REINVESTIGATION OF A PHYSIOLOGICAL ELUATE OF THE FE-52 MN-52M GENERATOR/

We have achieved a significant step forward in the potential applicati on of Mn-55m(2+) (T-1/2 = 0.35 h, beta(+) = 97%) as a myocardial imagi ng agent with positron emission tomography (PET) by the introduction o f a 5% (physiological) glucose solution as an eluent for the Fe-52/Mn- 52m generator. Our experiments have demonstrated the favourable proper ties of a glucose solution with minimal breakthrough (< 0.3%) of Fe-52 and yields of up to 90% Mn-52(2+). Although it has been shown that lo wer Fe-52 breakthrough is attainable using other eluents, due to the s hort half life of Fe-52 (8.27 h) breakthrough up to 1% would not appea r to significantly alter the efficacy of the Mn-52m eluted with this 5 % glucose solution. The primary advantage of this approach lies in its convenience of application, in that a 5% glucose solution may be admi nistered directly into patients thereby circumventing the major proble m of non-injectable eluates previously associated with this generator. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.