Human albumin microspheres

Albunex is a suspension of air-fiUed human albumin microspheres. In an assessment of the safety of Albunex (Molecular Biosystem Inc USA, Nycomed, Oslo Norway) in imaging the left ventricle in 52 patients, there were no major or minor adverse events and no changes in vital signs (2). 

Commercial kits contain the lyophilized, sterile components including preformed albumin microspheres in a multidose vial, sealed under a nitrogen atmosphere. Labeling with Tc eluate is carried out under aseptic conditions by injecting a volume of 2-10 ml of eluate corresponding to a Tc activity of maximal of 5.5 GBq (5-150 mCi). The reaction is allowed to proceed at room temperature for 15 min. " Tc-human albumin microspheres (HAM) is a sterile, pyrogen-free suspension suitable for intravenous injection. The pH of the injection solution is 4.0-9.0 (European Pharmacopeia). 

Littenberg RL (1975) Anaphylactoid reaction to human albumin microspheres. J Nucl Med 16 236-237... 

Weller DA (1975) Toxicity of particles on intracoronary injection. In Subramanian G, Rhodes BA, Cooper JF, Sodd VJ (eds) Radiopharmaceuticals. Society of Nuclear Medicine, New York, p 370 Weller DA, Adolph RJ, Wellman HN, Carrol RG, Kim O (1972) Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy after intracoronary injection of Tc-99m-labeled human albumin microspheres. Toxicity and efficacy for detecting myocardial infarction in dogs, preliminary results in man. Circulation 46 963-975... 

The first case of an anaphylactoid reaction to the intravenous diagnostic administration of Tc -labeled human albumin microspheres was recently reported (Littenberg 1975). The symptoms comprised flush, severe bronchospasm, and rapid fall of blood pressure to unmeasurable levels. The patient recovered following treatment with epinephrine, benadryl, and hydrocortisone. 

Fig. 10 Release of cromolyn sodium (sodium cromoglycate) from human serum albumin microspheres prepared using a water-oil emulsion technique with 5% glutaraldehyde as cross-linking agent. Dissolution medium pH 7 phosphate buffer. (From Ref. 98.)... 

Zolle I, Hosein F, Rhodes BATK, Wagner HN Jr (1970) Human serum albumin microspheres for studies of the reticuloendothelial system. J Nucl Med 11 379. 

Tomlinson, E., Burger, J., and Schoonderwoerd, E. Human serum albumin microspheres for intraarterial drug targeting of cytostatic compounds, pharmaceutical aspects and release characteristics, in Microspheres and Drug Therapy. Pharmaceutical, Immunological and Medical Aspects, ed. S. Davies et al. New York Elsevier Science Publishers, 1984, pp. 217-227. 

Nakamura et al. ° studied the adhesion of water-soluble and neutral polymers, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), xanthan gum (XG), tamarind gum (TG), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to nasal mucosa in vitro and in vivo. The polymers, mixed with a dye, were applied as powders to the nasal cavity of rabbits, and the remaining dye residue was determined at 2, 4, and 6 h after nasal instillation with a thin fiberscope. The polymer XG showed the longest residence time of the dye in the cavity, followed by TG, HPC, and PVA in decreasing order. For the mixture XG and XG-PVA (2 8), some residue of dye could still be observed 6h after administration. The order of adhesion of these polymers to agar plates in vitro agreed with that of their mucoadhesion in vivo. Ilium et al. introduced bioadhesive microspheres for nasal delivery of poorly absorbable drugs. Radiolabelled microspheres made from diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-dextran, starch microspheres, and albumin microspheres were administered to human volunteers and appeared to be cleared significantly slower than solutions or... 

The use of Tc-albumin microspheres in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to human albumin is contraindicated. 

Blau M, Wicks R, Thomas SR, Lathrop KA (1982) MIRD dose estimate report no. 10. Radiation absorbed dose from albumin microspheres labelled with technetium-99m. J Nucl Med 23 915-917 Bolles TF, Kubiatowicz DO, Evans RL, Grotenhuis IM, Nora JC (1973) Tc-99m-labelled albumin (human) microspheres (15-30 micron). Their preparation, properties and uses. In Radiopharmaceuticals and labelled compounds, vol. 1. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, p 151-167 Council of Europe (1992) Guide for the preparation, use and quality assurance of blood components. Strasbourg... 

Zolle I, Kropf G (1982) Factors affecting the trapping and clearance of microspheres. In Anghilieri L (ed) General processes of radiotracer localization, vol. 2. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 15-38 Zolle I, Rhodes BA, Wagner HN Jr (1970) Preparation of metabolizable radioactive human serum albumin microspheres for studies of the circulation. Int J Appl Rad Isot 21 155-167... 

In the measurement of pulmonary perfusion, Ga-labeled albumin microspheres have been used extensively [79]. Pulmonary perfusion involves vascular injection of labeled microspheres sized such that they will be mechanically trapped by the first capillary bed they encounter [80]. Previously, a commercial albumin microsphere kit (3M Instant Microspheres) was used in the preparation of Ga microspheres however, this product has been discontinued. Methods were developed to radiolabel macroaggregated human serum albumin (HSA) with Ga using a lyophilized Technescan MAA kit (Mallinckrodt Inc.) [25,33]. 

More recently 211 At adsorbed on silver coated human serum albumin (HSA) microspheres has been used by Wunderlich, Doberenz and their colleagues46,94-99 to study the accumulation of the isotope in some tumour-bearing tissues of mice and pigs, and in one special case for human therapy100. 

Ref. 12 describes the preparation of microspheres of lysozyme, insulin, albumin, and recombinant human deoxyribonuclease. Of these proteins, insulin powders demonstrated the highest degree of agglomeration. 

Li, X., Deng, X., and Huang, Z. (2001), In vitro protein release and degradation of poly-DL-lactide-poly(ethylene glycol) microspheres with entrapped human serum albumin Quantitative evaluation of the factors involved in protein release phase, Pharm. Res., 18,117-124. 

Coupling reactions of various proteins to the cellulose microspheres can be conducted by the CNBr activation method [29]. The proteins employed are bovine serum albumin (BSA), bovine immunoglobulin G(IgG), gelatin, tuftsin, and human serum fibronection (FN). 

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