Preparation and Biological Evaluation of (67)Gallium- Labeled Iranian Hemiscorpius Lepturus Scorpion Venom

BACKGROUND: The Hemiscorpius lepturus (H. lepturus) is a deadly scorpion species living in the southern Iran. OBJECTIVE: H. lepturus induces delayed toxicity symptoms and understanding the long term biodistribution/biokinetic of the venom is of great interest in toxicology. METHODS: A Ga-67 labeled venom was prepared using a DOTA -conjugated venom followed by radiolabeling using (67)GaCl(3) at 40°C for 90 min. The purification of the radiolabeled venom was performed using size exclusion-chromatography (radiochemical purity 71%). The radiolabeled venom was stable in the final solution in the presence of human serum at 37°C for 72 hours. The tissue distribution was studied in blood, heart, liver, spleen, muscle, brain, kidney, intestine and skin tissues at the intervals of 1, 4, 24, 48 and 72 hours using tissue counting and SPECT imaging. RESULTS: The radiolabeled venom mixture obtained with an estimated molar activity of 0.52 MBq/µg. The main accumulation tissues during the first 72 hours were kidneys, blood, liver, intestines, stomach and skin, respectively. Therefore, it is likely that H. lepturus’ clinical effects and renal toxicity are primary and caused by direct effects of the H. lepturus venom. CONCLUSION: The results have largely shown the direct clinical effects on the studied tissues during the 72-hour period and antivenom administration can strongly alleviate the toxicity effects as early as 72 hours in the management of the patients.