title: Delayed hepatic signal recovery on ferucarbotran-enhanced magnetic resonance images: an experimental study in rat livers with gadolinium chloride-induced Kupffer cell damage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatic signal recovery, rather than reduction, in ferucarbotran-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a potential diagnostic marker of liver damage. We investigated hepatic signal recovery in rats with gadolinium chloride (GdCl3)-induced Kupffer cell (KC) damage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve rats received 8 μmol iron/kg of ferucarbotran 1 day after 0-7.5 mg/kg GdCl3 injection (experiment A). Another 12 rats received ferucarbotran followed by GdCl3 injection 6 h later (experiment B). In each experiment, three rats without GdCl3 ("no injury group") served as control. Another six rats received GdCl3 alone without ferucarbotran. Hepatic signals were assessed on T 2 (*) -weighted images for up to 29 days. Iron deposits were histologically examined on day 29.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hepatic signal recovery was delayed in a GdCl3 dose-dependent manner in experiment A. Gadolinium chloride alone reduced hepatic signal 15 % during this experiment. Hepatic signal recovery was delayed only in rats that received 7.5 mg/kg GdCl3 in experiment B. Hepatic signals negatively correlated with iron deposits in KCs and hepatocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatic signal recovery on ferucarbotran-enhanced MRI was delayed in the context of GdCl3-induced KC damage due to increased hepatic iron deposits. Hepatic signal recovery may be used as a clinical marker of KC damage in liver disorders, including radiation-induced hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Functional Imaging, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan. tfuruta-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Furuta
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Ryutaro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakagami
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akahane
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Kuni
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohtomo
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujii
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000009:adverse effects; D003911:Dextrans; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007728:Kupffer Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D005682:Gadolinium; C065507:ferumoxides; C038958:gadolinium chloride