title: Use of the intravascular contrast agent NC100150 injection in spin-echo and gradient-echo imaging of the heart.
abstract: This is the first study of the intravascular iron oxide particle contrast agent, NC100150 Injection (Nycomed Imaging AS, Oslo, Norway, a part of Nycomed Amersham) in magnetic resonance imaging of the human heart. Eighteen healthy male volunteers were studied at both 0.5 and 1.5 T before and after the administration of NC100150 Injection. Transaxial spin-echo images were acquired at both field strengths, conventional gradient-echo cine images at 0.5 T, and breathhold Turbo-FLASH cine images at 1.5 T. Optimized cine imaging sequences were used postcontrast, with a high flip angle of 60-70 degrees. In the spin-echo images there was a significant reduction in the blood pool flow artifact at the level of the right atrium (0.5 T, 57%, p < 0.01; 1.5 T, 41%, p = 0.01) and the left ventricle (LV) (0.5 T, 45%, p = 0.01; 1.5 T, 45%, p < 0.01). In the conventional gradient-echo cines at 0.5 T, there was a significant increase in the LV blood pool and myocardial signal difference-to-noise ratio (SDNR) in the diastolic (56%, p = 0.01) and systolic (141%, p < 0.001) frames. There was also a significant increase in the signal intensity (SI) gradient at the LV blood pool-myocardial border in the diastolic and systolic frames (both p < 0.001). At higher doses of NC100150 Injection (3 and 4 mg/kg), a rim of signal void around the LV blood pool was observed, perfectly defining the LV blood pool-myocardial border. In the Turbo-FLASH breathhold cines at 1.5 T, there was a significant increase in the LV blood pool-myocardial SDNR in the diastolic (221%, p < 0.001) and systolic (916%, p < 0.001) frames. Again, there was also a significant increase in the SI gradient at the LV blood pool-myocardial border in the diastolic and systolic frames (both p = 0.003). In conclusion, NC100150 Injection was given safely to 18 healthy subjects. Image quality and LV blood pool-myocardial definition were improved after the administration of NC100150 Injection. These improvements enable better spin-echo anatomical definition, better definition of myocardial wall motion, and should improve the capability of automated edge detection algorithms.
authors.affiliation: Magnetic Resonance Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Panting
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keegan
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Gatehouse
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jhooti
authors.forename: G Z
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McGill
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Burman
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Firmin
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Pennell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003911:Dextrans; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000379:methods*; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D008297:Male; D010087:Oxides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D010087:Oxides; C097921:ferumoxtran-10; D007501:Iron; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide