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Dynamic signal intensity changes in liver with superparamagnetic MR contrast agents
Author(s) -
Reimer Peter,
Kwong Kenneth K.,
Weisskoff Robert,
Cohen Mark S.,
Brady Thomas J.,
Weissleder Ralph
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.1880020210
Subject(s) - magnetic resonance imaging , asialoglycoprotein receptor , nuclear magnetic resonance , superparamagnetism , materials science , mononuclear phagocyte system , hepatocyte , chemistry , medicine , pathology , radiology , physics , biochemistry , magnetization , magnetic field , quantum mechanics , in vitro
The dynamic effects of three different superparamagnetic magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents on liver signal were evaluated with an echo‐planar imaging technique. The contrast agents were (a) USPIO (ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide), which has a long blood half‐life and was developed for MR imaging of lymph nodes and bone marrow; (b) AG (arabinogalactan)‐USPIO, an asialoglycoprotein receptor directed iron oxide with hepatocyte uptake; and (c) AMI‐25, a conventional reticuloendothelial iron oxide agent. Dynamic liver signal intensity (SI) curves reflect different uptake mechanisms for the different agents. Receptor blocking experiments indicate that intracellular redistribution or clustering of the AG‐USPIO (known to occur from electron microscopy studies) does not contribute to the decrease in liver SI. Monitoring liver SI over time with echo‐planar imaging may provide a better understanding of the kinetics of the growing number of MR contrast agents and allow optimization of imaging protocols to exploit peak enhancement.