title: In Vitro and In Vivo Assessment of Nonionic Iodinated Radiographic Molecules as Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Magnetic Resonance Imaging Tumor Perfusion Agents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate 4 nonionic x-ray iodinated contrast agents (CAs), commonly used in radiographic procedures, as novel chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agents by assessing their in vitro exchange properties and preliminary in vivo use as tumor enhancing agents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The CEST properties, as function of pH (range, 5.5-7.9) and of radio frequency conditions (irradiation field strength range of 1-9 μT and time of 1-9 seconds), have been determined at 7 T and 310 K for 4 x-ray CAs commonly used in clinical settings, namely, iomeprol, iohexol, ioversol, and iodixanol. Their in vivo properties have been investigated upon intravenous injection in a murine HER2+ breast tumor model (n = 4 mice for each CA) using both computed tomography (CT) and MRI modalities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prototropic exchange rates measured for the 4 investigated iodinated molecules showed strong pH dependence with base catalyzed exchange rate that was faster for monomeric compounds (20-4000 Hz in the pH range of 5.5-7.9). Computed tomography quantification showed marked (up to 2 mg I/mL concentration) and prolonged accumulation (up to 30 minutes postinjection) inside tumor regions. Among the 4 agents we tested, iohexol and ioversol display good CEST contrast properties at 7 T, and in vivo results confirmed strong and prolonged contrast enhancement of the tumors, with elevated extravasation fractions (74%-91%). A strong and significant correlation was found between CT and CEST-MRI tumor-enhanced images (R = 0.70, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The obtained results demonstrate that iohexol and ioversol, 2 commonly used radiographic compounds, can be used as MRI perfusion agents, particularly useful when serial images acquisitions are needed to complement CT information.
authors.affiliation: From the *Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini - CNR, Molecular Biotechnology Center, and †Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Imaging Center, University of Turin, Turin; ‡Department of Science and Technological Innovation, Università del Piemonte Orientale A. Avogadro, Alessandria, Italy; §Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Hanshan Normal University, Guangdong, China; ∥Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown; Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital; and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Dario Livio
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Michelotti
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Consolino
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bardini
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Digilio
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Phillip Zhe
authors.initials: PZ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aime
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007472:Iohexol / Q000737:chemistry; D007479:Iopamidol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000175:diagnosis*; D051379:Mice; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014283:Triiodobenzoic Acids / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D014283:Triiodobenzoic Acids; C057937:iomeprol; D007472:Iohexol; C044834:iodixanol; D007479:Iopamidol; C054871:ioversol