Radiolabeling of equine platelets in plasma with 111In-(2-mercaptopyridine-N-oxide) and their in vivo survival.

A method is presented for the in vitro isolation and radiolabeling of equine platelets with the isotope indium 111 (111In: half-life = 2.8 days, gamma = 173 keV, 89%; 247 keV, 94%). The technique described involves complexing 111In with the lipid-soluble chelating agent, 2-mercaptopyridine-N-oxide (merc), in an aqueous medium. 111In-merc platelet-labeling efficiencies in autologous plasma pretreated with or without ferric citrate reagent were 82 +/- 7% and 24 +/- 12%, respectively. Mean intravascular survivals of 111In-merc-radiolabeled platelets in 8 healthy horses according to simple linear, exponential, mean, weighted-mean residual sum of squares analysis, and multiple-hit model were 5.5 +/- 0.49, 3.5 +/- 0.53, 4.5 +/- 0.18, 4.3 +/- 0.65, and 3.6 +/- 0.97 days, respectively.