title: A Hyaluronic Acid-Conjugated Gadolinium Hepatocyte-Specific T1 Contrast Agent for Liver Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we synthesized hyaluronic acid-conjugated gadolinium (HA-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA)-Gd) and evaluated as hepatocyte-specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent for the diagnosis of hepatic metastasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted Fourier transform (FT)-IR analysis to determine the conjugation of HA and DTPA and performed cell viability assays using NIH3T3 and FL83B cell lines. We also conducted T1-weighted MRI of HA-DTPA-Gd and gadoxetic acid to compare the paramagnetic properties of both.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HA-DTPA-Gd had a higher efficiency in liver MRI compared with the commercially available liver-specific contrast agent (p < 0.001). HA-DTPA-Gd, which possessed a higher T1 relaxivity, showed excellent capability for the diagnosis of hepatic metastasis through an in vivo MRI study in comparison with gadoxetic acid (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on this study, we believe that HA-DTPA-Gd has promising potential for use as a contrast agent for liver MRI of hepatic metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, 501-746, South Korea.
authors.forename: MyeongJu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Reju George
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Seon-U
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Myong-Suk
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Woo Kyun
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Suk Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Nam Yeol
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.forename: Yong Yeon
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Jeong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D005682:Gadolinium