title: Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization imaging mass spectrometry detection of a magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent in mouse liver.
abstract: The present paper describes the detection of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS). The contrast agent was analyzed in both frozen and paraformaldehyde-fixed mouse livers explanted after its in vivo administration, and its identity was confirmed by fragmentation experiments. Moreover, a semiquantitative analysis was performed, evaluating its content in livers from mice sacrificed at different postadministration times. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of a MALDI-IMS analysis of MRI contrast agents and the first time that results obtained by MALDI-IMS are validated by both an in vivo (MRI) and an ex vivo (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, ICP-AES) technique. Results shown in the present paper demonstrate the possibility of using MALDI-IMS for drug biodistribution analysis. Obviously, this application is particularly interesting in the case of unlabeled compounds, which cannot be detected by any of the other imaging techniques.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Integrato Metodologie Avanzate, Bioindustry Park Canavese S.p.A., Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Acquadro
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cabella
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghiani
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Miragoli
authors.forename: Enrico M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Bucci
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Corpillo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media