Pentetic Acid

Synonyms: Acidicum penteticum; N,N-bis[2-[bis(carboxymethyl)amino]ethyl]- glycine; [[(carboxymethyl)imino]bis(ethylenenitrilo)]tetraacetic acid; diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid; diethylenetriamineN,N,N0 ,N0 ,N00-pentaacetic acid; (diethylenetrinitrilo)pentaacetic acid; DTPA; glycine, N,N-bis[2-[bis(carboxymethyl)amino]ethyl]; pentacarboxymethyl diethylenetriamine; Versenex; ZK-43649.

Description: Pentetic acid occurs as a white crystalline solid and is almost odorless.

Chemical Name: 2-[Bis[2-(bis(carboxymethyl)amino)ethyl]amino]acetic acid

Antimicrobial preservative; chelating agent; sequestering agent; stabilizing agent.

• Pentetic acid is mainly used as a chelating agent in the preparation of imaging and contrast agents for radionuclide and magnetic resonance imaging.

• It is also used as a carrier excipient for neutron-capture isotopes in, for example, radiotherapy.

• Pentetic acid–isotope complexes have also been considered as model active substances in scintigraphic imaging studies.

• Pentetic acid has been used to chelate metal ions to reduce formation of reactive oxygen species during lyophilization.

The activity of pentetic acid as a chelating agent may cause unwanted effects in formulations containing metal ions. The desired chelate may be displaced by other ions from the formulation.

Pentetic acid is used in intrathecal and intravenous injection preparations. The pure form of pentetic acid is moderately toxic by the intraperitoneal route.

Observe normal precautions appropriate to the circumstances and quantity of the material handled. When heated to decomposition pentetic acid emits acrid smoke and irritating fumes.

Calcium trisodium pentetate; pentasodium pentetate; zinc trisodium pentetate