Liposome encapsulated MnCl2 as a liver specific contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • We examined the usefulness of MnCl2 entrapped in liposomes as a liver specific contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging. Toxicity experiments showed that the effective dose for imaging experiments was 7 to 11 times lower than the LD50 of free MnCl2. In rats with implanted liver tumors, liposome encapsulated MnCl2 caused a two- to three-fold increase in the relaxation rate of the liver while having little effect on the relaxation rate of tumor tissue. T1 weighted, magnetic resonance images obtained at 0.5 T of an R3230 adenocarcinoma implanted in the liver showed an increase in the signal intensity of both normal liver and tumor tissue after the injection of free MnCl2 (25 mumole/kg). However, after the injection of liposome encapsulated MnCl2 (40 mumole/kg) the liver exhibited a marked increase in signal intensity with little change in the signal intensity of the tumor tissue. These results suggest that liposome encapsulated MnCl2 has excellent potential as a liver specific contrast agent for the improved detection of liver metastases.

published proceedings

  • Invest Radiol

altmetric score

  • 3

author list (cited authors)

  • Niesman, M. R., Bacic, G. G., Wright, S. M., Swartz, H. J., & Magin, R. L.

citation count

  • 38

complete list of authors

  • Niesman, MR||Bacic, GG||Wright, SM||Swartz, HJ||Magin, RL

publication date

  • January 1990