title: Magnetic resonance imaging of gadolinium-labeled pancreatic islets for experimental transplantation.
abstract: New imaging techniques that couple anatomical resolution to sensitivity may greatly contribute to improving islet transplantation. In the present work, a report is given of the direct detection of islets by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after ex vivo cell labeling with the MRI T(1) contrast agent GdHPDO3A. Experiments on mouse and human islets demonstrated well-tolerated uptake of GdHPDO3A, based on morphology, viability, glucose-dependent insulin response and apoptosis/toxicity gene array profile. GdHPDO3A loading was sufficient for in vitro MRI cell detection. In vivo isotransplanted mouse islets into the kidney capsule and xenotransplanted human islets within the mouse liver were detected. Imaging specificity was supported by the absence of signal in unlabeled islet transplants, its persistence upon using fat-suppression MRI protocols and the colocalization with the transplanted islets. In conclusion, direct islet imaging with high spatial and contrast resolution after labeling with GdHPDO3A is demonstrated, allowing visualization of kidney subcapsular mouse islet grafts and intrahepatic human islet xenografts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Research Center for Experimental Medicine (CeRMS), University of Turin, Corso Dogliotti 14, Turin 10126, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Biancone
authors.forename: Simonetta Geninatti
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Crich
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cantaluppi
authors.forename: Giuseppe Mauriello
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Romanazzi
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scalabrino
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Figliolini
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beltramo
authors.forename: Paolo Cavallo
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Perin
authors.forename: Giuseppe Paolo
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Segoloni
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aime
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Camussi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005682:Gadolinium; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D006801:Humans; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D007668:Kidney; D008099:Liver; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011169:Portal Vein; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D016042:Transplantation, Heterotopic; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C062402:gadoteridol; D005682:Gadolinium