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In vivo study of microbubbles as an MR susceptibility contrast agent
Author(s) -
Wong Kelvin K.,
Huang Ingjye,
Kim Young R.,
Tang Haiying,
Yang Edward S.,
Kwong Kenneth K.,
Wu Ed X.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.20181
Subject(s) - microbubbles , in vivo , inferior vena cava , chemistry , ultrasound , albumin , in vitro , magnetic resonance imaging , cecum , nuclear magnetic resonance , medicine , radiology , biology , biochemistry , physics , microbiology and biotechnology
The potential application of gas microbubbles as a unique intravascular susceptibility contrast agent for MRI has not been fully explored. In this study, the MR susceptibility effect of an ultrasound microbubble contrast agent, Optison®, was studied with rat liver imaging at 7 T. Optison® suspension in two different doses (0.15 mL/kg and 0.4 mL/kg) was injected into rats, and induced transverse relaxation rate increases (Δ R 2 *) of 29.1 ± 1.6 s −1 ( N = 2) and 61.5 ± 12.9 s −1 ( N = 6), respectively, in liver tissue. Liver uptake of intact albumin microbubbles was observed 10 min after injection. Eight of the 16 rats studied showed no susceptibility enhancement. This is probably attributable to the intravascular microbubble growth due to transmural CO 2 supersaturation in the cecum and colon in small animals that causes microbubble aggregation and trapping in the inferior vena cava (IVC). In vitro Δ R 2 * measurements of Optison® suspension at different concentrations are also reported. Magn Reson Med 52:445–452, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.