In VivoAdministration of Glucose Oxidase Conjugated with Monoclonal Antibodies to Angiotensin-converting Enzyme: The Tissue Distribution, Blood Clearance, and Targeting into Rat Lungs

Abstract

A conjugate between glucose oxidase (GO) and monoclonal antibody to human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) cross-reacting with rat ACE (MoAb9b9) has been prepared by oxidation of the cardohydrate moiety of the enzyme with sodium periodate. The conjugate (GO-MoAb9b9) thus obtained retained both antigen-binding capacity and enzymatic activity. The fate of the conjugate in vivo after intravenous injection was studied using conjugates containing radiolabeled enzyme. GO-MoAb9b9 was specifically accumulated in rat lungs upon in vivo administration, as compared with free enzyme and nonimmune IgG-conjugated glucose oxidase. The specificity of the conjugate accumulation expressed as the localization ratio (the ratio between radioactivity of gram tissue to that of blood) (Loc. Ratio) reached a value up to 50 on the second day after injection, in contrast to native enzyme and to IgG-conjugated enzyme (Loc. Ratio was less than 0.5 for both preparations). The Loc. Ratio of GO-MoAb9b9 was even higher than that of the original antibody MoAb9b9 and was equal to 20, which is probably explained by an extremely rapid blood clearance of the conjugate from the circulation. The administration of excess free MoAb9b9 dramatically inhibited the conjugate targeting in the lung without any effect on liver uptake. At doses ranging from 10 to 1,000 micrograms/rat, the conjugate was accumulated in the lung without saturation of the antigen determinants of the target. At minimal doses, the efficiency of targeting achieved 5 to 7% of the conjugate injected. With elevation of the dose, the efficiency of targeting decreased to 2.5% of the injected dose (1 mg of GO-MoAb9b9 per rat). A sixfold greater accumulation of unmodified radiolabeled MoAb9b9 compared with the GO-MoAb9b9 conjugate in rat lung has been observed, though the kinetics of desorption from the target organ was similar for both the antibody and the conjugate. In the bloodstream, the conjugate persisted for at least 5 days without binding to blood cells; all circulating radioactivity was associated with proteins. A considerable part of the conjugate (to 50%) circulated as a tight antibody-enzyme complex for several days. The conjugate retained its antigen-binding capacity for at least 24 h; during this period, its enzymatic activity decreased by less than 40%. The results obtained provide the experimental ground for further attempts to apply glucose oxidase conjugates for local modulation of inflammation and elimination of the target cells.