Ornithine metabolism plays a vital role in tumorigenesis. For cancer cells, ornithine is mainly used as a substrate for ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) to produce amounts of polyamines. The ODC as a key enzyme of polyamine metabolism has become an important target for cancer diagnosis and treatment. To non-invasively detect the levels of ODC expression in malignant tumors, we have synthesized a novel 68 Ga-labeled ornithine analog ( 68 Ga-NOTA-Orn). The synthesis time of 68 Ga-NOTA-Orn was about 30 min with a radiochemical yield of 45-50% (uncorrected), and the radiochemical purity was > 98%. 68 Ga-NOTA-Orn was stable in saline and rat serum. Cellular uptake and competitive inhibition assays using DU145 and AR42J cells demonstrated that the transport pathway of 68 Ga-NOTA-Orn was similar to that of Lornithine, and it could interact with the ODC after transporting into the cell. Biodistribution and micropositron emission tomography (Micro-PET) imaging studies showed that 68 Ga-NOTA-Orn exhibited rapid tumor uptake and was rapidly excreted through the urinary system. All above results suggested that 68 Ga-NOTA-Orn is a novel amino acid metabolic imaging agent with great potential of tumor diagnosis.

Ornithine metabolism plays a vital role in tumorigenesis. For cancer cells, ornithine is mainly used as a substrate for ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) to produce amounts of polyamines. The ODC as a key enzyme of polyamine metabolism has become an important target for cancer diagnosis and treatment. To non-invasively detect the levels of ODC expression in malignant tumors, we have synthesized a novel 68Ga-labeled ornithine analog (68Ga-NOTA-Orn). The synthesis time of 68Ga-NOTA-Orn was about 30 min with a radiochemical yield of 45–50% (uncorrected), and the radiochemical purity was > 98%. 68Ga-NOTA-Orn was stable in saline and rat serum. Cellular uptake and competitive inhibition assays using DU145 and AR42J cells demonstrated that the transport pathway of 68Ga-NOTA-Orn was similar to that of L-ornithine, and it could interact with the ODC after transporting into the cell. Biodistribution and micro-positron emission tomography (Micro-PET) imaging studies showed that 68Ga-NOTA-Orn exhibited rapid tumor uptake and was rapidly excreted through the urinary system. All above results suggested that 68Ga-NOTA-Orn is a novel amino acid metabolic imaging agent with great potential of tumor diagnosis.