Research Article

The radiotracer 99mTc-MIBI is not genotoxic for human peripheral blood lymphocytes at diagnostic radioactive dose

Published: August 04, 2009
Genet. Mol. Res. 8 (3) : 923-928 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4238/vol8-3gmr602
Cite this Article:
S.J. Hosseinimehr, A. Ahmadi, D. Beiki, A. Mahmoudzadeh, M. Babaei, E. Habibi (2009). The radiotracer 99mTc-MIBI is not genotoxic for human peripheral blood lymphocytes at diagnostic radioactive dose. Genet. Mol. Res. 8(3): 923-928. https://doi.org/10.4238/vol8-3gmr602
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Abstract

The radiotracer technetium-99m methoxyisobutyl isonitrile (99mTc-MIBI) has been widely used for myocardial blood flow imaging. We investigated the genotoxicity of 99mTc-MIBI in cultured human lymphocytes at the same concentration used in patients. Radioactivity doses were determined in whole blood at 5 min post-injection of 20 mCi 99mTc-MIBI in patients. Subsequently, whole blood of human volunteers was incubated with 1, 2.3, 4 or 8 μCi 99mTc-MIBI. After a 30-min incubation, the lymphocytes were stimulated with a mitogen to assay for micronuclei in cytokinesis-blocked binucleated cells. The frequency of micronuclei in samples treated with this radiopharmaceutical up to 2-fold (8 μCi) the concentration of 99mTc-MIBI normally found in the blood of patients was not more than in control lymphocyte cultures. We concluded that there is no increased induction of micronuclei in lymphocytes incubated with 99mTc-MIBI at the radioactivity doses used for diagnostic purposes.

The radiotracer technetium-99m methoxyisobutyl isonitrile (99mTc-MIBI) has been widely used for myocardial blood flow imaging. We investigated the genotoxicity of 99mTc-MIBI in cultured human lymphocytes at the same concentration used in patients. Radioactivity doses were determined in whole blood at 5 min post-injection of 20 mCi 99mTc-MIBI in patients. Subsequently, whole blood of human volunteers was incubated with 1, 2.3, 4 or 8 μCi 99mTc-MIBI. After a 30-min incubation, the lymphocytes were stimulated with a mitogen to assay for micronuclei in cytokinesis-blocked binucleated cells. The frequency of micronuclei in samples treated with this radiopharmaceutical up to 2-fold (8 μCi) the concentration of 99mTc-MIBI normally found in the blood of patients was not more than in control lymphocyte cultures. We concluded that there is no increased induction of micronuclei in lymphocytes incubated with 99mTc-MIBI at the radioactivity doses used for diagnostic purposes.