autoradiography and biodistribution data. Dosimetry study revealed that the (188)Re-liposomes did not cause high absorbed doses in normal tissue but did in small tumors. Radiotherapeutics with (188)Re-liposomes provided better survival time (increased by 34.6% of life span; P < 0.05), tumor and ascites inhibition (decreased by 63.4% and 83.3% at 7 days after treatment; P < 0.05) in mice compared with chemotherapeutics of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). CONCLUSION: The use of (188)Re-liposomes for passively targeted tumor therapy had greater therapeutic effect than the currently clinically applied chemotherapeutics drug 5-FU in a colonic peritoneal carcinomatosis mouse model. This result suggests that (188)Re-liposomes have potential benefit and are safe in treating peritoneal carcinomatasis of colon cancer.