Dextran gadolinium complexes as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging to sentinel lymph nodes.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to investigate three dextran gadolinium complexes Dextran-DTPA-Gd as the potential MRI contrast agents in lymphatic system.


METHODS
Three dextran gadolinium complexes Dextran-DTPA-Gd containing differing amounts of Gd-DTPA were synthesized by the incorporation of Gd-DTPA to the hydroxyl groups of dextran. These dextran ligands and gadolinium complexes were characterized, and their properties in vitro and in vivo were also evaluated.


RESULTS
Dextran-DTPA-Gd demonstrated obviously higher relaxation effectiveness than that of Gd-DTPA. The result of in vitro cytotoxicity assay showed that these macromolecular ligands and their corresponding gadolinium complexes had low cytotoxicity to HeLa cells. Dextran-DTPA-Gd greatly enhanced the contrast of MR images of normal politeal lymph nodes and reactive hyperplasia of politeal lymph nodes in rabbits and provided prolonged duration in lymphatic system with lower injection doses than that of Gd-DTPA. However, Dextran-DTPA-Gd displayed low signal enhancements in MR images of politeal lymph nodes with VX2 carcinoma in rabbits during the detection time.


CONCLUSIONS
These dextran gadolinium complexes Dextran-DTPA-Gd can be taken up selectively by lymphatic system and showed the potential as MRI contrast agents in lymphatic system.
Yan
Guo-Ping
GP
School of Material Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430074, China. guopyan2006@163.com
Xu
Wei
W
Yang
Lian
L
Li
Liang
L
Liu
Fan
F
Guo
Qing-Zhong
QZ
D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D003911:Dextrans / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000473:pathology; D010316:Particle Size; D011817:Rabbits
D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; C075783:dextran-(gadolinium-DTPA)15; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA