title: Contrast-enhanced susceptibility weighted imaging with ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide improves the detection of tumor vascularity in a hepatocellular carcinoma nude mouse model.
abstract: To evaluate the effectiveness of contrast-enhanced susceptibility-weighted imaging with ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO-enhanced SWI) in the assessment of intratumoral vascularity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  
  Orthotopic xenograft HCC nude mouse models were established first and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations were performed on a 1.5T MR scanner 28 days later. Three groups of mice, 10 in each, were imaged using unenhanced and USPIO-enhanced SWI at doses of 4, 8, and 12 mg Fe/kg. Intratumoral susceptibility signal intensity (ITSS) was scored. ITSS-to-tumor contrast-to-noise ratio (ITSST-CNR) was measured. These measurements were compared between unenhanced and USPIO-enhanced SWI at each dose and differences in the measurements between different dose groups were estimated. Correlation between ITSS and tumor microvessel density (MVD) was analyzed.
  
  
  
  Compared with unenhanced SWI, significantly higher ITSS was identified on USPIO-enhanced SWI at doses of 8 mg Fe/kg (Z = -2.000, P = 0.046) and 12 mg Fe/kg (Z = -2.333, P = 0.020). Significantly higher ITSST-CNR was found on USPIO-enhanced SWI than that on unenhanced SWI (P < 0.05). Significantly higher ITSST-CNR at a dose of 8 mg Fe/kg was observed than that at 4 mg Fe/kg (Z = -3.326, P = 0.001). Positive correlation between ITSS on USPIO-enhanced SWI at a dose of 8 mg Fe/kg and tumor MVD was demonstrated (r = 0.817, P = 0.004).
  
  
  
  USPIO-enhanced SWI at a dose of 8 mg Fe/kg greatly improves the detection of intratumoral vascularity in a xenograft HCC model. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;44:288-295.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, P.R. China.|Department of Radiology, Shuguang Hosipital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shuo-Hui
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shuguang Hosipital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yuan-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shuguang Hosipital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd, Shenzhen, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Cai-Xia
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Engineering, Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Feng-Lin
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Engineering, Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hong-Chen
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; C097921:ferumoxtran-10
keywords: animal model; hepatocellular carcinoma; susceptibility weighted imaging; tumor micro-vessel density; ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide