Sample records for agents including gadolinium

  1. Gadolinium Endohedral Metallofullerene-Based MRI Contrast Agents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bolskar, Robert D.

    With the ability to encapsulate and carry the highly paramagnetic Gd3+ ion, gadolinium endohedral metallofullerenes or "gadofullerenes" are being explored as alternatives to the chelate complexes that are currently used for contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Reviewed here are the various water-soluble derivatives of the gadofullerenes Gd@C82, Gd@C60, and Gd3N@C80 that have been investigated as MRI contrast agents. The water proton r1 relaxivities of gadofullerenes can be more than an order of magnitude higher than those of clinically used chelate agents. Gadofullerene relaxivity mechanisms have been studied, and multiple factors are found to contribute to their high relaxivities. In vitro and in vivoT1-weighted MRI tests of gadofullerene derivatives have shown their utility as bright image-enhancing agents. The gadofullerene MRI contrast agents are a promising new and unique style of gadolinium carrier for advanced imaging applications, including cellular and molecular imaging.

  2. [Gadolinium-based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging].

    PubMed

    Carrasco Muñoz, S; Calles Blanco, C; Marcin, Javier; Fernández Álvarez, C; Lafuente Martínez, J

    2014-06-01

    Gadolinium-based contrast agents are increasingly being used in magnetic resonance imaging. These agents can improve the contrast in images and provide information about function and metabolism, increasing both sensitivity and specificity. We describe the gadolinium-based contrast agents that have been approved for clinical use, detailing their main characteristics based on their chemical structure, stability, and safety. In general terms, these compounds are safe. Nevertheless, adverse reactions, the possibility of nephrotoxicity from these compounds, and the possibility of developing nephrogenic systemic fibrosis will be covered in this article. Lastly, the article will discuss the current guidelines, recommendations, and contraindications for their clinical use, including the management of pregnant and breast-feeding patients. Copyright © 2014 SERAM. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  3. Gadolinium-based magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents in interventional radiology.

    PubMed

    Atar, Eli

    2004-07-01

    Gadolinium-based agents are widely used in magnetic resonance imaging as contrast agents. These agents are radio-opaque enough for diagnostic imaging of the vascular tree by using digitally subtracted images as well as for imaging of the biliary system and the urinary tract. The recommended doses for gadolinium do not impair renal function or cause adverse reactions in patients with iodine sensitivity; thus patients with such conditions can safely undergo diagnostic angiography, either by MRI angiography or by catheterization using gadolinium as contrast agent, for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

  4. Subcellular SIMS imaging of gadolinium isotopes in human glioblastoma cells treated with a gadolinium containing MRI agent

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Duane R.; Lorey, Daniel R.; Chandra, Subhash

    2004-06-01

    Neutron capture therapy is an experimental binary radiotherapeutic modality for the treatment of brain tumors such as glioblastoma multiforme. Recently, neutron capture therapy with gadolinium-157 has gained attention, and techniques for studying the subcellular distribution of gadolinium-157 are needed. In this preliminary study, we have been able to image the subcellular distribution of gadolinium-157, as well as the other six naturally abundant isotopes of gadolinium, with SIMS ion microscopy. T98G human glioblastoma cells were treated for 24 h with 25 mg/ml of the metal ion complex diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid Gd(III) dihydrogen salt hydrate (Gd-DTPA). Gd-DTPA is a contrast enhancing agent used for MRI of brain tumors, blood-brain barrier impairment, diseases of the central nervous system, etc. A highly heterogeneous subcellular distribution was observed for gadolinium-157. The nuclei in each cell were distinctly lower in gadolinium-157 than in the cytoplasm. Even within the cytoplasm the gadolinium-157 was heterogeneously distributed. The other six naturally abundant isotopes of gadolinium were imaged from the same cells and exhibited a subcellular distribution consistent with that observed for gadolinium-157. These observations indicate that SIMS ion microscopy may be a viable approach for subcellular studies of gadolinium containing neutron capture therapy drugs and may even play a major role in the development and validation of new gadolinium contrast enhancing agents for diagnostic MRI applications.

  5. Use of gadolinium-based magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents and awareness of brain gadolinium deposition among pediatric providers in North America.

    PubMed

    Mithal, Leena B; Patel, Payal S; Mithal, Divakar; Palac, Hannah L; Rozenfeld, Michael N

    2017-05-01

    Numerous recent articles have reported brain gadolinium deposition when using linear but not macrocyclic gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). To determine the current landscape of gadolinium use among pediatric institutions and the knowledge base of radiologists and referring providers with regard to GBCAs and brain gadolinium deposition. We e-mailed voluntary closed surveys to 5,390 physicians in various pediatric professional societies between January 2016 and March 2016. We used chi-square and Fisher exact tests to compare response distributions among specialties. We found that 80% of surveyed pediatric hospitals use macrocyclic contrast agents. In the last year, 58% switched their agent, most commonly to gadoterate meglumine, with the most common reason being brain gadolinium deposition. Furthermore, surveys indicated that 23% of hospitals are considering switching, and, of these, 83% would switch to gadoterate meglumine; the most common reasons were brain gadolinium deposition and safety. Radiologists were more aware of brain gadolinium deposition than non-radiologist physicians (87% vs. 26%; P<0.0001). Radiologists and referring providers expressed similar levels of concern (95% and 89%). Twelve percent of radiologists and 2% of referring providers reported patients asking about brain gadolinium deposition. Radiologists were significantly more comfortable addressing patient inquiries than referring pediatric physicians (48% vs. 6%; P<0.0001). The number of MRIs requested by referring pediatric physicians correlated with their knowledge of brain gadolinium deposition, contrast agent used by their hospital, and comfort discussing brain gadolinium deposition with patients (P<0.0001). Since the discovery of brain gadolinium deposition, many pediatric hospitals have switched to or plan to switch to a more stable macrocyclic MR contrast agent, most commonly gadoterate meglumine. Despite this, there is need for substantial further education of radiologists and

  6. Pediatric Patients Demonstrate Progressive T1-Weighted Hyperintensity in the Dentate Nucleus following Multiple Doses of Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agent.

    PubMed

    Roberts, D R; Chatterjee, A R; Yazdani, M; Marebwa, B; Brown, T; Collins, H; Bolles, G; Jenrette, J M; Nietert, P J; Zhu, X

    2016-12-01

    While there have been recent reports of brain retention of gadolinium following gadolinium-based contrast agent administration in adults, a retrospective series of pediatric patients has not previously been reported, to our knowledge. We investigated the relationship between the number of prior gadolinium-based contrast agent doses and increasing T1 signal in the dentate nucleus on unenhanced T1-weighted MR imaging. We hypothesized that despite differences in pediatric physiology and the smaller gadolinium-based contrast agent doses that pediatric patients are typically administered based on weighted-adjusted dosing, the pediatric brain would also demonstrate dose-dependent increasing T1 signal in the dentate nucleus. We included children with multiple gadolinium-based contrast agent administrations at our institution. A blinded reader placed ROIs within the dentate nucleus and adjacent cerebellar white matter. To eliminate reader bias, we also performed automated ROI delineation of the dentate nucleus, cerebellar white matter, and pons. Dentate-to-cerebellar white matter and dentate-to pons ratios were compared with the number of gadolinium-based contrast agent administrations. During 20 years at our institution, 280 patients received at least 5 gadolinium-based contrast agent doses, with 1 patient receiving 38 doses. Sixteen patients met the inclusion/exclusion criteria for ROI analysis. Blinded reader dentate-to-cerebellar white matter ratios were significantly associated with gadolinium-based contrast agent doses (r s = 0.77, P = .001). The dentate-to-pons ratio and dentate-to-cerebellar white matter ratios based on automated ROI placement were also significantly correlated with gadolinium-based contrast agent doses (t = 4.98, P < .0001 and t = 2.73, P < .02, respectively). In pediatric patients, the number of prior gadolinium-based contrast agent doses is significantly correlated with progressive T1-weighted dentate hyperintensity. Definitive confirmation of

  7. Gadolinium-based contrast agent toxicity: a review of known and proposed mechanisms.

    PubMed

    Rogosnitzky, Moshe; Branch, Stacy

    2016-06-01

    Gadolinium chelates are widely used as contrast media for magnetic resonance imaging. The approved gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) have historically been considered safe and well tolerated when used at recommended dosing levels. However, for nearly a decade, an association between GBCA administration and the development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) has been recognized in patients with severe renal impairment. This has led to modifications in clinical practices aimed at reducing the potential and incidence of NSF development. Newer reports have emerged regarding the accumulation of gadolinium in various tissues of patients who do not have renal impairment, including bone, brain, and kidneys. Despite the observations of gadolinium accumulation in tissues regardless of renal function, very limited clinical data regarding the potential for and mechanisms of toxicity is available. This significant gap in knowledge warrants retrospective cohort study efforts, as well as prospective studies that involve gadolinium ion (Gd(3+)) testing in patients exposed to GBCA. This review examines the potential biochemical and molecular basis of gadolinium toxicity, possible clinical significance of gadolinium tissue retention and accumulation, and methods that can limit gadolinium body burden.

  8. Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents for MR Cancer Imaging

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Zhuxian; Lu, Zheng-Rong

    2013-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a clinical imaging modality effective for anatomical and functional imaging of diseased soft tissues, including solid tumors. MRI contrast agents have been routinely used for detecting tumor at an early stage. Gadolinium based contrast agents are the most commonly used contrast agents in clinical MRI. There have been significant efforts to design and develop novel Gd(III) contrast agents with high relaxivity, low toxicity and specific tumor binding. The relaxivity of the Gd(III) contrast agents can be increased by proper chemical modification. The toxicity of Gd(III) contrast agents can be reduced by increasing the agents’ thermodynamic and kinetic stability, as well as optimizing their pharmacokinetic properties. The increasing knowledge in the field of cancer genomics and biology provides an opportunity for designing tumor-specific contrast agents. Various new Gd(III) chelates have been designed and evaluated in animal models for more effective cancer MRI. This review outlines the design and development, physicochemical properties, and in vivo properties of several classes of Gd(III)-based MR contrast agents for tumor imaging. PMID:23047730

  9. Retention of Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents in Multiple Sclerosis: Retrospective Analysis of an 18-Year Longitudinal Study.

    PubMed

    Forslin, Y; Shams, S; Hashim, F; Aspelin, P; Bergendal, G; Martola, J; Fredrikson, S; Kristoffersen-Wiberg, M; Granberg, T

    2017-07-01

    Gadolinium-based contrast agents have been associated with lasting high T1-weighted signal intensity in the dentate nucleus and globus pallidus, with histopathologically confirmed gadolinium retention. We aimed to longitudinally investigate the relationship of multiple gadolinium-based contrast agent administrations to the Signal Intensity Index in the dentate nucleus and globus pallidus and any associations with cognitive function in multiple sclerosis. The Signal Intensity Index in the dentate nucleus and globus pallidus was retrospectively evaluated on T1-weighted MR imaging in an 18-year longitudinal cohort study of 23 patients with MS receiving multiple gadolinium-based contrast agent administrations and 23 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Participants also underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing. Patients with MS had a higher Signal Intensity Index in the dentate nucleus ( P < .001), but not in the globus pallidus ( P = .19), compared with non-gadolinium-based contrast agent-exposed healthy controls by an unpaired t test. Increasing numbers of gadolinium-based contrast agent administrations were associated with an increased Signal Intensity Index in the dentate nucleus (β = 0.45, P < .001) and globus pallidus (β = 0.60, P < .001). This association remained stable with corrections for the age, disease duration, and physical disability for both the dentate nucleus (β = 0.43, P = .001) and globus pallidus (β = 0.58, P < .001). An increased Signal Intensity Index in the dentate nucleus among patients with MS was associated with lower verbal fluency scores, which remained significant after correction for several aspects of disease severity (β = -0.40 P = .013). Our data corroborate previous reports of lasting gadolinium retention in brain tissues. An increased Signal Intensity Index in the dentate nucleus and globus pallidus was associated with lower verbal fluency, which does not prove causality but encourages further studies on cognition

  10. The evolution of gadolinium based contrast agents: from single-modality to multi-modality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Li; Liu, Ruiqing; Peng, Hui; Li, Penghui; Xu, Zushun; Whittaker, Andrew K.

    2016-05-01

    Gadolinium-based contrast agents are extensively used as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents due to their outstanding signal enhancement and ease of chemical modification. However, it is increasingly recognized that information obtained from single modal molecular imaging cannot satisfy the higher requirements on the efficiency and accuracy for clinical diagnosis and medical research, due to its limitation and default rooted in single molecular imaging technique itself. To compensate for the deficiencies of single function magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents, the combination of multi-modality imaging has turned to be the research hotpot in recent years. This review presents an overview on the recent developments of the functionalization of gadolinium-based contrast agents, and their application in biomedicine applications.

  11. Acute side effects of three commonly used gadolinium contrast agents in the paediatric population.

    PubMed

    Neeley, Chris; Moritz, Michael; Brown, Jeffrey J; Zhou, Yihua

    2016-07-01

    To determine the incidence of acute side effects of three commonly used gadolinium contrast agents in the paediatric population. A retrospective review of medical records was performed to determine the incidence of acute adverse side effects of i.v. gadolinium contrast agents [MultiHance(®) (Bracco Diagnostics Inc., Princeton, NJ), Magnevist(®) (Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Wayne, NJ) or Gadavist(®) (Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals)] in paediatric patients. 40 of the 2393 patients who received gadolinium contrast agents experienced acute side effects, representing an incidence of 1.7%. The majority of the acute side effects (in 30 patients) were nausea and vomiting. The incidence was significantly higher in non-sedated patients (2.37% vs 0.7%; p = 0.0018). Furthermore, without sedation, the incidence of both nausea and vomiting was significantly higher in children receiving MultiHance, with a 4.48% incidence of nausea when compared with Magnevist (0.33%, p < 0.0001) and Gadavist (0.28%, p < 0.0001) and a 2.36% incidence of vomiting compared with those for Magnevist (0.50%, p = 0.0054) and Gadavist (0.28%, p = 0.014), whereas no difference was observed between Magnevist and Gadavist within the power of the study. In addition, there was no apparent difference between any of the three contrast agents for the incidence of allergy or other acute side effects detected, given the sample size. The gadolinium contrast agents MultiHance, Magnevist and Gadavist have a low incidence of acute side effects in the paediatric population, a rate that is further reduced in moderately sedated patients. MultiHance demonstrated significantly increased incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms compared with Magnevist and Gadavist. The incidence of acute side effects of three commonly used gadolinium contrast agents was determined in the paediatric population, which can have clinical implications.

  12. Biocompatible Polyhydroxyethylaspartamide-based Micelles with Gadolinium for MRI Contrast Agents

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Biocompatible poly-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-d,l-aspartamide]-methoxypoly(ethyleneglycol)-hexadecylamine (PHEA-mPEG-C16) conjugated with 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecan-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid-gadolinium (DOTA-Gd) via ethylenediamine (ED) was synthesized as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent. Amphiphilic PHEA-mPEG-C16-ED-DOTA-Gd forms micelle in aqueous solution. All the synthesized materials were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). Micelle size and shape were examined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Micelles with PHEA-mPEG-C16-ED-DOTA-Gd showed higher relaxivities than the commercially available gadolinium contrast agent. Moreover, the signal intensity of a rabbit liver was effectively increased after intravenous injection of PHEA-mPEG-C16-ED-DOTA-Gd. PMID:21170410

  13. Biocompatible Polyhydroxyethylaspartamide-based Micelles with Gadolinium for MRI Contrast Agents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jeong, Sang Young; Kim, Hyo Jeong; Kwak, Byung-Kook; Lee, Ha-Young; Seong, Hasoo; Shin, Byung Cheol; Yuk, Soon Hong; Hwang, Sung-Joo; Cho, Sun Hang

    2010-12-01

    Biocompatible poly-[ N-(2-hydroxyethyl)- d, l-aspartamide]-methoxypoly(ethyleneglycol)-hexadecylamine (PHEA-mPEG-C16) conjugated with 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecan-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid-gadolinium (DOTA-Gd) via ethylenediamine (ED) was synthesized as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent. Amphiphilic PHEA-mPEG-C16-ED-DOTA-Gd forms micelle in aqueous solution. All the synthesized materials were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). Micelle size and shape were examined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Micelles with PHEA-mPEG-C16-ED-DOTA-Gd showed higher relaxivities than the commercially available gadolinium contrast agent. Moreover, the signal intensity of a rabbit liver was effectively increased after intravenous injection of PHEA-mPEG-C16-ED-DOTA-Gd.

  14. Critical Questions Regarding Gadolinium Deposition in the Brain and Body After Injections of the Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents, Safety, and Clinical Recommendations in Consideration of the EMA's Pharmacovigilance and Risk Assessment Committee Recommendation for Suspension of the Marketing Authorizations for 4 Linear Agents.

    PubMed

    Runge, Val M

    2017-06-01

    For magnetic resonance, the established class of intravenous contrast media is the gadolinium-based contrast agents. In the 3 decades since initial approval, these have proven in general to be very safe for human administration. However, in 2006, a devastating late adverse reaction to administration of the less stable gadolinium-based contrast agents was identified, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. The result of actions taken by the European Medicines Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration, stratifying the agents by risk and contraindicating specific agents in severe renal dysfunction, has led to no new cases being identified in North America or Europe. Subsequently, in 2014, long-term deposition in the brain of gadolinium was first shown, after administration of 2 nonionic linear chelates, gadodiamide, and gadopentetate dimeglumine. This has led to an intense focus on the question of in vivo distribution, possible dechelation, and subsequent deposition of gadolinium, together with substantial clarification of the phenomenon as well as stratification of the agents on this basis. This review focuses on 8 critical questions regarding gadolinium deposition in the brain and body, with the answers and discussion therein important for future regulatory decisions and clinical practice. It is now clear that dechelation of gadolinium occurs in vivo with the linear agents and is responsible for this phenomenon, with key experts in the field recommending, except where there is no suitable alternative, a shift in clinical practice from the linear to macrocyclic agents. In addition, on March 10, 2017, the Pharmacovigilance and Risk Assessment Committee of the European Medicines Agency recommended suspension of the marketing authorization for 4 linear gadolinium contrast agents-specifically Omniscan, Optimark, Magnevist, and MultiHance (gadodiamide, gadoversetamide, gadopentetate dimeglumine, and gadobenate dimeglumine)-for intravenous injection. Cited in the report was

  15. Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF): a late adverse reaction to some of the gadolinium based contrast agents

    PubMed Central

    Marckmann, Peter; Logager, Vibeke B.

    2007-01-01

    Abstract Until recently it was believed that extracellular gadolinium based contrast agents were safe for both the kidneys and all other organs within the dose range up to 0.3 mmol/kg body weight. However, in 2006, it was demonstrated that some gadolinium based contrast agents may trigger the development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, a generalised fibrotic disorder, in renal failure patients. Accordingly, the use of gadodiamide and gadopentate dimeglumine for renal failure patients was banned in Europe in spring 2007. The same two compounds should only be used cautiously in patients with moderate renal dysfunction. The current paper reviews the situation (July 2007) regarding gadolinium based contrast agent and the severe delayed reaction to some of these agents. The fear of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis should not lead to a denial of a well indicated enhanced magnetic resonance imaging examination. PMID:17905680

  16. Tracing gadolinium-based contrast agents from surface water to drinking water by means of speciation analysis.

    PubMed

    Birka, Marvin; Wehe, Christoph A; Hachmöller, Oliver; Sperling, Michael; Karst, Uwe

    2016-04-01

    In recent decades, a significant amount of anthropogenic gadolinium has been released into the environment as a result of the broad application of contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Since this anthropogenic gadolinium anomaly has also been detected in drinking water, it has become necessary to investigate the possible effect of drinking water purification on these highly polar microcontaminats. Therefore, a novel highly sensitive method for speciation analysis of gadolinium is presented. For that purpose, the hyphenation of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was employed. In order to enhance the detection power, sample introduction was carried out by ultrasonic nebulization. In combination with a novel HILIC method using a diol-based stationary phase, it was possible to achieve superior limits of detection for frequently applied gadolinium-based contrast agents below 20pmol/L. With this method, the contrast agents Gd-DTPA, Gd-DOTA and Gd-BT-DO3A were determined in concentrations up to 159pmol/L in samples from several waterworks in a densely populated region of Germany alongside the river Ruhr as well as from a waterworks near a catchment lake. Thereby, the direct impact of anthropogenic gadolinium species being present in the surface water on the amount of anthropogenic gadolinium in drinking water was shown. There was no evidence for the degradation of contrast agents, the release of Gd(3+) or the presence of further Gd species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Gadolinium Distribution in Cerebrospinal Fluid after Administration of a Gadolinium-based MR Contrast Agent in Humans.

    PubMed

    Berger, Florian; Kubik-Huch, Rahel A; Niemann, Tilo; Schmid, Hans Ruedi; Poetzsch, Michael; Froehlich, Johannes M; Beer, Jürg H; Thali, Michael J; Kraemer, Thomas

    2018-05-08

    Purpose To evaluate whether gadolinium penetrates human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after MR imaging (MRI) with a gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA). Materials and Methods For this retrospective study, the authors analyzed 60 CSF samples from 57 patients (median age, 50 years; range, 3-92 years) who underwent one contrast material-enhanced MRI examination with gadoterate meglumine within 60 days of CSF extraction between January and December 2016. CSF samples from patients who underwent MRI without contrast material administration (n = 22) or those who underwent contrast-enhanced MRI at least 1 year before extraction (n = 2) were analyzed and used as control samples. CSF measurements were performed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry by monitoring the gadolinium 158 isotope. Statistical analyses were performed by using a preliminary Kruskal-Wallis test. Results Higher CSF gadolinium concentrations were detected within the first 8 hours after GBCA administration (mean concentration, 1152 ng/mL ± 734.6). Concentrations were lower between 8 and 48 hours (872 ng/mL ± 586). After 48 hours, gadolinium was almost completely cleared from CSF (121 ng/mL ± 296.3). All but two samples from the 24 control patients (median age, 60.5 years; range, 19-79 years) were negative for the presence of gadolinium. Those samples were from patients who had undergone GBCA-enhanced MRI examination more than a year before CSF extraction (0.1 and 0.2 ng/mL after 1 and 3 years, respectively). The concentrations in patients with chronic renal insufficiency (n = 3), cerebral toxoplasmosis (n = 1), and liver cirrhosis (n = 1) were higher than the mean concentrations. Conclusion Gadoterate meglumine can be detected in human CSF after intravenous administration. © RSNA, 2018.

  18. Proton Relaxivity and Magnetic Hyperthermia Evaluation of Gadolinium Doped Nickel Ferrite Nanoparticles as Potential Theranostic Agents.

    PubMed

    Yadavalli, Tejabhiram; Raja, Paradeep; Ramaswamy, Shivaraman; Chandrasekharan, Gopalakrishnan; Chennakesavulu, Ramasamy

    2017-02-01

    This paper outlines the preparation of gadolinium doped nickel ferrite nanoparticles as potential magnetic carriers and longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents using hydrothermal method with gadolinium concentration varying from 10% to 40%. A concise effect on the crystal structure was observed at 10% and 20% gadolinium doping, while gadolinium oxide was observed to leach at concentrations exceeding 20%. Further, gadolinium doped nickel ferrites were analyzed for their morphological, magnetic, proton relaxation and magnetic hyperthermia heating properties to understand their potential role as magnetic carrier agents. Low temperature and room temperature magnetic studies conducted on the samples showed comparatively high magnetic saturation with low remanent magnetization. Further, relaxometry studies revealed a high relaxation rate of 6.63 s−1 at a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL. Magnetic hyperthermia studies of the samples at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, assessed that the samples attained a temperature of 68 °C in 240 seconds.

  19. Technical aspects of MRI signal change quantification after gadolinium-based contrast agents' administration.

    PubMed

    Ramalho, Joana; Ramalho, Miguel; AlObaidy, Mamdoh; Semelka, Richard C

    2016-12-01

    Over the last 2years several studies have been published regarding gadolinium deposition in brain structures in patients with normal renal function after repeated administrations of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). Most of the publications are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based retrospective studies, where gadolinium deposition may be indirectly measured by evaluating changes in T1 signal intensity (SI) in brain tissue, particularly in the dentate nucleus (DN) and/or globus pallidi (GP). The direct correlation between T1 signal changes and gadolinium deposition was validated by human pathology studies. However, the variability of the MR equipment and parameters used across different publications, along with the inherent limitations of MRI to assess gadolinium in human tissues should be acknowledged when interpreting those studies. Nevertheless, MRI studies remain essential regarding gadolinium bio-distribution knowledge. The aim of this paper is to overview current knowledge of technical aspects of T1 signal intensity evaluation by MRI and describe confounding factors, with the intention to achieve higher accuracy and maximize reproducibility. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Gadolinium toxicity and treatment.

    PubMed

    Ramalho, Joana; Ramalho, Miguel; Jay, Michael; Burke, Lauren M; Semelka, Richard C

    2016-12-01

    Gadolinium based contrast agents (GBCAs) play an important role in the diagnostic evaluation of many patients. The safety of these agents has been once again questioned after gadolinium deposits were observed and measured in brain and bone of patients with normal renal function. This retention of gadolinium in the human body has been termed "gadolinium storage condition". The long-term and cumulative effects of retained gadolinium in the brain and elsewhere are not as yet understood. Recently, patients who report that they suffer from chronic symptoms secondary to gadolinium exposure and retention created gadolinium-toxicity on-line support groups. Their self-reported symptoms have recently been published. Bone and joint complaints, and skin changes were two of the most common complaints. This condition has been termed "gadolinium deposition disease". In this review we will address gadolinium toxicity disorders, from acute adverse reactions to GBCAs to gadolinium deposition disease, with special emphasis on the latter, as it is the most recently described and least known. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Transient arterial phase respiratory motion-related artifact in MR imaging of the liver: an analysis of four different gadolinium-based contrast agents.

    PubMed

    Shah, Mansi R; Flusberg, Milana; Paroder, Viktoriya; Rozenblit, Alla M; Chernyak, Victoria

    The purpose was to compare hepatic arterial phase (HAP) respiratory motion artifact (RMA) between gadoxetate, gadobutrol, gadopentetate, and gadobenate. Two hundred cases of each gadolinium agent were included. RMA was assigned using 5-point Likert scale (1=no motion, 5=extreme motion) on precontrast and HAP. RMA increase (increase ≥1 on HAP from precontrast) was the outcome in logistic regression. Odds of RMA increase for gadoxetate were 5.5 (P<.001), 3.6 (P=.034), and 9.5 (P<.001) times higher than gadobutrol, gadopentetate, and gadobenate, respectively. Gadolinium volume and dose were not independent predictors of RMA increase. Gadoxetate has increased odds of RMA compared with other gadolinium agents; tight contrast bolus is not a contributor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Simple method for quantification of gadolinium magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents using ESR spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Takeshita, Keizo; Kinoshita, Shota; Okazaki, Shoko

    2012-01-01

    To develop an estimation method of gadolinium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents, the effect of concentration of Gd compounds on the ESR spectrum of nitroxyl radical was examined. A solution of either 4-oxo-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (TEMPONE) or 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (TEMPOL) was mixed with a solution of Gd compound and the ESR spectrum was recorded. Increased concentration of gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid chelate (Gd-DTPA), an MRI contrast agent, increased the peak-to-peak line widths of ESR spectra of the nitroxyl radicals, in accordance with a decrease of their signal heights. A linear relationship was observed between concentration of Gd-DTPA and line width of ESR signal, up to approximately 50 mmol/L Gd-DTPA, with a high correlation coefficient. Response of TEMPONE was 1.4-times higher than that of TEMPOL as evaluated from the slopes of the lines. The response was slightly different among Gd compounds; the slopes of calibration curves for acua[N,N-bis[2-[(carboxymethyl)[(methylcarbamoyl)methyl]amino]ethyl]glycinato(3-)]gadolinium hydrate (Gd-DTPA-BMA) (6.22 μT·L/mmol) and gadolinium-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid chelate (Gd-DOTA) (6.62 μT·L/mmol) were steeper than the slope for Gd-DTPA (5.45 μT·L/mmol), whereas the slope for gadolinium chloride (4.94 μT·L/mmol) was less steep than that for Gd-DTPA. This method is simple to apply. The results indicate that this method is useful for rough estimation of the concentration of Gd contrast agents if calibration is carried out with each standard compound. It was also found that the plot of the reciprocal square root of signal height against concentrations of contrast agents could be useful for the estimation if a constant volume of sample solution is taken and measured at the same position in the ESR cavity every time.

  3. Gadolinium chloride as a contrast agent for imaging wood composite components by magnetic resonance

    Treesearch

    Thomas L. Eberhardt; Chi-Leung So; Andrea Protti; Po-Wah So

    2009-01-01

    Although paramagnetic contrast agents have an established track record in medical uses of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), only recently has a contrast agent been used for enhancing MRI images of solid wood specimens. Expanding on this concept, wood veneers were treated with a gadolinium-based contrast agent and used in a model system comprising three-ply plywood...

  4. Porphyrin-containing polyaspartamide gadolinium complexes as potential magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents.

    PubMed

    Yan, Guo-Ping; Li, Zhen; Xu, Wei; Zhou, Cheng-Kai; Yang, Lian; Zhang, Qiao; Li, Liang; Liu, Fan; Han, Lin; Ge, Yuan-Xing; Guo, Jun-Fang

    2011-04-04

    Porphyrin-containing polyaspartamide ligands (APTSPP-PHEA-DTPA) were synthesized by the incorporation of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and 5-(4'-aminophenyl)-10,15,20-tris(4'-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin, trisodium salt (APTSPP) into poly-α,β-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-l-aspartamide] (PHEA). These ligands were further reacted with gadolinium chloride to produce macromolecule-gadolinium complexes (APTSPP-PHEA-DTPA-Gd). Experimental data of (1)H NMR, IR, UV and elemental analysis evidenced the formation of the polyaspartamide ligands and gadolinium complexes. In vitro and in vivo property tests indicated that APTSPP-PHEA-DTPA-Gd possessed noticeably higher relaxation effectiveness, less toxicity to HeLa cells, and significantly higher enhanced signal intensities (SI) of the VX2 carcinoma in rabbits with lower injection dose requirement than that of Gd-DTPA. Moreover, APTSPP-PHEA-DTPA-Gd was found to greatly enhance the contrast of MR images of the VX2 carcinoma, providing prolonged intravascular duration, and distinguished the VX2 carcinoma and normal tissues in rabbits according to MR image signal enhancements. These porphyrin-containing polyaspartamide gadolinium complexes can be used as the candidates of contrast agents for targeted MRI to tumors. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Room temperature ferromagnetic gadolinium silicide nanoparticles

    DOEpatents

    Hadimani, Magundappa Ravi L.; Gupta, Shalabh; Harstad, Shane; Pecharsky, Vitalij; Jiles, David C.

    2018-03-06

    A particle usable as T1 and T2 contrast agents is provided. The particle is a gadolinium silicide (Gd5Si4) particle that is ferromagnetic at temperatures up to 290 K and is less than 2 .mu.m in diameter. An MRI contrast agent that includes a plurality of gadolinium silicide (Gd.sub.5Si.sub.4) particles that are less than 1 .mu.m in diameter is also provided. A method for creating gadolinium silicide (Gd5Si4) particles is also provided. The method includes the steps of providing a Gd5Si4 bulk alloy; grinding the Gd5Si4 bulk alloy into a powder; and milling the Gd5Si4 bulk alloy powder for a time of approximately 20 minutes or less.

  6. Revisiting the Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents: Differences in Long-Term Biodistribution and Excretion.

    PubMed

    Lancelot, Eric

    2016-11-01

    Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) have been used for years for magnetic resonance imaging examinations. Because of their rapid blood clearance, they were considered as very safe products until some of them were shown to induce nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in patients with renal failure and hypersignals on T1-weighted unenhanced brain scans of patients with normal renal function. To date, these adverse effects have been related almost exclusively to the use of low-stability linear agents, which are more prone to release free gadolinium. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to ascertain the existence of a deep compartment for gadolinium storage in the body and to assess whether all the GBCAs present the same toxicokinetic profile. Applying a systematic literature search methodology, all clinical and preclinical studies reporting time-dependent plasma concentrations and renal excretion data of gadolinium were identified and analyzed. Since the individual data were not available, the analysis focused on the average values per groups of subjects or animals, which had received a given GBCA at a given dose. The rate constants of the distribution phase (α), rapid elimination phase (β), and residual excretion phase (γ) of gadolinium were determined in each group from the plasma concentration (Cp) time curves and the relative urinary excretion rate (rER) time curves, taking the 2-hour time point as a reference. Moreover, as bone may represent a reservoir for long-term gadolinium accumulation and slow release into the blood stream, the time curves of the relative concentration in the bone (rCB) of Gd-labeled GBCAs in mice or rats were analyzed taking day 1 concentrations as a reference. The ratio of gadolinium concentrations in the bone marrow (CBM) as compared with the bone (CB) was also calculated. The relative urinary excretion rate (rER) plots revealed a prolonged residual excretion phase of gadolinium in healthy volunteers, consistent with the existence of

  7. Removal of gadolinium by peritoneal dialysis.

    PubMed

    Murashima, M; Drott, H R; Carlow, D; Shaw, L M; Milone, M; Bachman, M; Tsai, D E; Yang, S-L; Bloom, R D

    2008-05-01

    An association between gadolinium-containing contrast and the development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) has been increasingly recognized. For patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) who are exposed to gadolinium, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recommends HD to remove this contrast agent in order to minimize the risk of NSF. This study examines if gadolinium can be removed by frequent exchanges by peritoneal dialysis (PD). Following administration of 0.1 mmol/kg of gadodiamide to a patient with end-stage renal disease, the serum clearance of this contrast agent by automated PD was examined. 10 and 15 exchanges of PD using an automated cycler were respectively performed during the first and second 24-hour periods after gadolinium exposure. Serum gadolinium levels were measured 1 hour after the gadolinium administration, then at 24 and 48 hours after PD was initiated. 90% of the gadolinium was removed from the circulation in 2 days with a regimen of 10-15 exchanges per day of PD. For patients on chronic maintenance PD who receive gadolinium, our case suggests that a temporary intensive automated PD regimen, aimed at maximizing clearance of this contrast agent immediately after exposure, could be an effective alternative when institution of HD is problematic.

  8. Pathophysiology of gadolinium-associated systemic fibrosis

    PubMed Central

    Drel, Viktor; Gorin, Yves

    2016-01-01

    Systemic fibrosis from gadolinium-based magnetic resonance imaging contrast is a scourge for the afflicted. Although gadolinium-associated systemic fibrosis is a rare condition, the threat of litigation has vastly altered clinical practice. Most theories concerning the etiology of the fibrosis are grounded in case reports rather than experiment. This has led to the widely accepted conjecture that the relative affinity of certain contrast agents for the gadolinium ion inversely correlates with the risk of succumbing to the disease. How gadolinium-containing contrast agents trigger widespread and site-specific systemic fibrosis and how chronicity is maintained are largely unknown. This review highlights experimentally-derived information from our laboratory and others that pertain to our understanding of the pathophysiology of gadolinium-associated systemic fibrosis. PMID:27147669

  9. The use of innovative gadolinium-based contrast agent for MR-diagnosis of cancer in the experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chernov, V.; Medvedeva, A.; Sinilkin, I.; Zelchan, R.; Grigorev, E.; Frolova, I.; Nam, I.

    2016-02-01

    The present study of the functional suitability and specific activity of the contrast agent gadolinium-based for magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated that the investigated contrast agent intensively accumulates in organs and anatomical structures of the experimental animals. In the model of tumor lesions in animals, study have shown that investigational contrast agent accumulates in the tumor tissue and retained there in for a long enough time.

  10. Are gadolinium contrast agents suitable for gadolinium neutron capture therapy?

    PubMed

    De Stasio, Gelsomina; Rajesh, Deepika; Casalbore, Patrizia; Daniels, Matthew J; Erhardt, Robert J; Frazer, Bradley H; Wiese, Lisa M; Richter, Katherine L; Sonderegger, Brandon R; Gilbert, Benjamin; Schaub, Sebastien; Cannara, Rachel J; Crawford, John F; Gilles, Mary K; Tyliszczak, Tolek; Fowler, John F; Larocca, Luigi M; Howard, Steven P; Mercanti, Delio; Mehta, Minesh P; Pallini, Roberto

    2005-06-01

    Gadolinium neutron capture therapy (GdNCT) is a potential treatment for malignant tumors based on two steps: (1) injection of a tumor-specific (157)Gd compound; (2) tumor irradiation with thermal neutrons. The GdNC reaction can induce cell death provided that Gd is proximate to DNA. Here, we studied the nuclear uptake of Gd by glioblastoma (GBM) tumor cells after treatment with two Gd compounds commonly used for magnetic resonance imaging, to evaluate their potential as GdNCT agents. Using synchrotron X-ray spectromicroscopy, we analyzed the Gd distribution at the subcellular level in: (1) human cultured GBM cells exposed to Gd-DTPA or Gd-DOTA for 0-72 hours; (2) intracerebrally implanted C6 glioma tumors in rats injected with one or two doses of Gd-DOTA, and (3) tumor samples from GBM patients injected with Gd-DTPA. In cell cultures, Gd-DTPA and Gd-DOTA were found in 84% and 56% of the cell nuclei, respectively. In rat tumors, Gd penetrated the nuclei of 47% and 85% of the tumor cells, after single and double injection of Gd-DOTA, respectively. In contrast, in human GBM tumors 6.1% of the cell nuclei contained Gd-DTPA. Efficacy of Gd-DTPA and Gd-DOTA as GdNCT agents is predicted to be low, due to the insufficient number of tumor cell nuclei incorporating Gd. Although multiple administration schedules in vivo might induce Gd penetration into more tumor cell nuclei, a search for new Gd compounds with higher nuclear affinity is warranted before planning GdNCT in animal models or clinical trials.

  11. Impact of Impaired Renal Function on Gadolinium Retention After Administration of Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents in a Mouse Model.

    PubMed

    Kartamihardja, A Adhipatria P; Nakajima, Takahito; Kameo, Satomi; Koyama, Hiroshi; Tsushima, Yoshito

    2016-10-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of impaired renal function on gadolinium (Gd) retention in various organs after Gd-based contrast agent injection. After local animal care and review committee approval, 23 normal mice and 26 with renal failure were divided into 4 treatment groups (Gd-DTPA-BMA, 5 mmol/kg; Gd-DOTA, 5 mmol/kg; GdCl3, 0.02 mmol/kg; and saline, 250 μL). Each agent was intravenously administered on weekdays for 4 weeks. Samples were collected on days 3 (short-term) and 45 (long-term) after the last injection. Gadolinium concentrations were quantified by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Three mice with renal failure and 2 normal mice in the GdCl3 group and 1 mouse with renal failure in the Gd-DTPA-BMA group died. In the Gd-DTPA-BMA group, impaired renal function increased short-term Gd retention in the liver, bone, spleen, skin, and kidney (P < 0.01) but did not affect long-term Gd retention. Gd-DTPA-BMA showed higher Gd retention than Gd-DOTA. Although Gd retention in the Gd-DOTA group was generally low, impaired renal function increased only long-term hepatic Gd retention. Hepatic and splenic Gd retentions were significantly higher than other organs' Gd retention in the GdCl3 group (P < 0.01). Renal function did not affect brain Gd retention, regardless of the Gd compound used. The tendency of Gd retention varied according to the agent, regardless of renal function. Although renal impairment increased short-term Gd retention after Gd-DTPA-BMA administration, long-term Gd retention for Gd-based contrast agents was almost unaffected by renal function, suggesting that the chemical structures of retained Gd may not be consistent and some Gd is slowly eliminated after initially being retained.

  12. Accumulation of MRI contrast agents in malignant fibrous histiocytoma for gadolinium neutron capture therapy.

    PubMed

    Fujimoto, T; Ichikawa, H; Akisue, T; Fujita, I; Kishimoto, K; Hara, H; Imabori, M; Kawamitsu, H; Sharma, P; Brown, S C; Moudgil, B M; Fujii, M; Yamamoto, T; Kurosaka, M; Fukumori, Y

    2009-07-01

    Neutron-capture therapy with gadolinium (Gd-NCT) has therapeutic potential, especially that gadolinium is generally used as a contrast medium in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The accumulation of gadolinium in a human sarcoma cell line, malignant fibrosis histiocytoma (MFH) Nara-H, was visualized by the MRI system. The commercially available MRI contrast medium Gd-DTPA (Magnevist, dimeglumine gadopentetate aqueous solution) and the biodegradable and highly gadopentetic acid (Gd-DTPA)-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (Gd-nanoCPs) were prepared as MRI contrast agents. The MFH cells were cultured and collected into three falcon tubes that were set into the 3-tesra MRI system to acquire signal intensities from each pellet by the spin echo method, and the longitudinal relaxation time (T1) was calculated. The amount of Gd in the sample was measured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrography (ICP-AES). The accumulation of gadolinium in cells treated with Gd-nanoCPs was larger than that in cells treated with Gd-DTPA. In contrast, and compared with the control, Gd-DTPA was more effective than Gd-nanoCPs in reducing T1, suggesting that the larger accumulation exerted the adverse effect of lowering the enhancement of MRI. Further studies are warranted to gain insight into the therapeutic potential of Gd-NCT.

  13. Anti-EpCAM scFv gadolinium chelate: a novel targeted MRI contrast agent for imaging of colorectal cancer.

    PubMed

    Khantasup, Kannika; Saiviroonporn, Pairash; Jarussophon, Suwatchai; Chantima, Warangkana; Dharakul, Tararaj

    2018-05-08

    The development of targeted contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facilitates enhanced cancer imaging and more accurate diagnosis. In the present study, a novel contrast agent was developed by conjugating anti-EpCAM humanized scFv with gadolinium chelate to achieve target specificity. The material design strategy involved site-specific conjugation of the chelating agent to scFv. The scFv monomer was linked to maleimide-DTPA via unpaired cysteine at the scFv C-terminus, followed by chelation with gadolinium (Gd). Successful scFv-DTPA conjugation was achieved at 1:10 molar ratio of scFv to maleimide-DTPA at pH 6.5. The developed anti-EpCAM-Gd-DTPA MRI contrast agent was evaluated for cell targeting ability, in vitro serum stability, cell cytotoxicity, relaxivity, and MR contrast enhancement. A high level of targeting efficacy of anti-EpCAM-Gd-DTPA to an EpCAM-overexpressing HT29 colorectal cell was demonstrated by confocal microscopy. Good stability of the contrast agent was obtained and no cytotoxicity was observed in HT29 cells after 48 h incubation with 25-100 µM of Gd. Favorable imaging was obtained using anti-EpCAM-Gd-DTPA, including 1.8-fold enhanced relaxivity compared with Gd-DTPA, and MR contrast enhancement observed after binding to HT29. The potential benefit of this contrast agent for in vivo MR imaging of colorectal cancer, as well as other EpCAM positive cancers, is suggested and warrants further investigation.

  14. Polydisulfide Manganese(II) Complexes as Non-Gadolinium Biodegradable Macromolecular MRI Contrast Agents

    PubMed Central

    Ye, Zhen; Jeong, Eun-Kee; Wu, Xueming; Tan, Mingqian; Yin, Shouyu; Lu, Zheng-Rong

    2011-01-01

    Purpose To develop safe and effective manganese(II) based biodegradable macromolecular MRI contrast agents. Materials and Methods In this study, we synthesized and characterized two polydisulfide manganese(II) complexes, Mn-DTPA cystamine copolymers and Mn-EDTA cystamine copolymers, as new biodegradable macromolecular MRI contrast agents. The contrast enhancement of the two manganese based contrast agents were evaluated in mice bearing MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma xenografts, in comparison with MnCl2. Results The T1 and T2 relaxivities were 4.74 and 10.38 mM−1s−1 per manganese at 3T for Mn-DTPA cystamine copolymers (Mn=30.50 kDa) and 6.41 and 9.72 mM−1s−1 for Mn-EDTA cystamine copolymers (Mn= 61.80 kDa). Both polydisulfide Mn(II) complexes showed significant liver, myocardium and tumor enhancement. Conclusion The manganese based polydisulfide contrast agents have a potential to be developed as alternative non-gadolinium contrast agents for MR cancer and myocardium imaging. PMID:22031457

  15. Gadolinium-enhanced MR images of the growing piglet skeleton: ionic versus nonionic contrast agent.

    PubMed

    Menezes, Nina M; Olear, Elizabeth A; Li, Xiaoming; Connolly, Susan A; Zurakowski, David; Foley, Mary; Shapiro, Frederic; Jaramillo, Diego

    2006-05-01

    To determine whether there are differences in the distribution of ionic and nonionic gadolinium-based contrast agents by evaluating contrast enhancement of the physis, epiphyseal cartilage, secondary ossification center, and metaphysis in the knees of normal piglets. Following approval from the Subcommittee on Research Animal Care, knees of 12 3-week-old piglets were imaged at 3-T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging after intravenous injection of gadoteridol (nonionic contrast agent; n = 6) or gadopentetate dimeglumine (ionic contrast agent; n = 6). Early enhancement evaluation with gradient-echo MR imaging was quantified and compared (Student t test) by means of enhancement ratios. Distribution of contrast material was assessed and compared (Student t test) by means of T1 measurements obtained before and at three 15-minute intervals after contrast agent administration. The relative visibility of the physis, epiphyseal cartilage, secondary ossification center, and metaphysis was qualitatively assessed by two observers and compared (Wilcoxon signed rank test). Differences in matrix content and cellularity that might explain the imaging findings were studied at histologic evaluation. Enhancement ratios were significantly higher for gadoteridol than for gadopentetate dimeglumine in the physis, epiphyseal cartilage, and secondary ossification center (P < .05). After contrast agent administration, T1 values decreased sharply for both agents-but more so for gadoteridol. Additionally, there was less variability in T1 values across structures with this contrast agent. Gadoteridol resulted in greater visibility of the physis, while gadopentetate dimeglumine resulted in greater contrast between the physis and metaphysis (P < .05). The results suggest different roles for the two gadolinium-based contrast agents: The nonionic contrast medium is better suited for evaluating perfusion and anatomic definition in the immature skeleton, while the ionic contrast medium is better for

  16. Evaluating the potential of chelation therapy to prevent and treat gadolinium deposition from MRI contrast agents

    DOE PAGES

    Rees, Julian A.; Deblonde, Gauthier J. -P.; An, Dahlia D.; ...

    2018-03-13

    Several MRI contrast agent clinical formulations are now known to leave deposits of the heavy metal gadolinium in the brain, bones, and other organs of patients. This persistent biological accumulation of gadolinium has been recently recognized as a deleterious outcome in patients administered Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs) for MRI, prompting the European Medicines Agency to recommend discontinuing the use of over half of the GBCAs currently approved for clinical applications. Here, to address this problem, we find that the orally-available metal decorporation agent 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) demonstrates superior efficacy at chelating and removing Gd from the body compared to diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, amore » ligand commonly used in the United States in the GBCA Gadopentetate (Magnevist). Using the radiotracer 153Gd to obtain precise biodistribution data, the results herein, supported by speciation simulations, suggest that the prophylactic or post-hoc therapeutic use of 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) may provide a means to mitigate Gd retention in patients requiring contrast-enhanced MRI.« less

  17. Evaluating the potential of chelation therapy to prevent and treat gadolinium deposition from MRI contrast agents

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rees, Julian A.; Deblonde, Gauthier J. -P.; An, Dahlia D.

    Several MRI contrast agent clinical formulations are now known to leave deposits of the heavy metal gadolinium in the brain, bones, and other organs of patients. This persistent biological accumulation of gadolinium has been recently recognized as a deleterious outcome in patients administered Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs) for MRI, prompting the European Medicines Agency to recommend discontinuing the use of over half of the GBCAs currently approved for clinical applications. Here, to address this problem, we find that the orally-available metal decorporation agent 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) demonstrates superior efficacy at chelating and removing Gd from the body compared to diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, amore » ligand commonly used in the United States in the GBCA Gadopentetate (Magnevist). Using the radiotracer 153Gd to obtain precise biodistribution data, the results herein, supported by speciation simulations, suggest that the prophylactic or post-hoc therapeutic use of 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) may provide a means to mitigate Gd retention in patients requiring contrast-enhanced MRI.« less

  18. Graphene oxide-gadolinium (III) oxide nanoparticle composite: a novel MR contrast agent with high longitudinal and transverse relaxivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Venkatesha, N.; Poojar, Pavan; Geethanath, Sairam; Srivastava, Chandan

    2014-12-01

    Production of bio-compatible contrast agent materials to enhance the sensitivity of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique is a highly active area in MRI related research. This work illustrates the potential of a new material: graphene oxide-gadolinium (III) oxide nanoparticle (GO-Gd2O3) composite in yielding both transverse (16.3 mM-1 s-1) and longitudinal relaxivity (40 mM-1 s-1) values which are significantly higher than the proton relaxivity values achieved using the gadolinium based contrast agents currently used in MRI. Such high proton relaxivity values can facilitate low dosage of GO-Gd2O3 composite for obtaining both T1 and T2 weighted high signal-to-noise ratio images in MRI.

  19. High Relaxivity Gadolinium Hydroxypyridonate-Viral Capsid Conjugates: Nano-sized MRI Contrast Agents

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Meux, Susan C.; Datta, Ankona; Hooker, Jacob M.

    2007-08-29

    High relaxivity macromolecular contrast agents based on the conjugation of gadolinium chelates to the interior and exterior surfaces of MS2 viral capsids are assessed. The proton nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion (NMRD) profiles of the conjugates show up to a five-fold increase in relaxivity, leading to a peak relaxivity (per Gd{sup 3+} ion) of 41.6 mM{sup -1}s{sup -1} at 30 MHz for the internally modified capsids. Modification of the exterior was achieved through conjugation to flexible lysines, while internal modification was accomplished by conjugation to relatively rigid tyrosines. Higher relaxivities were obtained for the internally modified capsids, showing that (1) theremore » is facile diffusion of water to the interior of capsids and (2) the rigidity of the linker attaching the complex to the macromolecule is important for obtaining high relaxivity enhancements. The viral capsid conjugated gadolinium hydroxypyridonate complexes appear to possess two inner-sphere water molecules (q = 2) and the NMRD fittings highlight the differences in the local motion for the internal ({tau}{sub RI} = 440 ps) and external ({tau}{sub RI} = 310 ps) conjugates. These results indicate that there are significant advantages of using the internal surface of the capsids for contrast agent attachment, leaving the exterior surface available for the installation of tissue targeting groups.« less

  20. Distribution and chemical forms of gadolinium in the brain: a review.

    PubMed

    Kanda, Tomonori; Nakai, Yudai; Hagiwara, Akifumi; Oba, Hiroshi; Toyoda, Keiko; Furui, Shigeru

    2017-11-01

    In the 3 years since residual gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) in the brain was first reported, much has been learned about its accumulation, including the pathway of GBCA entry into the brain, the brain distribution of GBCA and its excretion. Here we review recent progress in understanding the routes of gadolinium deposition in brain structures.

  1. Removal of gadolinium-based contrast agents: adsorption on activated carbon.

    PubMed

    Elizalde-González, María P; García-Díaz, Esmeralda; González-Perea, Mario; Mattusch, Jürgen

    2017-03-01

    Three carbon samples were employed in this work, including commercial (1690 m 2  g -1 ), activated carbon prepared from guava seeds (637 m 2  g -1 ), and activated carbon prepared from avocado kernel (1068 m 2  g -1 ), to study the adsorption of the following gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs): gadoterate meglumine Dotarem®, gadopentetate dimeglumine Magnevist®, and gadoxetate disodium Primovist®. The activation conditions with H 3 PO 4 were optimized using a Taguchi methodology to obtain mesoporous materials. The best removal efficiency by square meter in a batch system in aqueous solution and model urine was achieved by avocado kernel carbon, in which mesoporosity prevails over microporosity. The kinetic adsorption curves were described by a pseudo-second-order equation, and the adsorption isotherms in the concentration range 0.5-6 mM fit the Freundlich equation. The chemical characterization of the surfaces shows that materials with a greater amount of phenolic functional groups adsorb the GBCA better. Adsorption strongly depends on the pH due to the combination of the following factors: contrast agent protonated forms and carbon surface charge. The tested carbon samples were able to adsorb 70-90% of GBCA in aqueous solution and less in model urine. This research proposes a method for the elimination of GBCA from patient urine before its discharge into wastewater.

  2. Gadolinium based contrast agents in current practice: Risks of accumulation and toxicity in patients with normal renal function

    PubMed Central

    Ranga, Anju; Agarwal, Yatish; Garg, Kanika J

    2017-01-01

    Despite being decked as the most prized compounds in the nugget box of contrast agents for clinical radiologists, and carrying an indisputable tag of safety of the US Food and Drug Administration for close to three decades, all may not be seemingly well with the family of gadolinium compounds. If the first signs of violations of primum non nocere in relation to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) appeared in the millennium year with the first published report of skin fibrosis in patients with compromised renal function, the causal relationship between the development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) and GBCAs, first proposed by two European groups in 2006, further precluded their use in renocompromised patients. The toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of GBCAs, however, has come under hawk-eyed scrutiny with recent reports that gadolinium tends to deposit cumulatively in the brain of patients with normal hepatobiliary function and intact blood–brain barrier. While the jury on the long-term hazard significance of this critical scientific finding is still out, the use of GBCAs must be guided by due clinical diligence, avoidance of repeated doses, and preferring GBCAs with the best safety profiles. PMID:28744073

  3. Characteristics of Gadolinium Oxide Nanoparticles Using Terahertz Spectroscopy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, Dongkyu; Maeng, Inhee; Son, Joo-Hiuk

    2009-04-19

    The penetration property of the terahertz electromagnetic (THz) wave is relevant to its use. We used the THz wave spectroscopy system which easily penetrates some materials that do not contain water, e.g., plastic and ceramics. The system has been developed for several purposes, including measuring the properties of semiconductors and bio-materials, and detecting plastic bombs and ceramic knives at airports. It is also used for medical imaging systems, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), at some research institutes. It can show not only the difference in amplitude, but also the difference of the phase of each point of sample. MRImore » technology usually uses contrast agents to enhance the quality of the image. Gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA), made with a heavy metal ion, is commonly used as a clinical MRI contrast agent. Gadolinium oxide (Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}) nanoparticle is a new contrast agent. It serves to equip the core of each particle with antibodies or ligands. It can freely circulate in blood vessels without amassing in the liver or lungs. This study shows the characteristics of gadolinium oxide nanoparticles to further advance terahertz medical imaging.« less

  4. Effects of gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents on liver tissue.

    PubMed

    Mercantepe, Tolga; Tümkaya, Levent; Çeliker, Fatma Beyazal; Topal Suzan, Zehra; Çinar, Seda; Akyildiz, Kerimali; Mercantepe, Filiz; Yilmaz, Adnan

    2018-04-01

    MRI with contrast is often used clinically. However, recent studies have reported a high accumulation of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) in kidney, liver, and spleen tissues in several mouse models. To compare the effects on liver tissue of gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents in the light of biochemical and histopathological evaluation. Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved controlled longitudinal study. In all, 32 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a healthy control group subjected to no procedure (Group 1), a sham group (Group 2), a gadodiamide group (Group 3), and a gadoteric acid group (Group 4). Not applicable. Liver tissues removed at the end of the fifth week and evaluated pathologically (scored Knodell's histological activity index [HAI] method by two histopathologists) immunohistochemical (caspase-3 and biochemical tests (AST, ALT, TAS, TOS, and OSI method by Erel et al) were obtained. Differences between groups were analyzed using the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test followed by the Tamhane test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Turkey's HSD test. An increase was observed in histological activity scores in sections from rats administered gadodiamide and gadoteric acid, and in caspase-3, AST and ALT values (P < 0.05). In contrast, we determined no change in TOS (P = 0.568 and P = 0.094, respectively), TAS (P = 0.151 and P = 0.055, respectively), or OSI (P = 0.949 and P = 0.494, respectively) values. These data suggest that gadodiamide and gadoteric acid trigger hepatocellular necrosis and apoptosis by causing damage in hepatocytes, although no change occurs in total antioxidant and antioxidant capacity. 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 4 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  5. Active extravasation of gadolinium-based contrast agent into the subdural space following lumbar puncture.

    PubMed

    Kothari, Pranay D; Hanser, Evelyn M; Wang, Harrison; Farid, Nikdokht

    2016-01-01

    A 38year-old male presented with cauda equina syndrome following multiple lumbar puncture attempts. Lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a subdural hematoma and an area of apparent contrast enhancement in the spinal canal on sagittal post-contrast images. Axial post-contrast images obtained seven minutes later demonstrated an increase in size and change in shape of the region of apparent contrast enhancement, indicating active extravasation of the contrast agent. This is the first reported case of active extravasation of gadolinium-based contrast agent in the spine. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Gadolinium-Induced Fibrosis.

    PubMed

    Todd, Derrick J; Kay, Jonathan

    2016-01-01

    Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs), once believed to be safe for patients with renal disease, have been strongly associated with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), a severe systemic fibrosing disorder that predominantly afflicts individuals with advanced renal dysfunction. We provide a historical perspective on the appearance and disappearance of NSF, including its initial recognition as a discrete clinical entity, its association with GBCA exposure, and the data supporting a causative relationship between GBCA exposure and NSF. On the basis of this body of evidence, we propose that the name gadolinium-induced fibrosis (GIF) more accurately reflects the totality of knowledge regarding this disease. Use of high-risk GBCAs, such as formulated gadodiamide, should be avoided in patients with renal disease. Restriction of GBCA use in this population has almost completely eradicated new cases of this debilitating condition. Emerging antifibrotic therapies may be useful for patients who suffer from GIF.

  7. Gadolinium chelate coated gold nanoparticles as contrast agents for both X-ray computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

    PubMed

    Alric, Christophe; Taleb, Jacqueline; Le Duc, Géraldine; Mandon, Céline; Billotey, Claire; Le Meur-Herland, Alice; Brochard, Thierry; Vocanson, Francis; Janier, Marc; Perriat, Pascal; Roux, Stéphane; Tillement, Olivier

    2008-05-07

    Functionalized gold nanoparticles were applied as contrast agents for both in vivo X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging. These particles were obtained by encapsulating gold cores within a multilayered organic shell which is composed of gadolinium chelates bound to each other through disulfide bonds. The contrast enhancement in MRI stems from the presence of gadolinium ions which are entrapped in the organic shell, whereas the gold core provides a strong X-ray absorption. This study revealed that these particles suited for dual modality imaging freely circulate in the blood vessels without undesirable accumulation in the lungs, spleen, and liver.

  8. Characteristics of Gadolinium Oxide Nanoparticles Using Terahertz Spectroscopy (abstract)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Dongkyu; Maeng, Inhee; Oh, Seung Jae; Kim, Taekhoon; Cho, Byung Kyu; Lee, Kwangyeol; Son, Joo-Hiuk

    2009-04-01

    The penetration property of the terahertz electromagnetic (THz) wave is relevant to its use. We used the THz wave spectroscopy system which easily penetrates some materials that do not contain water, e.g., plastic and ceramics. The system has been developed for several purposes, including measuring the properties of semiconductors and bio-materials, and detecting plastic bombs and ceramic knives at airports. It is also used for medical imaging systems, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), at some research institutes. It can show not only the difference in amplitude, but also the difference of the phase of each point of sample. MRI technology usually uses contrast agents to enhance the quality of the image. Gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA), made with a heavy metal ion, is commonly used as a clinical MRI contrast agent. Gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticle is a new contrast agent. It serves to equip the core of each particle with antibodies or ligands. It can freely circulate in blood vessels without amassing in the liver or lungs. This study shows the characteristics of gadolinium oxide nanoparticles to further advance terahertz medical imaging.

  9. T1 relaxivity of core-encapsulated gadolinium liposomal contrast agents--effect of liposome size and internal gadolinium concentration.

    PubMed

    Ghaghada, Ketan; Hawley, Catherine; Kawaji, Keigo; Annapragada, Ananth; Mukundan, Srinivasan

    2008-10-01

    Long circulating core-encapsulated gadolinium (CE-Gd) liposomal nanoparticles that have surface conjugated polyethylene glycol are a promising platform technology for use as blood pool T1-based magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of liposome size and internal (core) Gd concentration on the T1 relaxivity of CE-Gd liposomes. Twelve different liposomal formulations were synthesized and characterized, resulting in a size (50, 100, 200, and 400 nm) and core Gd-concentration (200, 350, and 500 mM) "matrix" of test samples. Subsequently, CE-Gd liposomes were diluted in deionized water (four diluted samples) and molar T1 relaxivity (r1) measurements were performed at 2- and 7-T MR field strengths. The r1 of CE-Gd liposomes was inversely related to the liposome size. The largest change in r1 was observed between liposomes that were extruded through 50- and 100-nm filter membranes. At both field strengths, the variation in internal gadolinium concentration did not show any significant correlation (alpha < or = 0.05) with r1. The size of CE-Gd liposomal nanoparticles significantly affects the T1 relaxivity. An inverse relation was observed between liposome size and T1 relaxivity. The T1 relaxivity did not change significantly with core Gd concentration over the measured concentration range.

  10. Effects of iodinated contrast agent, xylocaine and gadolinium concentration on the signal emitted in magnetic resonance arthrography: a samples study*

    PubMed Central

    da Silva, Yvana Lopes Pinheiro; Costa, Rita Zanlorensi Visneck; Pinho, Kátia Elisa Prus; Ferreira, Ricardo Rabello; Schuindt, Sueliton Miyamoto

    2015-01-01

    Objective To investigate the effects of dilution of paramagnetic contrast agent with iodinated contrast and xylocaine on the signal intensity during magnetic resonance arthrography, and to improve the paramagnetic contrast agent concentration utilized in this imaging modality. Materials and Methods Samples specially prepared for the study with three different concentrations of paramagnetic contrast agent diluted in saline, iodinated contrast agent and xylocaine were imaged with fast spin echo T1-weighted sequences with fat saturation. The samples were placed into flasks and graphical analysis of the signal intensity was performed as a function of the paramagnetic contrast concentration. Results As compared with samples of equal concentrations diluted only with saline, the authors have observed an average signal intensity decrease of 20.67% for iodinated contrast agent, and of 28.34% for xylocaine. However, the increased gadolinium concentration in the samples caused decrease in signal intensity with all the dilutions. Conclusion Minimizing the use of iodinated contrast media and xylocaine and/or the use of a gadolinium concentration of 2.5 mmol/L diluted in saline will improve the sensitivity of magnetic resonance arthrography. PMID:25987746

  11. Metabolomic Analysis of N-acetylcysteine Protection of Injury from Gadolinium-DTPA Contrast Agent in Rats with Chronic Renal Failure.

    PubMed

    Wan, Chuanling; Xue, Rong; Zhan, Youyang; Wu, Yijie; Li, Xiaojing; Pei, Fengkui

    2017-09-01

    Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are frequently used to enhance the diagnostic efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging. On the other hand, the association between GBCA administration in patients with advanced renal disease and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) was also noted. NSF is a systemic disorder characterized by widespread tissue fibrosis that may lead to death. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) protects rats from injury induced by gadolinium-based contrast agents, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, a nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomic approach was used to systematically investigate the protective effects of NAC on Gd-DTPA-induced injury. Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were given adenine (200 mg·kg -1 body weight) by oral gavage once a day for 3 weeks to induce chronic renal failure (CRF). NAC (600 mg/L in drinking water for 9 days) pretreatment was initiated 2 days before Gd-DTPA injection (a single tail vein injection, 2 mmol/kg body weight). Serum and liver samples were collected on day 7 after Gd-DTPA injection. By study design, the serum and hepatic metabolic changes of rats were measured in four groups of eight each: CRF, CRF-Gd, CRF-Gd-NAC, and CRF-NAC. Gd-DTPA administration to rats with CRF resulted in disturbances of several metabolic pathways, including glucose, lipid, glutamate, choline, gut microbiota, one-carbon, and purine metabolism. NAC pretreatment reversed the abundance changes of high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein, glutamate, glutamine, oxidized glutathione, choline, phosphocholine, glycerophosphocholine, trimethylamine, and trimethylamine-N-oxide induced by Gd-DTPA. It is noteworthy, however, that the ameliorating effects of NAC on the disturbance of glutamate, choline, and gut microbiota metabolism may be specific to Gd-DTPA. In all, these findings could be potentially useful to decipher the underlying mechanisms of NAC protective effects from the

  12. Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis Manifesting a Decade After Exposure to Gadolinium.

    PubMed

    Larson, Krista N; Gagnon, Amy L; Darling, Melissa D; Patterson, James W; Cropley, Thomas G

    2015-10-01

    Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is a fibrosing skin disorder that develops in patients with kidney failure and has been linked to exposure to gadolinium-containing contrast agents. The time between exposure to gadolinium and the initial presentation of NSF is typically weeks to months but has been documented to be as long as 3½ years. We report a case of NSF developing 10 years after exposure to gadolinium. A long-term hemodialysis patient was exposed to gadolinium several times between 1998 and 2004 during magnetic resonance angiography of his abdominal vessels and arteriovenous fistula. In 2014, he was seen at our clinic with new dermal papules and plaques. Biopsy of affected skin showed thickening of collagen, CD34+ spindle cells, and increased mucin in the dermis, supporting the diagnosis of NSF. The clinical history and histopathological features of this case support the diagnosis of NSF 10 years after exposure to gadolinium. Although the use of gadolinium contrast agents in patients with kidney failure has markedly decreased, patients with exposure to gadolinium years to decades previously may manifest the disease.

  13. In vitro comparison of intracranial stent visibility using various concentrations of gadolinium contrast agent under 1.5 T and 3 T MR angiography.

    PubMed

    Chiang, Chen-Hua; Tseng, Ying-Chi; Chen, Ai-Chi; Huang, Yen-Lin; Chen, David Yen-Ting; Chen, Chi-Jen; Lin, Yen-Kuang; Hsu, Hui-Ling

    2017-04-01

    MR angiography (MRA) is an increasingly used evaluation method following intracranial stenting. However, the various artifacts created by the stent limit this technique. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of various concentrations of gadolinium contrast agent on the visibility and signal characteristics of two stents using the a contrast enhanced MRA technique. Two intracranial stents (Enterprise and Helistent) were placed in polyvinyl chloride tubes as vascular phantoms. They were filled with six different doses of gadolinium contrast agent (1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0, and 10.0 mmol/L dimeglumine gadopentetate, respectively) and imaged using 3 T and 1.5 T MR systems. Relative in-stent signal (RIS) was calculated and artificial luminal narrowing (ALN) was obtained using pixel by pixel analysis. The Enterprise stent, performed in both 1.5 T and 3 T MR systems, showed mean RIS values much less than those for the Helistent for all different doses of gadolinium solution. Increased gadolinium concentration resulted in a gradual reduction in RIS values in the Enterprise group. Also, ALN in the Enterprise group showed no or little change with various gadolinium doses. The Enterprise stent demonstrated good luminal visibility regardless of gadolinium concentration. The relative in-stent signals were more predictable in the Enterprise stent with various doses of gadolinium. Therefore, the Enterprise stent has been shown to provide better in-stent visibility compared with the Helistent using various gadolinium doses. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  14. Synthesis and evaluation of gadolinium complexes based on PAMAM as MRI contrast agents.

    PubMed

    Yan, Guo-Ping; Hu, Bin; Liu, Mai-Li; Li, Li-Yun

    2005-03-01

    Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and pyridoxamine (PM) were incorporated into the amine groups on the surface of ammonia-core poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (PAMAM, Generation 2.0-5.0) to obtain dendritic ligands. These dendritic ligands were reacted with gadolinium chloride to yield the corresponding dendritic gadolinium (Gd) complexes. The dendritic ligands and their gadolinium complexes were characterized by(1)HNMR, IR, UV and elemental analysis. Relaxivity studies showed that the dendritic gadolinium complexes possessed higher relaxation effectiveness compared with the clinically used Gd-DTPA. After administration of the dendritic gadolinium complexes (0.09 mmol kg(-1) ) to rats, magnetic resonance imaging of the liver indicated that the dendritic gadolinium complexes containing pyridoxamine groups enhanced the contrast of the MR images of the liver, provided prolonged intravascular duration and produced highly contrasted visualization of blood vessels.

  15. Insights into the use of gadolinium and gadolinium/boron-based agents in imaging-guided neutron capture therapy applications.

    PubMed

    Deagostino, Annamaria; Protti, Nicoletta; Alberti, Diego; Boggio, Paolo; Bortolussi, Silva; Altieri, Saverio; Crich, Simonetta Geninatti

    2016-05-01

    Gadolinium neutron capture therapy (Gd-NCT) is currently under development as an alternative approach for cancer therapy. All of the clinical experience to date with NCT is done with (10)B, known as boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), a binary treatment combining neutron irradiation with the delivery of boron-containing compounds to tumors. Currently, the use of Gd for NCT has been getting more attention because of its highest neutron cross-section. Although Gd-NCT was first proposed many years ago, its development has suffered due to lack of appropriate tumor-selective Gd agents. This review aims to highlight the recent advances for the design, synthesis and biological testing of new Gd- and B-Gd-containing compounds with the task of finding the best systems able to improve the NCT clinical outcome.

  16. Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-gadolinium (DTPA-Gd)-conjugated polysuccinimide derivatives as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents.

    PubMed

    Lee, Ha Young; Jee, Hye Won; Seo, Sung Mi; Kwak, Byung Kook; Khang, Gilson; Cho, Sun Hang

    2006-01-01

    Biocompatible polysuccinimide (PSI) derivatives conjugated with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid gadolinium (DTPA-Gd) were prepared as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. In this study, we synthesized PSI derivatives incorporating methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) as hydrophilic ligand, hexadecylamine as hydrophobic ligand, and DTPA-Gd as contrast agent. PSI was synthesized by the polycondensation polymerization of aspartic acid. All the synthesized materials were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). Critical micellization concentrations were determined using fluorescent probes (pyrene). Micelle size and shape were measured by electro-photometer light scattering (ELS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The formed micelle size ranged from 100 to 300 nm. The T1-weighted MR images of the phantom prepared with PSI-mPEG-C16-(DTPA-Gd) were obtained in a 3.0 T clinical MR imager, and the conjugates showed a great potential as MRI contrast agents.

  17. GADOLINIUM(Gd)-BASED and Ion Oxide Nanoparticle Contrast Agents for Pre-Clinical and Clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging (mri) Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ng, Thian C.

    2012-06-01

    It is known that one strength of MRI is its excellent soft tissue discrimination. It naturally provides sufficient contrast between the structural differences of normal and pathological tissues, their spatial extent and progression. However, to further extend its applications and enhance even more contrast for clinical studies, various Gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents have been developed for different organs (brain strokes, cancer, cardio-MRI, etc). These Gd-based contrast agents are paramagnetic compounds that have strong T1-effect for enhancing the contrast between tissue types. Gd-contrast can also enhance magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) for studying stenosis and for measuring perfusion, vascular susceptibility, interstitial space, etc. Another class of contrast agents makes use of ferrite iron oxide nanoparticles (including Superparamagnetic Ion Oxide (SPIO) and Ultrasmall Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide (USPIO)). These nanoparticles have superior magnetic susceptibility effect and produce a drop in signal, namely in T2*-weighted images, useful for the determination of lymph nodes metastases, angiogenesis and arteriosclerosis plaques.

  18. Platinum(II)-gadolinium(III) complexes as potential single-molecular theranostic agents for cancer treatment.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Zhenzhu; Wang, Xiaoyong; Li, Tuanjie; Aime, Silvio; Sadler, Peter J; Guo, Zijian

    2014-11-24

    Theranostic agents are emerging multifunctional molecules capable of simultaneous therapy and diagnosis of diseases. We found that platinum(II)-gadolinium(III) complexes with the formula [{Pt(NH3)2Cl}2GdL](NO3)2 possess such properties. The Gd center is stable in solution and the cytoplasm, whereas the Pt centers undergo ligand substitution in cancer cells. The Pt units interact with DNA and significantly promote the cellular uptake of Gd complexes. The cytotoxicity of the Pt-Gd complexes is comparable to that of cisplatin at high concentrations (≥0.1 mM), and their proton relaxivity is higher than that of the commercial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent Gd-DTPA. T1-weighted MRI on B6 mice demonstrated that these complexes can reveal the accumulation of platinum drugs in vivo. Their cytotoxicity and imaging capabilities make the Pt-Gd complexes promising theranostic agents for cancer treatment. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. A smart T(1)-weighted MRI contrast agent for uranyl cations based on a DNAzyme-gadolinium conjugate.

    PubMed

    Xu, Weichen; Xing, Hang; Lu, Yi

    2013-11-07

    Rational design of smart MRI contrast agents with high specificity for metal ions remains a challenge. Here, we report a general strategy for the design of smart MRI contrast agents for detecting metal ions based on conjugation of a DNAzyme with a gadolinium complex. The 39E DNAzyme, which has high selectivity for UO2(2+), was conjugated to Gd(III)-DOTA and streptavidin. The binding of UO2(2+) to its 39E DNAzyme resulted in the dissociation of Gd(III)-DOTA from the large streptavidin, leading to a decrease of the T1 correlation time, and a change in the MRI signal.

  20. Penetration and distribution of gadolinium-based contrast agents into the cerebrospinal fluid in healthy rats: a potential pathway of entry into the brain tissue.

    PubMed

    Jost, Gregor; Frenzel, Thomas; Lohrke, Jessica; Lenhard, Diana Constanze; Naganawa, Shinji; Pietsch, Hubertus

    2017-07-01

    Signal hyperintensity on unenhanced MRI in certain brain regions has been reported after multiple administrations of some, but not all, gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). One potential initial pathway of GBCA entry into the brain, infiltration from blood into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), was systematically evaluated in this preclinical study. GBCA infiltration and distribution in the CSF were investigated in healthy rats using repeated fluid-attenuated MRI up to 4 h after high-dose (1.8 mmol/kg) administration of six marketed and one experimental GBCA. Additionally, gadolinium measurements in CSF, blood and brain tissue samples (after 24 h) were performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Enhanced MRI signals in the CSF spaces with similar distribution kinetics were observed for all GBCAs. No substantial differences in the gadolinium concentrations among the marketed GBCAs were found in the CSF, blood or brain tissue. After 4.5 h, the concentration in the CSF was clearly higher than in blood but was almost completely cleared and lower than the brain tissue concentration after 24 h. In contrast to the brain signal hyperintensities, no differences in penetration and distribution into the CSF of healthy rats exist among the marketed GBCAs. • Gadolinium-based contrast agents can cross the blood-CSF barrier. • Fluid-attenuated MRI shows GBCA distribution with CSF flow. • GBCA structure and physicochemical properties do not impact CSF penetration and distribution. • GBCA clearance from CSF was almost complete within 24 h in rats. • CSF is a potential pathway of GBCA entry into the brain.

  1. Gadolinium-conjugated PLA-PEG nanoparticles as liver targeted molecular MRI contrast agent.

    PubMed

    Chen, Zhijin; Yu, Dexin; Liu, Chunxi; Yang, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Na; Ma, Chunhong; Song, Jibin; Lu, Zaijun

    2011-09-01

    A nanoparticle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent targeted to liver was developed by conjugation of gadolinium (Gd) chelate groups onto the biocompatible poly(l-lactide)-block-poly (ethylene glycol) (PLA-PEG) nanoparticles. PLA-PEG conjugated with diethylenetriaminopentaacetic acid (DTPA) was used to formulate PLA-PEG-DTPA nanoparticles by solvent diffusion method, and then Gd was loaded onto the nanoparticles by chelated with the unfolding DTPA on the surface of the PLA-PEG-DTPA nanoparticles. The mean size of the nanoparticles was 265.9 ± 6.7 nm. The relaxivity of the Gd-labeled nanoparticles was measured, and the distribution in vivo was evaluated in rats. Compared with conventional contrast agent (Magnevist), the Gd-labeled PLA-PEG nanoparticles showed significant enhancement both on liver targeting ability and imaging signal intensity. The T(1) and T(2) relaxivities per [Gd] of the Gd-labeled nanoparticles was 18.865 mM(-1) s(-1) and 24.863 mM(-1) s(-1) at 3 T, respectively. In addition, the signal intensity in vivo was stronger comparing with the Gd-DTPA and the T(1) weight time was lasting for 4.5 h. The liver targeting efficiency of the Gd-labeled PLA-PEG nanoparticles in rats was 14.57 comparing with Magnevist injection. Therefore, the Gd-labeled nanoparticles showed the potential as targeting molecular MRI contrast agent for further clinical utilization.

  2. Survey of gadolinium-based contrast agent utilization among the members of the Society for Pediatric Radiology: a Quality and Safety Committee report.

    PubMed

    Blumfield, Einat; Moore, Michael M; Drake, Mary K; Goodman, Thomas R; Lewis, Kristopher N; Meyer, Laura T; Ngo, Thang D; Sammet, Christina; Stanescu, Arta Luana; Swenson, David W; Slovis, Thomas L; Iyer, Ramesh S

    2017-05-01

    Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) have been used for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging over the last three decades. Recent reports demonstrated gadolinium retention in patients' brains following intravenous administration. Since gadolinium is a highly toxic heavy metal, there is a potential for adverse effects from prolonged retention or deposition, particularly in children. For this reason, the Society (SPR) for Pediatric Radiology Quality and Safety committee conducted a survey to evaluate the current status of GBCAs usage among pediatric radiologists. To assess the usage of GBCAs among SPR members. An online 15-question survey was distributed to SPR members. Survey questions pertained to the type of GBCAs used, protocoling workflow, requirement of renal function or pregnancy tests, and various clinical indications for contrast-enhanced MRI examinations. A total of 163 survey responses were compiled (11.1% of survey invitations), the majority of these from academic institutions in the United States. Ninety-four percent reported that MR studies are always or usually protocoled by pediatric radiologists. The most common GBCA utilized by survey respondents were Eovist (60.7%), Ablavar (45.4%), Gadovist (38.7%), Magnevist (34.4%) and Dotarem (32.5%). For several clinical indications, survey responses regarding GBCA administration were concordant with American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria, including seizures, headache and osteomyelitis. For other indications, including growth hormone deficiency and suspected vascular ring, survey responses revealed potential overutilization of GBCAs when compared to ACR recommendations. Survey results demonstrate that GBCAs are administered judiciously in children, yet there is an opportunity to improve their utilization with the goal of reducing potential future adverse effects.

  3. Analytical Interference in Serum Iron Determination Reveals Iron Versus Gadolinium Transmetallation With Linear Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents

    PubMed Central

    Fretellier, Nathalie; Poteau, Nathalie; Factor, Cécile; Mayer, Jean-François; Medina, Christelle; Port, Marc; Idée, Jean-Marc; Corot, Claire

    2014-01-01

    Objectives The purposes of this study were to evaluate the risk for analytical interference with gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) for the colorimetric measurement of serum iron (Fe3+) and to investigate the mechanisms involved. Materials and Methods Rat serum was spiked with several concentrations of all molecular categories of GBCAs, ligands, or “free” soluble gadolinium (Gd3+). Serum iron concentration was determined by 2 different colorimetric methods at pH 4.0 (with a Vitros DT60 analyzer or a Cobas Integra 400 analyzer). Secondly, the cause of interference was investigated by (a) adding free soluble Gd3+ or Mn2+ to serum in the presence of gadobenic acid or gadodiamide and (b) electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Results Spurious decrease in serum Fe3+ concentration was observed with all linear GBCAs (only with the Vitros DT60 technique occurring at pH 4.0) but not with macrocyclic GBCAs or with free soluble Gd3+. Spurious hyposideremia was also observed with the free ligands present in the pharmaceutical solutions of the linear GBCAs gadopentetic acid and gadodiamide (ie, diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid and calcium-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid bismethylamide, respectively), suggesting the formation of Fe-ligand chelate. Gadobenic acid-induced interference was blocked in a concentration-dependent fashion by adding a free soluble Gd3+ salt. Conversely, Mn2+, which has a lower affinity than Gd3+ and Fe3+ for the ligand of gadobenic acid (ie, benzyloxypropionic diethylenetriamine tetraacetic acid), was less effective (interference was only partially blocked), suggesting an Fe3+ versus Gd3+ transmetallation phenomenon at pH 4.0. Similar results were observed with gadodiamide. Mass spectrometry detected the formation of Fe-ligand with all linear GBCAs tested in the presence of Fe3+ and the disappearance of Fe-ligand after the addition of free soluble Gd3+. No Fe-ligand chelate was found in the case of the macrocyclic GBCA gadoteric

  4. Retrospective analysis of patients for development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis following conventional angiography using gadolinium-based contrast agents.

    PubMed

    Hoppe, Hanno; Spagnuolo, Sara; Froehlich, Johannes M; Nievergelt, Helga; Dinkel, Hans-Peter; Gretener, Silvia; Thoeny, Harriet C

    2010-03-01

    The purpose was to retrospectively review the data of 27 patients with renal insufficiency who underwent conventional angiography with gadolinium-based contrast agents (GDBCA) as alternative contrast agents and assess the occurrence of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) together with associated potential risk factors. This HIPAA-compliant study had institutional review board approval, and informed consent was waived. Statistical analysis was performed for all available laboratory and clinical data, including dermatology reports. Type and amount of the GDBCA used were recorded for angiography and additional MRI studies, if applicable. Serum creatinine levels (SCr) pre- and post-angiography were recorded, and estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) were calculated. Ten female and 17 male patients who underwent angiography with GDBCA were included. The mean amount of GDBCA administered was 44 +/- 15.5 ml (range 15-60 ml) or 0.24 + 0.12 mmol/kg (range 0.1-0.53 mmol/kg). At the time of angiography all patients had renal insufficiency (eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m(2)). Mean eGFR pre-angiography was 26 ml/min/1.73 m(2) and 33 ml/min/1.73 m(2) post-angiography. The mean follow-up period covers 28 months, range 1-84 months. Additional MRI studies with GDBCA administration were performed in 15 patients. One patient with typical skin lesions had developed biopsy-confirmed NSF. Conventional arterial angiography with GDBCA may play a role in the development of NSF in patients with renal insufficiency. Alternative contrast agents, such as CO(2) angiography or rather the use of low doses of iodinated contrast agents, should be considered in these patients.

  5. Type of MRI contrast, tissue gadolinium, and fibrosis.

    PubMed

    Do, Catherine; Barnes, Jeffrey L; Tan, Chunyan; Wagner, Brent

    2014-10-01

    It has been presupposed that the thermodynamic stability constant (K(therm)) of gadolinium-based MRI chelates relate to the risk of precipitating nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. The present study compared low-K(therm) gadodiamide with high-K(therm) gadoteridol in cultured fibroblasts and rats with uninephrectomies. Gadolinium content was assessed using scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in paraffin-embedded tissues. In vitro, fibroblasts demonstrated dose-dependent fibronectin generation, transforming growth factor-β production, and expression of activated myofibroblast stress fiber protein α-smooth muscle actin. There were negligible differences with respect to toxicity or proliferation between the two contrast agents. In the rodent model, gadodiamide treatment led to greater skin fibrosis and dermal cellularity than gadoteridol. In the kidney, both contrast agents led to proximal tubule vacuolization and increased fibronectin accumulation. Despite large detectable gadolinium signals in the spleen, skin, muscle, and liver from the gadodiamide-treated group, contrast-induced fibrosis appeared to be limited to the skin and kidney. These findings support the hypothesis that low-K(therm) chelates have a greater propensity to elicit nephrogenic systemic fibrosis and demonstrate that certain tissues are resistant to these effects.

  6. Investigating the stability of gadolinium based contrast agents towards UV radiation.

    PubMed

    Birka, Marvin; Roscher, Jörg; Holtkamp, Michael; Sperling, Michael; Karst, Uwe

    2016-03-15

    Since the 1980s, the broad application of gadolinium(Gd)-based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has led to significantly increased concentrations of Gd in the aqueous environment. Little is known about the stability of these highly polar xenobiotics under environmental conditions, in wastewater and in drinking water treatment. Therefore, the stability of frequently applied Gd-based MRI contrast agents towards UV radiation was investigated. The hyphenation of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and of HILIC with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) provided quantitative elemental information as well as structural information. The contrast agents Gd-DTPA, Gd-DOTA and Gd-BT-DO3A showed a high stability in irradiation experiments applying a wavelength range from 220 nm to 500 nm. Nevertheless, the degradation of Gd-BOPTA as well as the formation of Gd-containing transformation products was observed by means of HILIC-ICP-MS. Matrix-dependent irradiation experiments showed a degradation of Gd-BOPTA down to 3% of the initial amount in purified water after 300 min, whereas the degradation was slowed down in drinking water and surface water. Furthermore, it was observed that the sum of species continuously decreased with proceeding irradiation in all matrices. After irradiation in purified water for 300 min only 16% of the sum of species was left. This indicates a release of Gd(III) ions from the complex in course of irradiation. HILIC-ESI-MS measurements revealed that the transformation products mostly resulted from O-dealkylation and N-dealkylation reactions. In good correlation with retention times, the majority of transformation products were found to be more polar than Gd-BOPTA itself. Based on accurate masses, sum formulas were obtained and structures could be proposed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Gadolinium and didymium (praseodymium/neodymium) cations as capture agents in lightmicroscopical histochemistry of acid and alkaline phosphatase.

    PubMed

    Halbhuber, K J; Zimmermann, N

    1987-01-01

    In previous papers, cerium and lanthanum based methods for light-microscopical detection of acid and alkaline phosphatase activity were proposed. In this paper, the usefulness of other lanthanide cations such as gadolinium and praseodymium/neodymium cations as capture agents in phosphatase histochemistry is tested. It is evident that phosphate ions were sufficiently trapped by these cations. According to the lead and silver multistep procedures earlier described it is possible to visualize alkaline phosphatase activity in the brush borders of the intestine or kidney as well as acid phosphatase activity in the lysosomes. These methods can be recommended.

  8. Controlled intracellular self-assembly of gadolinium nanoparticles as smart molecular MR contrast agents.

    PubMed

    Cao, Chun-Yan; Shen, Ying-Ying; Wang, Jian-Dong; Li, Li; Liang, Gao-Lin

    2013-01-01

    Herein we developed a new "smart" Gd-based MR contrast agent (i.e., 1) which is susceptive to furin, a protease overexpressed in tumor. Under the action of furin, 1 condenses to form dimers (1-Ds) and the latter self-assemble into gadolinium nanparticles (Gd-NPs). Relaxivity of 1-D is more than 2 folds of those of 1 and magnevist at 1.5 T, and 1.4 folds of that of 1 at 3 T. Intracellular condensation of 1 in furin-overexpressed MDA-MB-468 cells was proven with direct two-photon laser microscopy (TPLM) fluorescence imaging of the cells incubated with the europium analog of 1 (i.e., 2). Intracellular Gd-NPs of 1 were uncovered and characterized for the first time. MRI of MDA-MB-468 tumors showed that 1 has enhanced MR contrast within the tumors than that of its scrambled control 1-Scr.

  9. Speciation and isotope dilution analysis of gadolinium-based contrast agents in wastewater.

    PubMed

    Telgmann, Lena; Wehe, Christoph A; Birka, Marvin; Künnemeyer, Jens; Nowak, Sascha; Sperling, Michael; Karst, Uwe

    2012-11-06

    The fate of Gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during sewage treatment was investigated. The total concentration of Gd in influent and effluent 2 and 24 h composite samples was determined by means of isotope dilution analysis. The balancing of Gd input and output of a sewage plant over seven days indicated that approximately 10% of the Gd is removed during treatment. Batch experiments simulating the aeration tank of a sewage treatment plant confirmed the Gd complex removal during activated sludge treatment. For speciation analysis of the Gd complexes in wastewater samples, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS). Separation of the five predominantly used contrast agents was carried out on a new hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography stationary phase in less than 15 min. A limit of detection (LOD) of 0.13 μg/L and a limit of quantification of 0.43 μg/L could be achieved for the Gd chelates without having to apply enrichment techniques. Speciation analysis of the 24 h composite samples revealed that 80% of the Gd complexes are present as Gd-BT-DO3A in the sampled treatment plant. The day-of-week dependent variation of the complex load followed the variation of the total Gd load, indicating a similar behavior. The analysis of sewage sludge did not prove the presence of anthropogenic Gd. However, in the effluent of the chamber filter press, which was used for sludge dewatering, two of the contrast agents and three other unknown Gd species were observed. This indicates that species transformation took place during anaerobic sludge treatment.

  10. Identification and characterization of gadolinium(III) complexes in biological tissue extracts.

    PubMed

    Kahakachchi, Chethaka L; Moore, Dennis A

    2010-07-01

    The gadolinium species present in a rat kidney following intravenous administration of a gadolinium-based magnetic resonance contrast agent (Optimark™, Gadoversetamide injection) to a rat was examined in the present study. The major gadolinium species in the supernatant of the rat kidney tissue extracts was determined by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with online inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-OES). The identity of the compound was established by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) detection. The principal gadolinium(III) complex in a rat kidney tissue extract was identified as Gd-DTPA-BMEA 24 Hrs and 7 days after a single intravenous injection of Optimark™ (gadoversetamide; Gd-DTPA-BMEA) at a dose of 5 mmol Gd/kg body weight. The study demonstrated for the first time the feasibility of the use of two complementary techniques, HPLC-ICP-OES and HPLC-ESI-MS to study the in vivo behavior of gadolinium-based magnetic resonance contrast media.

  11. A pyrophosphate-responsive gadolinium(III) MRI contrast agent.

    PubMed

    Surman, Andrew J; Bonnet, Célia S; Lowe, Mark P; Kenny, Gavin D; Bell, Jimmy D; Tóth, Eva; Vilar, Ramon

    2011-01-03

    This study shows that the relaxivity and optical properties of functionalised lanthanide-DTPA-bis-amide complexes (lanthanide=Gd(3+) and Eu(3+) , DTPA=diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) can be successfully modulated by addition of specific anions, without direct Ln(3+) /anion coordination. Zinc(II)-dipicolylamine moieties, which are known to bind strongly to phosphates, were introduced in the amide "arms" of these ligands, and the interaction of the resulting Gd-Zn(2) complexes with a range of anions was screened by using indicator displacement assays (IDAs). Considerable selectivity for polyphosphorylated species (such as pyrophosphate and adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP)) over a range of other anions (including monophosphorylated anions) was apparent. In addition, we show that pyrophosphate modulates the relaxivity of the gadolinium(III) complex, this modulation being sufficiently large to be observed in imaging experiments. To establish the binding mode of the pyrophosphate and gain insight into the origin of the relaxometric modulation, a series of studies including UV/Vis and emission spectroscopy, luminescence lifetime measurements in H(2) O and D(2) O, (17) O and (31) P NMR spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance dispersion (NMRD) studies were carried out. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Synthesis route and three different core-shell impacts on magnetic characterization of gadolinium oxide-based nanoparticles as new contrast agents for molecular magnetic resonance imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Azizian, Gholamreza; Riyahi-Alam, Nader; Haghgoo, Soheila; Moghimi, Hamid Reza; Zohdiaghdam, Reza; Rafiei, Behrooz; Gorji, Ensieh

    2012-10-01

    Despite its good resolution, magnetic resonance imaging intrinsically has low sensitivity. Recently, contrast agent nanoparticles have been used as sensitivity and contrast enhancer. The aim of this study was to investigate a new controlled synthesis method for gadolinium oxide-based nanoparticle preparation. For this purpose, diethyleneglycol coating of gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3-DEG) was performed using new supervised polyol route, and small particulate gadolinium oxide (SPGO) PEGylation was obtained with methoxy-polyethylene-glycol-silane (550 and 2,000 Da) coatings as SPGO-mPEG-silane550 and 2,000, respectively. Physicochemical characterization and magnetic properties of these three contrast agents in comparison with conventional Gd-DTPA were verified by dynamic light scattering transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma, X-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometer, and the signal intensity and relaxivity measurements were performed using 1.5-T MRI scanner. As a result, the nanoparticle sizes of Gd2O3-DEG, SPGO-mPEG-silane550, and SPGO-mPEG-silane2000 could be reached to 5.9, 51.3, 194.2 nm, respectively. The image signal intensity and longitudinal ( r 1) and transverse relaxivity ( r 2) measurements in different concentrations (0.3 to approximately 2.5 mM), revealed the r 2/ r 1 ratios of 1.13, 0.89, 33.34, and 33.72 for Gd-DTPA, Gd2O3-DEG, SPGO-mPEG-silane550, and SPGO-mPEG-silane2000, respectively. The achievement of new synthesis route of Gd2O3-DEG resulted in lower r 2/ r 1 ratio for Gd2O3-DEG than Gd-DTPA and other previous synthesized methods by this and other groups. The smaller r 2/ r 1 ratios of two PEGylated-SPGO contrast agents in our study in comparison with r 2/ r 1 ratio of previous PEGylation ( r 2/ r 1 = 81.9 for mPEG-silane 6,000 MW) showed that these new three introduced contrast agents could potentially be proper contrast enhancers for cellular and molecular MR imaging.

  13. Gadolinium-based magnetic resonance contrast agents at 7 Tesla: in vitro T1 relaxivities in human blood plasma.

    PubMed

    Noebauer-Huhmann, Iris M; Szomolanyi, Pavol; Juras, Vladimír; Kraff, Oliver; Ladd, Mark E; Trattnig, Siegfried

    2010-09-01

    PURPOSE/INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine the T1 relaxivities (r1) of 8 gadolinium (Gd)-based MR contrast agents in human blood plasma at 7 Tesla, compared with 3 Tesla. Eight commercially available Gd-based MR contrast agents were diluted in human blood plasma to concentrations of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 mmol/L. In vitro measurements were performed at 37 degrees C, on a 7 Tesla and on a 3 Tesla whole-body magnetic resonance imaging scanner. For the determination of T1 relaxation times, Inversion Recovery Sequences with inversion times from 0 to 3500 ms were used. The relaxivities were calculated. The r1 relaxivities of all agents, diluted in human blood plasma at body temperature, were lower at 7 Tesla than at 3 Tesla. The values at 3 Tesla were comparable to those published earlier. Notably, in some agents, a minor negative correlation of r1 with a concentration of up to 2 mmol/L could be observed. This was most pronounced in the agents with the highest protein-binding capacity. At 7 Tesla, the in vitro r1 relaxivities of Gd-based contrast agents in human blood plasma are lower than those at 3 Tesla. This work may serve as a basis for the application of Gd-based MR contrast agents at 7 Tesla. Further studies are required to optimize the contrast agent dose in vivo.

  14. Geometrically confined ultrasmall gadolinium oxide nanoparticles boost the T1 contrast ability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ni, Kaiyuan; Zhao, Zhenghuan; Zhang, Zongjun; Zhou, Zijian; Yang, Li; Wang, Lirong; Ai, Hua; Gao, Jinhao

    2016-02-01

    High-performance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents and novel contrast enhancement strategies are urgently needed for sensitive and accurate diagnosis. Here we report a strategy to construct a new T1 contrast agent based on the Solomon-Bloembergen-Morgan (SBM) theory. We loaded the ultrasmall gadolinium oxide nanoparticles into worm-like interior channels of mesoporous silica nanospheres (Gd2O3@MSN nanocomposites). This unique structure endows the nanocomposites with geometrical confinement, high molecular tumbling time, and a large coordinated number of water molecules, which results in a significant enhancement of the T1 contrast with longitudinal proton relaxivity (r1) as high as 45.08 mM-1 s-1. Such a high r1 value of Gd2O3@MSN, compared to those of ultrasmall Gd2O3 nanoparticles and gadolinium-based clinical contrast agents, is mainly attributed to the strong geometrical confinement effect. This strategy provides new guidance for developing various high-performance T1 contrast agents for sensitive imaging and disease diagnosis.High-performance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents and novel contrast enhancement strategies are urgently needed for sensitive and accurate diagnosis. Here we report a strategy to construct a new T1 contrast agent based on the Solomon-Bloembergen-Morgan (SBM) theory. We loaded the ultrasmall gadolinium oxide nanoparticles into worm-like interior channels of mesoporous silica nanospheres (Gd2O3@MSN nanocomposites). This unique structure endows the nanocomposites with geometrical confinement, high molecular tumbling time, and a large coordinated number of water molecules, which results in a significant enhancement of the T1 contrast with longitudinal proton relaxivity (r1) as high as 45.08 mM-1 s-1. Such a high r1 value of Gd2O3@MSN, compared to those of ultrasmall Gd2O3 nanoparticles and gadolinium-based clinical contrast agents, is mainly attributed to the strong geometrical confinement effect. This strategy

  15. A polymeric fastener can easily functionalize liposome surfaces with gadolinium for enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

    PubMed

    Smith, Cartney E; Shkumatov, Artem; Withers, Sarah G; Yang, Binxia; Glockner, James F; Misra, Sanjay; Roy, Edward J; Wong, Chun-Ho; Zimmerman, Steven C; Kong, Hyunjoon

    2013-11-26

    Common methods of loading magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents into nanoparticles often suffer from challenges related to particle formation, complex chemical modification/purification steps, and reduced contrast efficiency. This study presents a simple, yet advanced process to address these issues by loading gadolinium, an MRI contrast agent, exclusively on a liposome surface using a polymeric fastener. The fastener, so named for its ability to physically link the two functional components together, consisted of chitosan substituted with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) to chelate gadolinium, as well as octadecyl chains to stabilize the modified chitosan on the liposome surface. The assembly strategy, mimicking the mechanisms by which viruses and proteins naturally anchor to a cell, provided greater T1 relaxivity than liposomes loaded with gadolinium in both the interior and outer leaflet. Gadolinium-coated liposomes were ultimately evaluated in vivo using murine ischemia models to highlight the diagnostic capability of the system. Taken together, this process decouples particle assembly and functionalization and, therefore, has considerable potential to enhance imaging quality while alleviating many of the difficulties associated with multifunctional particle fabrication.

  16. A Polymeric Fastener can Easily Functionalize Liposome Surfaces with Gadolinium for Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging

    PubMed Central

    Smith, Cartney E.; Shkumatov, Artem; Withers, Sarah G.; Glockner, James F.; Misra, Sanjay; Roy, Edward J.; Wong, Chun-Ho; Zimmerman, Steven C.; Kong, Hyunjoon

    2013-01-01

    Common methods of loading magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents into nanoparticles often suffer from challenges related to particle formation, complex chemical modification/purification steps, and reduced contrast efficiency. This study presents a simple, yet advanced process to address these issues by loading gadolinium, an MRI contrast agent, exclusively on a liposome surface using a polymeric fastener. The fastener, so named for its ability to physically link the two functional components together, consisted of chitosan substituted with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) to chelate gadolinium, as well as octadecyl chains to stabilize the modified chitosan on the liposome surface. The assembly strategy, mimicking the mechanisms by which viruses and proteins naturally anchor to a cell, provided greater T1 relaxivity than liposomes loaded with gadolinium in both the interior and outer leaflet. Gadolinium-coated liposomes were ultimately evaluated in vivo using murine ischemia models to highlight the diagnostic capability of the system. Taken together, this process decouples particle assembly and functionalization, and therefore has considerable potential to enhance imaging quality while alleviating many of the difficulties associated with multifunctional particle fabrication. PMID:24083377

  17. Biocompatible blood pool MRI contrast agents based on hyaluronan

    PubMed Central

    Zhu, Wenlian; Artemov, Dmitri

    2010-01-01

    Biocompatible gadolinium blood pool contrast agents based on a biopolymer, hyaluronan, were investigated for magnetic resonance angiography application. Hyaluronan, a non-sulfated linear glucosaminoglycan composed of 2000–25,000 repeating disaccharide subunits of D-glucuronic acid and N-acetylglucosamine with molecular weight up to 20 MDa, is a major component of the extracellular matrix. Two gadolinium contrast agents based on 16 and 74 kDa hyaluronan were synthesized, both with R1 relaxivity around 5 mM−1 s−1 per gadolinium at 9.4 T at 25°C. These two hyaluronan based agents show significant enhancement of the vasculature for an extended period of time. Initial excretion was primarily through the renal system. Later uptake was observed in the stomach and lower gastrointestinal tract. Macromolecular hyaluronan-based gadolinium agents have a high clinical translation potential as hyaluronan is already approved by FDA for a variety of medical applications. PMID:21504061

  18. Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis and class labeling of gadolinium-based contrast agents by the Food and Drug Administration.

    PubMed

    Yang, Lucie; Krefting, Ira; Gorovets, Alex; Marzella, Louis; Kaiser, James; Boucher, Robert; Rieves, Dwaine

    2012-10-01

    In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration requested that manufacturers of all approved gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs), drugs widely used in magnetic resonance imaging, use nearly identical text in their product labeling to describe the risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). Accumulating information about NSF risks led to revision of the labeling text for all of these drugs in 2010. The present report summarizes the basis and purpose of this class-labeling approach and describes some of the related challenges, given the evolutionary nature of the NSF risk evidence. The class-labeling approach for presentation of product risk is designed to decrease the occurrence of NSF and to enhance the safe use of GBCAs in radiologic practice. © RSNA, 2012.

  19. Gadolinium diethylenetriaminopentaacetic acid-loaded chitosan microspheres for gadolinium neutron-capture therapy.

    PubMed

    Saha, Tapan Kumar; Ichikawa, Hideki; Fukumori, Yoshinobu

    2006-12-11

    In order to provide a suitable device that would contain water-soluble drugs, highly water-soluble gadolinium diethylenetriaminopentaacetic acid-loaded chitosan microspheres (CMS-Gd-DTPA) were prepared by the emulsion method using glutaraldehyde as a cross-linker and Span 80 as a surfactant for gadolinium neutron-capture therapy of cancer. The gadolinium content and the mass median diameter of CMS-Gd-DTPA were estimated. The size and morphology of the CMS-Gd-DTPA were strongly influenced by the initial applied weight ratio of Gd-DTPA:chitosan. FTIR spectra showed that the electrostatic interaction between chitosan and Gd-DTPA accelerated the formation of gadolinium-enriched chitosan microspheres. Sufficient amounts of glutaraldehyde and Span 80 were necessary for producing discrete CMS-Gd-DTPA. The CMS-Gd-DTPA having a mass median diameter 11.7microm and 11.6% of gadolinium could be used in Gd-NCT following intratumoral injection.

  20. Studies of MRI relaxivities of gadolinium-labeled dendrons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pan, Hongmu; Daniel, Marie-Christine

    2011-05-01

    In cancer detection, imaging techniques have a great importance in early diagnosis. The more sensitive the imaging technique and the earlier the tumor can be detected. Contrast agents have the capability to increase the sensitivity in imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Until now, gadolinium-based contrast agents are mainly used for MRI, and show good enhancement. But improvement is needed for detection of smaller tumors at the earliest stage possible. The dendrons complexed with Gd(DOTA) were synthesized and evaluated as a new MRI contrast agent. The longitudinal and transverse relaxation effects were tested and compared with commercial drug Magnevist, Gd(DTPA).

  1. Structural, kinetic, and thermodynamic characterization of the interconverting isomers of MS-325, a gadolinium(III)-based magnetic resonance angiography contrast agent.

    PubMed

    Tyeklar, Zoltan; Dunham, Stephen U; Midelfort, Katarina; Scott, Daniel M; Sajiki, Hirano; Ong, Karen; Lauffer, Randall B; Caravan, Peter; McMurry, Thomas J

    2007-08-06

    The amphiphilic gadolinium complex MS-325 ((trisodium-{(2-(R)-[(4,4-diphenylcyclohexyl) phosphonooxymethyl] diethylenetriaminepentaacetato) (aquo)gadolinium(III)}) is a contrast agent for magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). MS-325 comprises a GdDTPA core with an appended phosphodiester moiety linked to a diphenylcyclohexyl group to facilitate noncovalent binding to serum albumin and extension of the plasma half-life in vivo. The chiral DTPA ligand (R) was derived from L-serine, and upon complexation with gadolinium, forms two interconvertible diastereomers, denoted herein as isomers A and B. X-ray crystallography of the tris(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III) salt derivative of isomer A revealed a structure in the polar acentric space group P32. The structure consisted of three independent molecules of the gadolinium complex in the asymmetric unit along with three Delta-[Co(en)3]3+ cations, and it represents an unusual example of spontaneous Pasteur resolution of the cobalt cation. The geometry of the coordination core was best described as a distorted trigonal prism, and the final R factor was 5.6%. The configuration of the chiral central nitrogen of the DTPA core was S. The Gd-water (2.47-2.48 A), the Gd-acetate oxygens (2.34-2.42 A), and the Gd-N bond distances (central N, 2.59-2.63 A; terminal N, 2.74-2.80 A) were similar to other reported GdDTPA structures. The structurally characterized single crystal was one of two interconvertable diastereomers (isomers A and B) that equilibrated to a ratio of 1.81 to 1 at pH 7.4 and were separable at elevated pH by ion-exchange chromatography. The rate of isomerization was highly pH dependent: k1 = (1.45 +/- 0.08) x 102[H+] + (4.16 +/- 0.30) x 105[H+]2; k-1 = (2.57 +/- 0.17) x 102[H+] + (7.54 +/- 0.60) x 105[H+]2.

  2. Solid solutions of gadolinium doped zinc oxide nanorods by combined microwave-ultrasonic irradiation assisted crystallization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kiani, Armin; Dastafkan, Kamran; Obeydavi, Ali; Rahimi, Mohammad

    2017-12-01

    Nanocrystalline solid solutions consisting of un-doped and gadolinium doped zinc oxide nanorods were fabricated by a modified sol-gel process utilizing combined ultrasonic-microwave irradiations. Polyvinylpyrrolidone, diethylene glycol, and triethylenetetramine respectively as capping, structure directing, and complexing agents were used under ultrasound dynamic aging and microwave heating to obtain crystalline nanorods. Crystalline phase monitoring, lattice parameters and variation, morphology and shape, elemental analysis, functional groups, reducibility, and the oxidation state of emerged species were examined by PXRD, FESEM, TEM, EDX, FTIR, micro Raman, H2-TPR, and EPR techniques. Results have verified that irradiation mechanism of gelation and crystallization reduces the reaction time, augments the crystal quality, and formation of hexagonal close pack structure of Wurtzite morphology. Besides, dissolution of gadolinium within host lattice involves lattice deformation, unit cell distortion, and angular position variation. Structure related shape and growth along with compositional purity were observed through microscopic and spectroscopic surveys. Furthermore, TPR and EPR studies elucidated more detailed behavior upon exposure to the exerted irradiations and subsequent air-annealing including the formed oxidation states and electron trapping centers, presence of gadolinium, zinc, and oxygen disarrays and defects, as well as alteration in the host unit cell via gadolinium addition.

  3. Gadolinium deposition disease: Initial description of a disease that has been around for a while.

    PubMed

    Semelka, Richard C; Ramalho, Joana; Vakharia, Ami; AlObaidy, Mamdoh; Burke, Lauren M; Jay, Michael; Ramalho, Miguel

    2016-12-01

    To describe the clinical manifestations of presumed gadolinium toxicity in patients with normal renal function. Participants were recruited from two online gadolinium toxicity support groups. The survey was anonymous and individuals were instructed to respond to the survey only if they had evidence of normal renal function, evidence of gadolinium in their system beyond 30days of this MRI, and no pre-existent clinical symptoms and/or signs of this type. 42 subjects responded to the survey (age: 28-69, mean 49.1±22.4years). The most common findings were: central pain (n=15), peripheral pain (n=26), headache (n=28), and bone pain (n=26). Only subjects with distal leg and arm distribution described skin thickening (n=22). Clouded mentation and headache were the symptoms described as persistent beyond 3months in 29 subjects. Residual disease was present in all patients. Twenty-eight patients described symptoms following administration of one brand of Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agent (GBCA), 21 after a single GBCA administration and 7 after multiple GBCA administrations, including: gadopentetate dimeglumine, n=9; gadodiamide, n=4; gadoversetamide, n=4; gadobenate dimeglumine, n=4; gadobutrol, n=1; gadoteridol, n=2; and unknown, n=4. Gadolinium toxicity appears to arise following GBCA administration, which appears to contain clinical features seen in Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis, but also features not observed in that condition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Europium-doped gadolinium sulfide nanoparticles as a dual-mode imaging agent for T1-weighted MR and photoluminescence imaging.

    PubMed

    Jung, Jongjin; Kim, Mi Ae; Cho, Jee-Hyun; Lee, Seung Jae; Yang, Ilseung; Cho, Janggeun; Kim, Seong Keun; Lee, Chulhyun; Park, Joung Kyu

    2012-08-01

    We present a facile synthesis of europium-doped gadolinium sulfide (GdS:Eu(3+)) opto-magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) via sonochemistry. Their photoluminescence and strong paramagnetic properties enable these NPs to be utilized as an in vitro cell imaging and in vivo T(1)-weighted MR imaging probe. The GdS:Eu(3+) NPs have a prominent longitudinal (r(1)) relaxivity value, which is a critical parameter for T(1)-weighted MR imaging. Here, we showed not only their strong positive contrast effect to blood vessels and organs of mice, but also blood half-life and biodistribution including clearance from organs, in order to assess the GdS:Eu(3+) NPs as a competent nanocrystal-based T(1) contrast agent. We further showed confocal images of breast cancer cells containing GdS:Eu(3+) NPs to evaluate as a photoluminescence probe. Dual-mode imaging capability obtained from the GdS:Eu(3+) NPs will allow target-oriented cellular imaging as well as the resulting disease-specific MR imaging. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. T(2) relaxation time of hyaline cartilage in presence of different gadolinium-based contrast agents.

    PubMed

    Wiener, Edzard; Settles, Marcus; Diederichs, Gerd

    2010-01-01

    The transverse relaxation time, T(2), of native cartilage is used to quantify cartilage degradation. T(2) is frequently measured after contrast administration, assuming that the impact of gadolinium-based contrast agents on cartilage T(2) is negligible. To verify this assumption the depth-dependent variation of T(2) in the presence of gadopentetate dimeglumine, gadobenate dimeglumine and gadoteridol was investigated. Furthermore, the r(2)/r(1) relaxivity ratios were quantified in different cartilage layers to demonstrate differences between T(2) and T(1) relaxation effects. Transverse high-spatial-resolution T(1)- and T(2)-maps were simultaneously acquired on a 1.5 T MR scanner before and after contrast administration in nine bovine patellae using a turbo-mixed sequence. The r(2)/r(1) ratios were calculated for each contrast agent in cartilage. Profiles of T(1), T(2) and r(2)/r(1) across cartilage thickness were generated in the absence and presence of contrast agent. The mean values in different cartilage layers were compared for global variance using the Kruskal-Wallis test and pairwise using the Mann-Whitney U-test. T(2) of unenhanced cartilage was 98 +/- 5 ms at 1 mm and 65 +/- 4 ms at 3 mm depth. Eleven hours after contrast administration significant differences (p < 0.001) were measurable for all three contrast agents. T(2) values were 58 +/- 2 and 62 +/- 3 ms for gadopentetate dimeglumine, 46 +/- 2 and 57 +/- 2 ms for gadobenate dimeglumine, and 38 +/- 2 and 42 +/- 2 ms for gadoteridol at 1 and 3 mm depths, respectively. The r(2)/r(1) relaxivity ratios across cartilage thickness were close to 1.0 (range 0.9-1.3). At 1.5 T, T(2) decreased significantly in the presence of contrast agents, more pronounced in superficial than in deep cartilage. The change in T(2) relaxation rate was similar to the change in T(1). Cartilage T(2) measurements after contrast administration will lead to systematic errors in the quantification of cartilage degradation. 2010 John

  6. Gadolinium released by the linear gadolinium-based contrast-agent Gd-DTPA decreases the activity of human epithelial Na+ channels (ENaCs).

    PubMed

    Knoepp, Fenja; Bettmer, Joerg; Fronius, Martin

    2017-05-01

    Gadolinium-based-contrast-agents (GBCAs) are used for magnetic-resonance-imaging and associated with renal and cardiovascular adverse reactions caused by released Gd 3+ ions. Gd 3+ is also a modulator of mechano-gated ion channels, including the epithelial Na + channel (ENaC) that is expressed in kidney epithelium and the vasculature. ENaC is important for salt-/water homeostasis and blood pressure regulation and a likely target of released Gd 3+ from GBCAs causing the above-mentioned adverse reactions. Therefore this study examined the effect of Gd 3+ and GBCAs on ENaC's activity. Human αβγENaC was expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes and exposed to Gd 3+ , linear (Gd-DTPA, Magnevist) or cyclic (Dotarem) GBCAs. Transmembrane ion-currents (I M ) were recorded by the two-electrode-voltage-clamp technique and Gd 3+ -release by Gd-DTPA was confirmed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Gd 3+ exerts biphasic effects on ENaC's activity: ≤0.3mmol/l decreased I M which was preventable by DEPC (modifies histidines). Strikingly Gd 3+ ≥0.4mmol/l increased I M and this effect was prevented by cysteine-modifying MTSEA. Linear Gd-DTPA and Magnevist mimicked the effect of ≤0.3mmol/l Gd 3+ , whereas the chelator DTPA showed no effect. Gd 3+ and Gd-DTPA increased the IC 50 for amiloride, but did not affect ENaC's self-inhibition. Interestingly, cyclic Gd-DOTA (Dotarem) increased I M to a similar extent as its chelator DOTA, suggesting that the chelator rather than released Gd 3+ is responsible for this effect. These results confirm Gd 3+ -release from linear Gd-DTPA and indicate that the released Gd 3+ amount is sufficient to interfere with ENaC's activity to provide putative explanations for GBCA-related adverse effects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Gadolinium Deposition in Human Brain Tissues after Contrast-enhanced MR Imaging in Adult Patients without Intracranial Abnormalities.

    PubMed

    McDonald, Robert J; McDonald, Jennifer S; Kallmes, David F; Jentoft, Mark E; Paolini, Michael A; Murray, David L; Williamson, Eric E; Eckel, Laurence J

    2017-11-01

    Purpose To determine whether gadolinium deposits in neural tissues of patients with intracranial abnormalities following intravenous gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) exposure might be related to blood-brain barrier integrity by studying adult patients with normal brain pathologic characteristics. Materials and Methods After obtaining antemortem consent and institutional review board approval, the authors compared postmortem neuronal tissue samples from five patients who had undergone four to 18 gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) examinations between 2005 and 2014 (contrast group) with samples from 10 gadolinium-naive patients who had undergone at least one MR examination during their lifetime (control group). All patients in the contrast group had received gadodiamide. Neuronal tissues from the dentate nuclei, pons, globus pallidus, and thalamus were harvested and analyzed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and light microscopy to quantify, localize, and assess the effects of gadolinium deposition. Results Tissues from the four neuroanatomic regions of gadodiamide-exposed patients contained 0.1-19.4 μg of gadolinium per gram of tissue in a statistically significant dose-dependent relationship (globus pallidus: ρ = 0.90, P = .04). In contradistinction, patients in the control group had undetectable levels of gadolinium with ICP-MS. All patients had normal brain pathologic characteristics at autopsy. Three patients in the contrast group had borderline renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate <45 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) and hepatobiliary dysfunction at MR examination. Gadolinium deposition in the contrast group was localized to the capillary endothelium and neuronal interstitium and, in two cases, within the nucleus of the cell. Conclusion Gadolinium deposition in neural tissues after GBCA administration occurs in the absence of intracranial

  8. The High Radiosensitizing Efficiency of a Trace of Gadolinium-Based Nanoparticles in Tumors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dufort, Sandrine; Le Duc, Géraldine; Salomé, Murielle; Bentivegna, Valerie; Sancey, Lucie; Bräuer-Krisch, Elke; Requardt, Herwig; Lux, François; Coll, Jean-Luc; Perriat, Pascal; Roux, Stéphane; Tillement, Olivier

    2016-07-01

    We recently developed the synthesis of ultrasmall gadolinium-based nanoparticles (GBN), (hydrodynamic diameter <5 nm) characterized by a safe behavior after intravenous injection (renal clearance, preferential accumulation in tumors). Owing to the presence of gadolinium ions, GBN can be used as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and as radiosensitizers. The attempt to determine the most opportune delay between the intravenous injection of GBN and the irradiation showed that a very low content of radiosensitizing nanoparticles in the tumor area is sufficient (0.1 μg/g of particles, i.e. 15 ppb of gadolinium) for an important increase of the therapeutic effect of irradiation. Such a promising and unexpected result is assigned to a suited distribution of GBN within the tumor, as revealed by the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) maps.

  9. Gadolinium heteropoly complex K 17[Gd(P 2W 17O 61) 2] as a potential MRI contrast agent

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Guoying; Feng, Jianghua; Wu, Huifeng; Pei, Fengkui; Fang, Ke; Lei, Hao

    2004-10-01

    Gadolinium heteropoly complex K17[Gd(P2W17O61)2] has been evaluated by in vitro and in vivo experiments as a potential contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The thermal analysis and conductivity study indicate that this complex has good thermal stability and wide pH stability range. The T1 relaxivity is 7.59 mM-1 s-1 in aqueous solution and 7.97 mM-1 s-1 in 0.725 mmol l-1 bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution at 25 °C and 9.39 T, respectively. MR imaging of three male Sprague-Dawley rats showed remarkable enhancement in rat liver after intravenous injection, which persisted longer than with Gd-DTPA. The signal intensity increased by 57.1±16.9% during the whole imaging period at 0.082 mmol kg-1dose. Our preliminary in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that K17[Gd(P2W17O61)2] is a potential liver-specific MRI contrast agent.

  10. Gadolinium-enhanced inner ear magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of delayed endolymphatic hydrops, including a bilateral case.

    PubMed

    Fukushima, Munehisa; Oya, Ryohei; Akazawa, Hitoshi; Tsuruta, Yukinori; Inohara, Hidenori

    2016-01-01

    The data suggests that gadolinium-enhanced inner ear MR imaging is useful for diagnosis of delayed endolymphatic hydrops (DEH) because it is independent of inner ear function, and the size of the affected endolymphatic space is clearly enlarged. This study was performed to semi-quantitatively evaluate the endolymphatic space in patients with all types of DEH using gadolinium-enhanced inner ear magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Seven patients (age range = 21-77 years; five female, two male) with ipsilateral DEH (n = 5), contralateral DEH (n = 1), and bilateral DEH (n = 1). All patients underwent 3T MR imaging 4 h after intravenous injection of gadolinium. Software was used to determine the size of the endolymphatic space. Pure tone audiometry and caloric testing using an electronystagmogram were carried out. One side of the endolymphatic space was dominantly extended in patients with ipsilateral DEH, and both sides of the space were extended in patients with contralateral and bilateral DEH. In patients with ipsilateral DEH, the volume ratio of endolymph to vestibule was 2.5-4.3-times that in the unaffected ear. The volume ratio of endolymph to vestibule was nearly equal in patients with contralateral and bilateral DEH.

  11. Gadolinium-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles as a Tumor-Absorbable Contrast Agent for Early Diagnosis of Colorectal Tumors Using Magnetic Resonance Colonography.

    PubMed

    Sun, Jihong; Zhang, Shizheng; Jiang, Shaojie; Bai, Weixian; Liu, Fei; Yuan, Hong; Ji, Jiansong; Luo, Jingfeng; Han, Guocan; Chen, Lumin; Jin, Yin; Hu, Peng; Yu, Lei; Yang, Xiaoming

    2016-09-01

    Magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents focusing on special functions are required to improve cancer diagnosis, particularly in the early stages. Here, we designed multifunctional solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) with simultaneous loading of gadolinium (Gd) diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) and octadecylamine fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) to obtain Gd-FITC-SLNs as a tumor-absorbable nanoparticle contrast agent for the histological confirmation of MR imaging (MRI) findings. Colorectal tumors were evaluated in vitro and in vivo via direct uptake of this contrast agent, which displayed reasonable T1 relaxivity and no significant cytotoxicity at the experimental concentrations in human colon carcinoma cells (HT29) and mouse colon carcinoma cells (CT26). In vitro cell uptake experiments demonstrated that contrast agent absorption by the two types of cancer cells was concentration-dependent in the safe concentration range. During in vivo MRI, transrectal infusion of Gd-FITC-SLNs showed more significant enhancement at the tumor site compared with the infusion of Gd-DTPA in female C57/BL mice with azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium-induced colorectal highgrade intraepithelial neoplasia. Subsequent confocal fluorescence microscopy demonstrated Gd-FITC-SLNs as highly concentrated green fluorescent spots distributed from the tumor capsule into the tumor. This study establishes the "proof-of-principle" of a new MRI technique wherein colorectal tumors are enhanced via direct absorption or uptake of the nanoparticle contrast agent.

  12. Tissue gadolinium deposition in renally impaired rats exposed to different gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents: evaluation with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

    PubMed

    Sato, Tomohiro; Ito, Katsuyoshi; Tamada, Tsutomu; Kanki, Akihiko; Watanabe, Shigeru; Nishimura, Hirotake; Tanimoto, Daigo; Higashi, Hiroki; Yamamoto, Akira

    2013-10-01

    To quantify tissue gadolinium (Gd) deposition in renally impaired rats exposed to Gd-EOB-DTPA and other Gd-based MRI contrast agents by means of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and to compare the differences in distribution among major organs as possible triggers for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). A total of 15 renally impaired rats were injected with Gd-EOB-DTPA, Gd-DTPA-BMA and Gd-HP-DO3A. Gd contents of skin, liver, kidney, lung, heart, spleen, diaphragm and femoral muscle were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Histological assessment was also conducted. Tissue Gd deposition in all organs was significantly higher (P=0.005~0.009) in the Gd-DTPA-BMA group than in the Gd-HP-DO3A and Gd-EOB-DTPA groups. In the Gd-DTPA-BMA group, Gd was predominantly deposited in kidney (1306±605.7μg/g), followed by skin, liver, lung, spleen, femoral muscle, diaphragm and heart. Comparing Gd-HP-DO3A and Gd-EOB-DTPA groups, Gd depositions in the kidney, liver and lung were significantly lower (P=0.009~0.011) in the Gd-EOB-DTPA group than in the Gd-HP-DO3A group although no significant differences were seen for any other organs. Gd-EOB-DTPA is a stable and safe Gd-based contrast agent (GBCA) showing lower Gd deposition in major organs in renally impaired rats, compared with other GBCAs. This fact suggests that the risk of NSF onset would be low in the use of Gd-EOB-DTPA. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Optimisation of dynamic nuclear polarisation of [1-13C] pyruvate by addition of gadolinium-based contrast agents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Friesen-Waldner, Lanette; Chen, Albert; Mander, Will; Scholl, Timothy J.; McKenzie, Charles A.

    2012-10-01

    Dynamic nuclear polarisation (DNP) of carbon-13 (13C) enriched endogenous compounds provides a novel means for magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy of biological processes. Adding small amounts of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) to the 13C-enriched substrate matrix increases the amount of hyperpolarisation that can be achieved, but also may decrease the longitudinal relaxation time (T1) of the 13C nucleus in solution. This study examined the effects of five different GBCA at concentrations of 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 mM on [1-13C]-enriched pyruvic acid. It was found that contrast agents with an open chain structure (Gadobenate dimeglumine, Gadopentetate dimeglumine, Gadodiamide) caused the largest enhancement (up to 82%) in solid state polarisation relative to solutions without GBCA. In the liquid state, T1 of pyruvate decreased by as much as 62% and polarisation was much lower (70%) relative to solutions without GBCA added. Conversely, for GBCA with macrocyclic structures (Gadoterate meglumine, Gadoteridol), the solid state polarisation enhancement was only slightly less than the open chain GBCA, but enhanced polarisation was retained much better in the liquid state with minimal decrease in T1 (25% at the highest GBCA concentrations). Near maximum polarisation in the solid state was obtained at a GBCA concentration of 2 mM, with a higher concentration of 3 mM producing minimal improvement. These results indicate that the macrocyclic contrast agents provide the best combination of high solid state and liquid state polarisations with minimal loss of T1 in experiments with hyperpolarised 13C-enriched pyruvate. This suggests that macrocyclic contrast agents should be the GBCA of choice for maximising signal in experiments with hyperpolarised 13C-enriched pyruvate, particularly for in vivo measurements where shortened substrate T1 is especially problematic.

  14. Poly(acrylic acid) Bridged Gadolinium Metal-Organic Framework-Gold Nanoparticle Composites as Contrast Agents for Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Bimodal Imaging.

    PubMed

    Tian, Chixia; Zhu, Liping; Lin, Feng; Boyes, Stephen G

    2015-08-19

    Imaging contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) have received significant attention in the development of techniques for early stage cancer diagnosis. Gadolinium (Gd)(III), which has seven unpaired electrons and a large magnetic moment, can dramatically influence the water proton relaxation and hence exhibits excellent MRI contrast. On the other hand, gold (Au), which has a high atomic number and high X-ray attenuation coefficient, is an ideal contrast agent candidate for X-ray-based CT imaging. Gd metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles with tunable size, high Gd(III) loading and multivalency can potentially overcome the limitations of clinically utilized Gd chelate contrast agents. In this work, we report for the first time the integration of GdMOF nanoparticles with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for the preparation of a MRI/CT bimodal imaging agent. Highly stable hybrid GdMOF/AuNPs composites have been prepared by using poly(acrylic acid) as a bridge between the GdMOF nanoparticles and AuNPs. The hybrid nanocomposites were then evaluated in MRI and CT imaging. The results revealed high longitudinal relaxivity in MRI and excellent CT imaging performance. Therefore, these GdMOF/AuNPs hybrid nanocomposites potentially provide a new platform for the development of multimodal imaging probes.

  15. Poly(acrylic acid) Bridged Gadolinium Metal-Organic Framework-Gold Nanoparticle Composites as Contrast Agents for Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Bimodal Imaging

    PubMed Central

    Tian, Chixia; Zhu, Liping; Lin, Feng; Boyes, Stephen G.

    2015-01-01

    Imaging contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) have received significant attention in the development of techniques for early-stage cancer diagnosis. Gadolinium (Gd) (III), which has seven unpaired electrons and a large magnetic moment, can dramatically influence the water proton relaxation and hence exhibits excellent MRI contrast. On the other hand, gold (Au), which has a high atomic number and high x-ray attenuation coefficient, is an ideal contrast agent candidate for x-ray based CT imaging. Gd metal organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles with tunable size, high Gd (III) loading and multivalency can potentially overcome the limitations of clinically utilized Gd chelate contrast agents. In this work, we report for the first time the integration of GdMOF nanoparticles with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for the preparation of a MRI/CT bimodal imaging agent. Highly stable hybrid GdMOF/AuNPs composites have been prepared by using poly(acrylic acid) as a bridge between the GdMOF nanoparticles and AuNPs. The hybrid nanocomposites were then evaluated in MRI and CT imaging. The results revealed high longitudinal relaxivity in MRI and excellent CT imaging performance. Therefore, these GdMOF/AuNPs hybrid nanocomposites potentially provide a new platform for the development of multi-modal imaging probes. PMID:26147906

  16. Dual-contrast agent photon-counting computed tomography of the heart: initial experience.

    PubMed

    Symons, Rolf; Cork, Tyler E; Lakshmanan, Manu N; Evers, Robert; Davies-Venn, Cynthia; Rice, Kelly A; Thomas, Marvin L; Liu, Chia-Ying; Kappler, Steffen; Ulzheimer, Stefan; Sandfort, Veit; Bluemke, David A; Pourmorteza, Amir

    2017-08-01

    To determine the feasibility of dual-contrast agent imaging of the heart using photon-counting detector (PCD) computed tomography (CT) to simultaneously assess both first-pass and late enhancement of the myocardium. An occlusion-reperfusion canine model of myocardial infarction was used. Gadolinium-based contrast was injected 10 min prior to PCD CT. Iodinated contrast was infused immediately prior to PCD CT, thus capturing late gadolinium enhancement as well as first-pass iodine enhancement. Gadolinium and iodine maps were calculated using a linear material decomposition technique and compared to single-energy (conventional) images. PCD images were compared to in vivo and ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histology. For infarct versus remote myocardium, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was maximal on late enhancement gadolinium maps (CNR 9.0 ± 0.8, 6.6 ± 0.7, and 0.4 ± 0.4, p < 0.001 for gadolinium maps, single-energy images, and iodine maps, respectively). For infarct versus blood pool, CNR was maximum for iodine maps (CNR 11.8 ± 1.3, 3.8 ± 1.0, and 1.3 ± 0.4, p < 0.001 for iodine maps, gadolinium maps, and single-energy images, respectively). Combined first-pass iodine and late gadolinium maps allowed quantitative separation of blood pool, scar, and remote myocardium. MRI and histology analysis confirmed accurate PCD CT delineation of scar. Simultaneous multi-contrast agent cardiac imaging is feasible with photon-counting detector CT. These initial proof-of-concept results may provide incentives to develop new k-edge contrast agents, to investigate possible interactions between multiple simultaneously administered contrast agents, and to ultimately bring them to clinical practice.

  17. Structural, optical and magnetic properties of gadolinium sesquioxide nanobars synthesized via thermal decomposition of gadolinium oxalate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Manigandan, R.; Giribabu, K.; Suresh, R.

    2013-10-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The cubic Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanobars are synthesized by decomposition of C{sub 6}H{sub 20}Gd{sub 2}O{sub 22}. • The nanoparticles are rectangular bar shape with high porous surface. • The combination of magnetic and optical properties within a single particle. • The Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanobars have tailorable nanostructure, wide bandgap and are paramagnetic. - Abstract: Gadolinium oxide nanobars were obtained by thermal decomposition of gadolinium oxalate, which was synthesized by the chemical precipitation method along with glycerol. The functional group analysis and formation of gadolinium oxide from gadolinium oxalate were characterized by the Fourier transformmore » infrared spectroscopy and thermo gravimetric analyzer. The crystal structure, average crystallite size, and lattice parameter were analyzed by X-ray diffraction technique. Moreover, Raman shifts, elemental composition and morphology of the gadolinium oxide was widely investigated by the laser Raman microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, FE-SEM-EDAX and HR-TEM, respectively. Furthermore, the optical properties like band gap, absorbance measurement of the gadolinium oxide were extensively examined. In addition, the paramagnetic property of gadolinium oxide nanobars was explored by the vibrating sample magnetometer.« less

  18. Gadolinium-based nanoparticles for highly efficient T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lim, Eun-Kyung; Kang, Byunghoon; Choi, Yuna; Jang, Eunji; Han, Seungmin; Lee, Kwangyeol; Suh, Jin-Suck; Haam, Seungjoo; Huh, Yong-Min

    2014-06-01

    We developed Pyrene-Gadolinium (Py-Gd) nanoparticles as pH-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents capable of showing a high-Mr signal in cancer-specific environments, such as acidic conditions. Py-Gd nanoparticles were prepared by coating Py-Gd, which is a complex of gadolinium with pyrenyl molecules, with pyrenyl polyethyleneglycol PEG using a nano-emulsion method. These particles show better longitudinal relaxation time (T1) MR signals in acidic conditions than they do in neutral conditions. Furthermore, the particles exhibit biocompatibility and MR contrast effects in both in vitro and in vivo studies. From these results, we confirm that Py-Gd nanoparticles have the potential to be applied for accurate cancer diagnosis and therapy.

  19. Growth Control in Colon Epithelial Cells: Gadolinium Enhances Calcium-Mediated Growth Regulation

    PubMed Central

    Attili, Durga; Jenkins, Brian; Aslam, Muhammad Nadeem; Dame, Michael K.

    2013-01-01

    Gadolinium, a member of the lanthanoid family of transition metals, interacts with calcium-binding sites on proteins and other biological molecules. The overall goal of the present investigation was to determine if gadolinium could enhance calcium-induced epithelial cell growth inhibition in the colon. Gadolinium at concentrations as low as 1–5 µM combined with calcium inhibits proliferation of human colonic epithelial cells more effectively than calcium alone. Gadolinium had no detectable effect on calcium-induced differentiation in the same cells based on change in cell morphology, induction of E-cadherin synthesis, and translocation of E-cadherin from the cytosol to the cell surface. When the colon epithelial cells were treated with gadolinium and then exposed to increased calcium concentrations, movement of extracellular calcium into the cell was suppressed. In contrast, gadolinium treatment had no effect on ionomycin-induced release of stored intracellular calcium into the cytoplasm. Whether these in vitro observations can be translated into an approach for reducing abnormal proliferation in the colonic mucosa (including polyp formation) is not known. These results do, however, provide an explanation for our recent findings that a multi-mineral supplement containing all of the naturally occurring lanthanoid metals including gadolinium are more effective than calcium alone in preventing colon polyp formation in mice on a high-fat diet. PMID:23008064

  20. Growth control in colon epithelial cells: gadolinium enhances calcium-mediated growth regulation.

    PubMed

    Attili, Durga; Jenkins, Brian; Aslam, Muhammad Nadeem; Dame, Michael K; Varani, James

    2012-12-01

    Gadolinium, a member of the lanthanoid family of transition metals, interacts with calcium-binding sites on proteins and other biological molecules. The overall goal of the present investigation was to determine if gadolinium could enhance calcium-induced epithelial cell growth inhibition in the colon. Gadolinium at concentrations as low as 1-5 μM combined with calcium inhibits proliferation of human colonic epithelial cells more effectively than calcium alone. Gadolinium had no detectable effect on calcium-induced differentiation in the same cells based on change in cell morphology, induction of E-cadherin synthesis, and translocation of E-cadherin from the cytosol to the cell surface. When the colon epithelial cells were treated with gadolinium and then exposed to increased calcium concentrations, movement of extracellular calcium into the cell was suppressed. In contrast, gadolinium treatment had no effect on ionomycin-induced release of stored intracellular calcium into the cytoplasm. Whether these in vitro observations can be translated into an approach for reducing abnormal proliferation in the colonic mucosa (including polyp formation) is not known. These results do, however, provide an explanation for our recent findings that a multi-mineral supplement containing all of the naturally occurring lanthanoid metals including gadolinium are more effective than calcium alone in preventing colon polyp formation in mice on a high-fat diet.

  1. Gadolinium-based nanoparticles to improve the hadrontherapy performances.

    PubMed

    Porcel, Erika; Tillement, Olivier; Lux, François; Mowat, Pierre; Usami, Noriko; Kobayashi, Katsumi; Furusawa, Yoshiya; Le Sech, Claude; Li, Sha; Lacombe, Sandrine

    2014-11-01

    Nanomedicine is proposed as a novel strategy to improve the performance of radiotherapy. High-Z nanoparticles are known to enhance the effects of ionizing radiation. Recently, multimodal nanoparticles such as gadolinium-based nanoagents were proposed to amplify the effects of x-rays and g-rays and to improve MRI diagnosis. For tumors sited in sensitive tissues, childhood cases and radioresistant cancers, hadrontherapy is considered superior to x-rays and g-rays. Hadrontherapy, based on fast ion radiation, has the advantage of avoiding damage to the tissues behind the tumor; however, the damage caused in front of the tumor is its major limitation. Here, we demonstrate that multimodal gadolinium-based nanoparticles amplify cell death with fast ions used as radiation. Molecular scale experiments give insights into the mechanisms underlying the amplification of radiation effects. This proof-of-concept opens up novel perspectives for multimodal nanomedicine in hadrontherapy, ultimately reducing negative radiation effects in healthy tissues in front of the tumor. Gadolinium-chelating polysiloxane nanoparticles were previously reported to amplify the anti-tumor effects of x-rays and g-rays and to serve as MRI contrast agents. Fast ion radiation-based hadrontherapy avoids damage to the tissues behind the tumor, with a major limitation of tissue damage in front of the tumor. This study demonstrates a potential role for the above nanoagents in optimizing hadrontherapy with preventive effects in healthy tissue and amplified cell death in the tumor. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Strategies for the preparation of bifunctional gadolinium(III) chelators

    PubMed Central

    Frullano, Luca; Caravan, Peter

    2012-01-01

    The development of gadolinium chelators that can be easily and readily linked to various substrates is of primary importance for the development high relaxation efficiency and/or targeted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. Over the last 25 years a large number of bifunctional chelators have been prepared. For the most part, these compounds are based on ligands that are already used in clinically approved contrast agents. More recently, new bifunctional chelators have been reported based on complexes that show a more potent relaxation effect, faster complexation kinetics and in some cases simpler synthetic procedures. This review provides an overview of the synthetic strategies used for the preparation of bifunctional chelators for MRI applications. PMID:22375102

  3. Bioconjugation of luminescent silicon quantum dots to gadolinium ions for bioimaging applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Erogbogbo, Folarin; Chang, Ching-Wen; May, Jasmine L.; Liu, Liwei; Kumar, Rajiv; Law, Wing-Cheung; Ding, Hong; Yong, Ken Tye; Roy, Indrajit; Sheshadri, Mukund; Swihart, Mark T.; Prasad, Paras N.

    2012-08-01

    Luminescent imaging agents and MRI contrast agents are desirable components in the rational design of multifunctional nanoconstructs for biological imaging applications. Luminescent biocompatible silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) and gadolinium chelates can be applied for fluorescence microscopy and MRI, respectively. Here, we report the first synthesis of a nanocomplex incorporating SiQDs and gadolinium ions (Gd3+) for biological applications. The nanoconstruct is composed of a PEGylated micelle, with hydrophobic SiQDs in its core, covalently bound to DOTA-chelated Gd3+. Dynamic light scattering reveals a radius of 85 nm for these nanoconstructs, which is consistent with the electron microscopy results depicting radii ranging from 25 to 60 nm. Cellular uptake of the probes verified that they maintain their optical properties within the intracellular environment. The magnetic resonance relaxivity of the nanoconstruct was 2.4 mM-1 s-1 (in terms of Gd3+ concentration), calculated to be around 6000 mM-1 s-1 per nanoconstruct. These desirable optical and relaxivity properties of the newly developed probe open the door for use of SiQDs in future multimodal applications such as tumour imaging.Luminescent imaging agents and MRI contrast agents are desirable components in the rational design of multifunctional nanoconstructs for biological imaging applications. Luminescent biocompatible silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) and gadolinium chelates can be applied for fluorescence microscopy and MRI, respectively. Here, we report the first synthesis of a nanocomplex incorporating SiQDs and gadolinium ions (Gd3+) for biological applications. The nanoconstruct is composed of a PEGylated micelle, with hydrophobic SiQDs in its core, covalently bound to DOTA-chelated Gd3+. Dynamic light scattering reveals a radius of 85 nm for these nanoconstructs, which is consistent with the electron microscopy results depicting radii ranging from 25 to 60 nm. Cellular uptake of the probes verified that they

  4. Intraindividual Analysis of Signal Intensity Changes in the Dentate Nucleus After Consecutive Serial Applications of Linear and Macrocyclic Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents.

    PubMed

    Radbruch, Alexander; Weberling, Lukas D; Kieslich, Pascal J; Hepp, Johanna; Kickingereder, Philipp; Wick, Wolfgang; Schlemmer, Heinz-Peter; Bendszus, Martin

    2016-11-01

    Recent studies reported an increase in the dentate nucleus (DN)-to-pons signal intensity (SI) ratio (DN-pons SI ratio) on unenhanced T1-weighted images in patients who received consecutive serial injections of linear gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). In contrast, most studies found no increase in the DN-pons SI ratio when patients were treated with consecutive serial injections of macrocyclic GBCAs. However, the potential difference between macrocyclic and linear GBCAs has never been assessed in individuals who received subsequent applications of both contrast agents. In this retrospective study, we assessed the evolution of the DN-pons SI ratio change in patients that were treated with a comparable number of serial consecutive injections of the linear GBCA gadopentetate dimeglumine and subsequent serial injections of the macrocyclic GBCAs gadobutrol and gadoterate meglumine. Data of 36 patients was analyzed. All patients underwent at least 5 consecutive administrations of the linear GBCA gadopentetate dimeglumine followed by an equal number of consecutive administrations of the macrocyclic GBCA gadobutrol. In 12 of the 36 patients, 5 or more final consecutive injections of the macrocyclic GBCA gadoterate meglumine were analyzed additionally. The difference of DN-pons SI ratios on unenhanced T1-weighted images was calculated by subtracting the ratio at the first examination from the ratio at the last examination in each of the 3 periods. The mean DN-pons SI ratio difference in the gadopentetate dimeglumine period was significantly greater than 0 (mean ± SD, 0.0448 ± 0.0345; P < 0.001), whereas the mean DN-pons SI ratio difference in the subsequent gadobutrol and gadoterate meglumine period was significantly smaller than 0 (gadobutrol: -0.0178 ± 0.0459, P = 0.026; gadoterate meglumine: -0.0250 ± 0.0284, P = 0.011). In this observational study, the application of the linear GBCA gadopentetate dimeglumine was associated with a DN-pons SI ratio increase

  5. In vitro study of novel gadolinium-loaded liposomes guided by GBI-10 aptamer for promising tumor targeting and tumor diagnosis by magnetic resonance imaging.

    PubMed

    Gu, Meng-Jie; Li, Kun-Feng; Zhang, Lan-Xin; Wang, Huan; Liu, Li-Si; Zheng, Zhuo-Zhao; Han, Nan-Yin; Yang, Zhen-Jun; Fan, Tian-Yuan

    2015-01-01

    Novel gadolinium-loaded liposomes guided by GBI-10 aptamer were developed and evaluated in vitro to enhance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnosis of tumor. Nontargeted gadolinium-loaded liposomes were achieved by incorporating amphipathic material, Gd (III) [N,N-bis-stearylamidomethyl-N'-amidomethyl] diethylenetriamine tetraacetic acid, into the liposome membrane using lipid film hydration method. GBI-10, as the targeting ligand, was then conjugated onto the liposome surface to get GBI-10-targeted gadolinium-loaded liposomes (GTLs). Both nontargeted gadolinium-loaded liposomes and GTLs displayed good dispersion stability, optimal size, and zeta potential for tumor targeting, as well as favorable imaging properties with enhanced relaxivity compared with a commercial MRI contrast agent (CA), gadopentetate dimeglumine. The use of GBI-10 aptamer in this liposomal system was intended to result in increased accumulation of gadolinium at the periphery of C6 glioma cells, where the targeting extracellular matrix protein tenascin-C is overexpressed. Increased cellular binding of GTLs to C6 cells was confirmed by confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, and MRI, demonstrating the promise of this novel delivery system as a carrier of MRI contrast agent for the diagnosis of tumor. These studies provide a new strategy furthering the development of nanomedicine for both diagnosis and therapy of tumor.

  6. In vitro study of novel gadolinium-loaded liposomes guided by GBI-10 aptamer for promising tumor targeting and tumor diagnosis by magnetic resonance imaging

    PubMed Central

    Gu, Meng-Jie; Li, Kun-Feng; Zhang, Lan-Xin; Wang, Huan; Liu, Li-Si; Zheng, Zhuo-Zhao; Han, Nan-Yin; Yang, Zhen-Jun; Fan, Tian-Yuan

    2015-01-01

    Novel gadolinium-loaded liposomes guided by GBI-10 aptamer were developed and evaluated in vitro to enhance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnosis of tumor. Nontargeted gadolinium-loaded liposomes were achieved by incorporating amphipathic material, Gd (III) [N,N-bis-stearylamidomethyl-N′-amidomethyl] diethylenetriamine tetraacetic acid, into the liposome membrane using lipid film hydration method. GBI-10, as the targeting ligand, was then conjugated onto the liposome surface to get GBI-10-targeted gadolinium-loaded liposomes (GTLs). Both nontargeted gadolinium-loaded liposomes and GTLs displayed good dispersion stability, optimal size, and zeta potential for tumor targeting, as well as favorable imaging properties with enhanced relaxivity compared with a commercial MRI contrast agent (CA), gadopentetate dimeglumine. The use of GBI-10 aptamer in this liposomal system was intended to result in increased accumulation of gadolinium at the periphery of C6 glioma cells, where the targeting extracellular matrix protein tenascin-C is overexpressed. Increased cellular binding of GTLs to C6 cells was confirmed by confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, and MRI, demonstrating the promise of this novel delivery system as a carrier of MRI contrast agent for the diagnosis of tumor. These studies provide a new strategy furthering the development of nanomedicine for both diagnosis and therapy of tumor. PMID:26316749

  7. The Effect of Pressure and Temperature on Separation of Free Gadolinium(III) From Gd-DTPA Complex by Nanofiltration-Complexation Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahayu, Iman; Anggraeni, Anni; Ukun, MSS; Bahti, Husein H.

    2017-05-01

    Nowdays, the utilization of rare earth elements has been carried out widely in industry and medicine, one of them is gadolinium in Gd-DTPA complex is used as a contrast agent in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostic to increase the visual contrast between normal tissue and diseased. Although the stability of a given complex may be high enough, the complexation step couldnot have been completed, so there is possible to gadolinium(III) in the complex compound. Therefore, the function of that compounds should be dangerous because of the toxicity of gadolinium(III) in human body. So, it is necessarry to separate free gadolinium(III) from Gd-DTPA complex by nanofiltration-complexation. The method of this study is complexing of Gd2O3 with DTPA ligand by reflux and separation of Gd-DTPA complex from gadolinium(III) with a nanofiltration membrane on the variation of pressures(2, 3, 4, 5, 6 bars) and temperature (25, 30, 35, 40 °C) and determined the flux and rejection. The results of this study are the higher of pressures and temperatures, permeation flux are increasing and ion rejections are decreasing and gave the free gadolinium(III) rejection until 86.26%.

  8. Use of gadolinium chloride as a contrast agent for imaging spruce knots by magnetic resonance

    Treesearch

    Thomas L. Eberhardt; Chi-Leung So; Amy H. Herlihy; Po-Wah So

    2006-01-01

    Treatments of knot-containing spruce wood blocks with a paramagnetic salt, gadolinium (III) chloride, in combination with solvent pretreatments, were evaluated as strategies to enhance the visualization of wood features by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Initial experiments with clear wood and excised knot samples showed differences in moisture uptake after...

  9. Gadolinium-modulated 19F signals from Perfluorocarbon Nanoparticles as a New Strategy for Molecular Imaging

    PubMed Central

    Neubauer, Anne M.; Myerson, Jacob; Caruthers, Shelton D.; Hockett, Franklin D.; Winter, Patrick M.; Chen, Junjie; Gaffney, Patrick J.; Robertson, J. David; Lanza, Gregory M.; Wickline, Samuel A.

    2008-01-01

    Recent advances in the design of fluorinated nanoparticles for magnetic resonance molecular imaging have enabled specific detection of 19F nuclei, providing unique and quantifiable spectral signatures. However, a pressing need for signal enhancement exists because the total 19F in imaging voxels is often limited. By directly incorporating a relaxation agent (gadolinium) into the lipid monolayer that surrounds the perfluorocarbon, a marked augmentation of the 19F signal from 200nm nanoparticles was achieved. This design increases the magnetic relaxation rate of the 19F nuclei 4-fold at 1.5 T and effects a 125% increase in signal, an effect which is maintained when they are targeted to human plasma clots. By varying the surface concentration of gadolinium, the relaxation effect can be quantitatively modulated to tailor particle properties. This novel strategy dramatically improves the sensitivity and range of 19F MRI/MRS and forms the basis for designing contrast agents capable of sensing their surface chemistry. PMID:18956457

  10. Quantification and Assessment of the Chemical Form of Residual Gadolinium in the Brain After Repeated Administration of Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents

    PubMed Central

    Frenzel, Thomas; Apte, Chirag; Jost, Gregor; Schöckel, Laura; Lohrke, Jessica; Pietsch, Hubertus

    2017-01-01

    Objective Multiple clinical and preclinical studies have reported a signal intensity increase and the presence of gadolinium (Gd) in the brain after repeated administration of Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs). This bioanalytical study in rat brain tissue was initiated to investigate whether the residual Gd is present as intact GBCA or in other chemical forms by using tissue fractionation and chromatography. Materials and Methods Rats were divided randomly in 6 groups of 10 animals each. They received 10 daily injections of 2.5 mmol/kg bodyweight of 1 of 5 different GBCAs: linear GBCAs such as gadodiamide (Omniscan; GE Healthcare), gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA, Magnevist; Bayer), or gadobenate dimeglumine (Multihance; Bracco) and macrocyclic GBCAs such as gadobutrol (Gadovist; Bayer) and gadoterate meglumine (Gd-DOTA, Dotarem; Guerbet) or saline. On days 3 and 24 after the last injection (p.i.), 5 randomly chosen animals of each group were killed by exsanguination, and their brains were excised and divided into cerebrum, pons, and cerebellum. The brain sections were homogenized by sonication in ice-cold buffer at pH 7.4. Soluble and insoluble fractions were separated by centrifugation, and the soluble fractions were further separated by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The Gd concentration in all tissue fractions and in the GPC eluate was measured by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. In a recovery control experiment, all GBCAs were spiked to blank brain tissue and more than 94% recovery of Gd in the tissue fractions was demonstrated. Results Only traces of the administered Gd were found in the rat brain tissue on day 3 and day 24 p.i. In the animals treated with macrocyclic GBCAs, Gd was found only in the soluble brain fraction and was present solely as low molecular weight molecules, most likely the intact GBCA. In the animals treated with linear GBCAs Gd was found to a large extent in the insoluble tissue fraction. The Gd concentration in

  11. Are gadolinium-based contrast media nephrotoxic? A renal biopsy study.

    PubMed

    Akgun, Hulya; Gonlusen, Gulfiliz; Cartwright, Joiner; Suki, Wadi N; Truong, Luan D

    2006-09-01

    Gadolinium-based contrast media were originally introduced as alternatives to iodinated media for magnetic resonance imaging. Although originally thought to be nonnephrotoxic, gadolinium-based contrast media have recently been reported to be associated with acute renal failure; the mechanism and the underlying renal injury are not completely understood. We report what is, to our knowledge, the first renal biopsy in this context. A 56-year-old patient underwent 2 consecutive vascular imaging procedures in conjunction with gadolinium-based contrast medium administration. A few days later, the patient developed acute renal failure. A renal biopsy showed acute tubular cell injury including patchy tubular cell necrosis, tubular cell degeneration, and marked proliferation of tubular cells, together with mild interstitial edema and interstitial inflammation, but without significant glomerular or vascular changes. During supportive therapy, renal function was partially regained. This case emphasizes the potential nephrotoxicity of gadolinium-based contrast media and suggests that the nephrotoxicity is related to potentially reversible acute tubular cell injury.

  12. Gadolinium-loaded polymeric nanoparticles modified with Anti-VEGF as multifunctional MRI contrast agents for the diagnosis of liver cancer.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yongjun; Chen, Zhijin; Liu, Chunxi; Yu, Dexin; Lu, Zaijun; Zhang, Na

    2011-08-01

    Molecular imaging is essential to increase the sensitivity and selectivity of cancer diagnosis especially in the early stage of tumor. Here, we designed a novel multifunctional polymeric nanoparticle contrast agent (Anti-VEGF PLA-PEG-PLL-Gd NP) simultaneously modified with Gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody to deliver Gd-DTPA to the tumor area and achieve the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The Anti-VEGF PLA-PEG-PLL-Gd NPs exhibited high T(1) relaxivity and no obvious cytotoxicity under the experimental concentrations in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells. The results of in vitro cell uptake experiments demonstrated that the uptake process of NPs was both concentration and time depended. Compared with non-targeted NPs, the Anti-VEGF antibody modified NPs showed much higher cell uptake in the HepG2 cells. During in vivo studies, the targeted NPs showed significantly signal intensity enhancement at the tumor site (mouse hepatocarcinoma tumor, H22) compared with non-targeted NPs and Gd-DTPA injection in tumor-bearing mice and the imaging time was significantly prolonged from less than an hour (Gd-DTPA injection group) to 12 h. These results demonstrated that this novel MRI contrast agent Anti-VEGF PLA-PEG-PLL-Gd NPs showed great potential in the early diagnosis of liver tumors. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Low-Molecular-Weight Iron Chelates May Be an Alternative to Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents for T1-weighted Contrast-enhanced MR Imaging.

    PubMed

    Boehm-Sturm, Philipp; Haeckel, Akvile; Hauptmann, Ralf; Mueller, Susanne; Kuhl, Christiane K; Schellenberger, Eyk A

    2018-02-01

    Purpose To synthesize two low-molecular-weight iron chelates and compare their T1 contrast effects with those of a commercial gadolinium-based contrast agent for their applicability in dynamic contrast material-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Materials and Methods The animal experiments were approved by the local ethics committee. Two previously described iron (Fe) chelates of pentetic acid (Fe-DTPA) and of trans-cyclohexane diamine tetraacetic acid (Fe-tCDTA) were synthesized with stability constants several orders of magnitude higher than those of gadolinium-based contrast agents. The T1 contrast effects of the two chelates were compared with those of gadopentetate dimeglumine in blood serum phantoms at 1.5 T, 3 T, and 7 T. For in vivo studies, a human breast cancer cell line (MDA-231) was implanted in five mice per group. The dynamic contrast effects of the chelates were compared by performing DCE MR imaging with intravenous application of Fe-DTPA or Fe-tCDTA on day 1 and DCE MR imaging in the same tumors with gadopentetate dimeglumine on day 2. Quantitative DCE maps were generated with software and were compared by means of a one-tailed Pearson correlation test. Results Relaxivities in serum (0.94 T at room temperature) of Fe-tCDTA (r1 = 2.2 mmol -1 · sec -1 , r2 = 2.5 mmol -1 · sec -1 ) and Fe-DTPA (r1 = 0.9 mmol -1 · sec -1 , r2 = 0.9 mmol -1 · sec -1 ) were approximately twofold and fivefold lower, respectively, compared with those of gadopentetate dimeglumine (r1 = 4.1 mmol -1 · sec -1 , r2 = 4.8 mmol -1 · sec -1 ). Used at moderately higher concentrations, however, iron chelates generated similar contrast effects at T1-weighted MR imaging in vitro in serum, in vivo in blood, and for DCE MR imaging of breast cancer xenografts. The volume transfer constant values for Fe-DTPA and Fe-tCDTA in the same tumors correlated well with those observed for gadopentetate dimeglumine (Fe-tCDTA Pearson R, 0.99; P = .0003; Fe-DTPA Pearson R, 0.97; P

  14. Measurement of gadolinium retention: current status and review from an applied radiation physics perspective.

    PubMed

    Gräfe, James L; McNeill, Fiona E

    2018-06-28

    This article briefly reviews the main measurement techniques for the non-invasive detection of residual gadolinium (Gd) in those exposed to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). Approach and Main results: The current status of in vivo Gd measurement is discussed and is put into the context of concerns within the radiology community. The main techniques are based on applied atomic/nuclear medicine utilizing the characteristic atomic and nuclear spectroscopic signature of Gd. The main emission energies are in the 40-200 keV region and require spectroscopic detectors with good energy resolution. The two main techniques, prompt gamma neutron activation analysis and x-ray fluorescence, provide adequate detection limits for in vivo measurement, whilst delivering a low effective radiation dose on the order of a few µSv. Gadolinium is being detected in measureable quantities in people with healthy renal function who have received FDA approved GBCAs. The applied atomic/nuclear medicine techniques discussed in this review will be useful in determining the significance of this retention, and will help on advising future administration protocols.

  15. Global and Regional Brain Assessment with Quantitative MR Imaging in Patients with Prior Exposure to Linear Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents.

    PubMed

    Kuno, Hirofumi; Jara, Hernán; Buch, Karen; Qureshi, Muhammad Mustafa; Chapman, Margaret N; Sakai, Osamu

    2017-04-01

    Purpose To assess the association of global and regional brain relaxation times in patients with prior exposure to linear gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). Materials and Methods The institutional review board approved this cross-sectional study. Thirty-five patients (nine who had received GBCA gadopentetate dimeglumine injections previously [one to eight times] and 26 patients who did not) who underwent brain magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with a mixed fast spin-echo pulse sequence were assessed. The whole brain was segmented according to white and gray matter by using a dual-clustering algorithm. In addition, regions of interest were measured in the globus pallidus, dentate nucleus, thalamus, and pons. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess the difference between groups. Multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the association of T1 and T2 with prior GBCA exposure. Results T1 values of gray matter were significantly shorter for patients with than for patients without prior GBCA exposure (P = .022). T1 of the gray matter of the whole brain (P < .001), globus pallidus (P = .002), dentate nucleus (P = .046), and thalamus (P = .026) and T2 of the whole brain (P = .004), dentate nucleus (P = .023), and thalamus (P = .002) showed a significant correlation with the accumulated dose of previous GBCA administration. There was no significant correlation between T1 and the accumulated dose of previous GBCA injections in the white matter (P = .187). Conclusion Global and regional quantitative assessments of T1 and T2 demonstrated an association with prior GBCA exposure, especially for gray matter structures. The results of this study confirm previous research findings that there is gadolinium deposition in wider distribution throughout the brain. © RSNA, 2016 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

  16. A small MRI contrast agent library of gadolinium(III)-encapsulated supramolecular nanoparticles for improved relaxivity and sensitivity**

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Kuan-Ju; Wolahan, Stephanie M.; Wang, Hao; Hsu, Chao-Hsiung; Chang, Hsing-Wei; Durazo, Armando; Hwang, Lian-Pin; Garcia, Mitch A.; Jiang, Ziyue Karen; Wu, Lily

    2010-01-01

    We introduce a new category of nanoparticle-based T1 MRI contrast agents (CAs) by encapsulating paramagnetic chelated gadolinium(III), i.e., Gd3+·DOTA, through supramolecular assembly of molecular building blocks that carry complementary molecular recognition motifs, including adamantane (Ad) and β-cyclodextrin (CD). A small library of Gd3+·DOTA-encapsulated supramolecular nanoparticles (Gd3+·DOTA⊂SNPs) was produced by systematically altering the molecular building block mixing ratios. A broad spectrum of relaxation rates was correlated to the resulting Gd3+·DOTA⊂SNP library. Consequently, an optimal synthetic formulation of Gd3+·DOTA⊂SNPs with an r1 of 17.3 s−1mM−1 (ca. 4-fold higher than clinical Gd3+ chelated complexes at high field strengths) was identified. T1-weighted imaging of Gd3+·DOTA⊂SNPs exhibits an enhanced sensitivity with a contrast-to-noise ratio (C/N ratio) ca. 3.6 times greater than that observed for free Gd3+·DTPA. A Gd3+·DOTA⊂SNPs solution was injected into foot pads of mice, and MRI was employed to monitor dynamic lymphatic drainage of the Gd3+·DOTA⊂SNPs-based CA. We observe an increase in signal intensity of the brachial lymph node in T1-weighted imaging after injecting Gd3+·DOTA⊂SNPs but not after injecting Gd3+·DTPA. The MRI results are supported by ICP-MS analysis ex vivo. These results show that Gd3+·DOTA⊂SNPs not only exhibits enhanced relaxivity and high sensitivity but also can serve as a potential tool for diagnosis of cancer metastasis. PMID:21167594

  17. Dual-mode T1 and T2 magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent based on ultrasmall mixed gadolinium-dysprosium oxide nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and in vivo application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tegafaw, Tirusew; Xu, Wenlong; Wasi Ahmad, Md; Baeck, Jong Su; Chang, Yongmin; Bae, Ji Eun; Chae, Kwon Seok; Kim, Tae Jeong; Lee, Gang Ho

    2015-09-01

    A new type of dual-mode T1 and T2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent based on mixed lanthanide oxide nanoparticles was synthesized. Gd3+ (8S7/2) plays an important role in T1 MRI contrast agents because of its large electron spin magnetic moment resulting from its seven unpaired 4f-electrons, and Dy3+ (6H15/2) has the potential to be used in T2 MRI contrast agents because of its very large total electron magnetic moment: among lanthanide oxide nanoparticles, Dy2O3 nanoparticles have the largest magnetic moments at room temperature. Using these properties of Gd3+ and Dy3+ and their oxide nanoparticles, ultrasmall mixed gadolinium-dysprosium oxide (GDO) nanoparticles were synthesized and their potential to act as a dual-mode T1 and T2 MRI contrast agent was investigated in vitro and in vivo. The D-glucuronic acid coated GDO nanoparticles (davg = 1.0 nm) showed large r1 and r2 values (r2/r1 ≈ 6.6) and as a result clear dose-dependent contrast enhancements in R1 and R2 map images. Finally, the dual-mode imaging capability of the nanoparticles was confirmed by obtaining in vivo T1 and T2 MR images.

  18. Biologically-compatible gadolinium(at)(carbon nanostructures) as advanced contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sitharaman, Balaji

    2005-11-01

    Paramagnetic gadolinium-based carbon nanostructures are introduced as a new paradigm in high-performance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent (CA) design. Two Gd C60-based nanomaterials, Gd C60 [C(COOH)2]10 and Gd C60(OH)x are shown to have MRI efficacies (relaxivities) 5 to 20 times larger than any current Gd3+-based CA in clinical use. The first detailed and systematic physicochemical characterization was performed on these materials using the same experimental techniques usually applied to traditional Gd 3+-based CAs. Water-proton relaxivities were measured for the first time on these materials, as a function of magnetic field (5 x 10-4--9.4 T) to elucidate the different interaction mechanisms and dynamic processes influencing the relaxation behavior. These studies attribute the observed enhanced relaxivities completely to the "outer sphere" proton relaxation mechanism. These "outer sphere" relaxation effects are the largest reported for any Gd3+-based agent without inner-sphere water molecules. The proton relaxivities displayed a remarkable pH-dependency, increasing dramatically with decreasing pH (pH: 3--12). The increase in relaxivity resulted mainly from aggregation and subsequent three-order-of-magnitude increase in tauR, the rotational correlation time. Water-soluble fullerene materials (such as the neuroprotective fullerene drug, C3) readily cross cell membranes, suggesting an application for these gadofullerenes as the first intracellular, as well as pH-responsive MRI CAs. Studies performed at 60 MHz in the presence of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, mice serum pH: 7.4) to mimic physiological conditions demonstrated that the aggregates can be disrupted by addition of salts, leading to a decrease in relaxivity. Biological fluids present a high salt concentration and should strongly modify the behavior of any fullerenes/metallofullerene-based drug in vivo. Gd C60[C(COOH)2]10 also showed enhanced relaxivity (23% increase) in the presence of the

  19. Clinical application of a gadolinium-based capsule as an MRI contrast agent in slow transit constipation diagnostics.

    PubMed

    Zhi, M; Zhou, Z; Chen, H; Xiong, F; Huang, J; He, H; Zhang, M; Su, M; Gao, X; Hu, P

    2017-06-01

    As a traditional method for the assessment of colon dynamics, radio-opaque markers (ROMs) are limited in clinical use because of their ionizing radiation. We compared the accuracy and applicability of gadolinium-based capsules with ROMs in the measurement of colon dynamics in healthy controls and slow transit constipation (STC) patients. Seven patients with STC and nine healthy controls under a normal diet orally consumed ROMs and gadolinium-based capsules simultaneously. All subjects underwent X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Healthy control images were acquired at 12, 24, and 48 h, and STC patient images were acquired at 24, 48, and 72 h. The scores based on the position of the labeling capsules and ROMs in the colon and the colon transit times (CTTs) in the two groups were compared. The CTTs obtained via the ROMs were 34.7±17.4 and 67.3±6.5 h in the healthy controls and STC patients, respectively (P<.05). The CTTs obtained via MRI were 30.9±15.9 and 74.1±7.2 h in the healthy controls and STC patients, respectively (P<.05). The CTTs of the STC patients were significantly longer than the healthy controls. The correlation (r s ) between the scores based on the position of the labeling capsule and ROMs in the healthy group and the STC patients was .880 (P<.05) and .889 (P<.05), respectively. As a MRI contrast label, gadolinium-based capsules exhibit results comparable to ROMs in colon motility measurements. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Gadolinium Brain Deposition after Macrocyclic Gadolinium Administration: A Pediatric Case-Control Study.

    PubMed

    Tibussek, Daniel; Rademacher, Christin; Caspers, Julian; Turowski, Bernd; Schaper, Jörg; Antoch, Gerald; Klee, Dirk

    2017-10-01

    Purpose To determine whether signal intensity (SI) in T1 sequences as a potential indicator of gadolinium deposition increases after repeated administration of the macrocyclic gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) gadoteridol and gadoterate meglumine in a pediatric cohort. Materials and Methods This retrospective case-control study of children with brain tumors who underwent nine or more contrast material-enhanced brain magnetic resonance (MR) imaging studies from 2008 to 2015 was approved by the local ethics board. Informed consent was obtained for MR imaging. Twenty-four case patients aged 5-18 years and appropriate control patients with nonpathologic MR neuroimaging findings (and no GBCA administration), matched for age and sex, were inculded. SI was measured on unenhanced T1-weighted MR images for the following five regions of interest (ROIs): the dentate nucleus (DN), pons, substantia nigra (SN), pulvinar thalami, and globus pallidus (GP). Paired t tests were used to compare SI and SI ratios (DN to pons, GP to thalamus) between case patients and control patients. Pearson correlations between relative signal changes and the number of GBCA administrations and total GBCA dose were calculated. Results The mean number of GBCA administrations was 14.2. No significant differences in mean SI for any ROI and no group differences were found when DN-to-pons and GP-to-pulvinar ratios were compared (DN-to-pons ratio in case patients: mean, 1.0083 ± 0.0373 [standard deviation]; DN-to-pons ratio in control patients: mean, 1.0183 ± 0.01917; P = .37; GP-to-pulvinar ratio in case patients: mean, 1.1335 ± 0.04528; and GP-to-pulvinar ratio in control patients: mean, 1.1141 ± 0.07058; P = .29). No correlation was found between the number of GBCA administrations or the total amount of GBCA administered and signal change for any ROI. (Number of GBCA applications: DN: r = -0.254, P = .31; pons: r = -0.097, P = .65; SN: r = -0.194, P = .38; GP: r = -0.175, P = .41; pulvinar: r

  1. Gadolinium accumulation in organs of Sprague-Dawley® rats after implantation of a biodegradable magnesium-gadolinium alloy.

    PubMed

    Myrissa, Anastasia; Braeuer, Simone; Martinelli, Elisabeth; Willumeit-Römer, Regine; Goessler, Walter; Weinberg, Annelie Martina

    2017-01-15

    Biodegradable magnesium implants are under investigation because of their promising properties as medical devices. For enhancing the mechanical properties and the degradation resistance, rare earth elements are often used as alloying elements. In this study Mg10Gd pins were implanted into Sprague-Dawley® rats. The pin volume loss and a possible accumulation of magnesium and gadolinium in the rats' organs and blood were investigated in a long-term study over 36weeks. The results showed that Mg10Gd is a fast disintegrating material. Already 12weeks after implantation the alloy is fragmented to smaller particles, which can be found within the intramedullary cavity and the cortical bones. They disturbed the bone remodeling until the end of the study. The results concerning the elements' distribution in the animals' bodies were even more striking, since an accumulation of gadolinium could be observed in the investigated organs over the whole time span. The most affected tissue was the spleen, with up to 3240μgGd/kg wet mass, followed by the lung, liver and kidney (up to 1040, 685 and 207μgGd/kg). In the brain, muscle and heart, the gadolinium concentrations were much smaller (less than 20μg/kg), but an accumulation could still be detected. Interestingly, blood serum samples showed no accumulation of magnesium and gadolinium. This is the first time that an accumulation of gadolinium in animal organs was observed after the application of a gadolinium-containing degradable magnesium implant. These findings demonstrate the importance of future investigations concerning the distribution of the constituents of new biodegradable materials in the body, to ensure the patients' safety. In the last years, biodegradable Mg alloys are under investigation due to their promising properties as orthopaedic devices used for bone fracture stabilization. Gadolinium as Rare Earth Element enhances the mechanical properties of Mg-Gd alloys but its toxicity in humans is still questionable

  2. Objective evaluation of acute adverse events and image quality of gadolinium-based contrast agents (gadobutrol and gadobenate dimeglumine) by blinded evaluation. Pilot study.

    PubMed

    Semelka, Richard C; Hernandes, Mateus de A; Stallings, Clifton G; Castillo, Mauricio

    2013-01-01

    The purpose was to objectively evaluate a recently FDA-approved gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) in comparison to our standard GBCA for acute adverse events and image quality by blinded evaluation. Evaluation was made of a recently FDA-approved GBCA, gadobutrol (Gadavist; Bayer), in comparison to our standard GBCA, gadobenate dimeglumine (MultiHance; Bracco), in an IRB- and HIPAA-compliant study. Both the imaging technologist and patient were not aware of the brand of the GBCA used. A total of 59 magnetic resonance studies were evaluated (59 patients, 31 men, 28 women, age range of 5-85 years, mean age of 52 years). Twenty-nine studies were performed with gadobutrol (22 abdominal and 7 brain studies), and 30 studies were performed with gadobenate dimeglumine (22 abdominal and 8 brain studies). Assessment was made of acute adverse events focusing on objective observations of vomiting, hives, and moderate and severe reactions. Adequacy of enhancement was rated as poor, fair and good by one of two experienced radiologists who were blinded to the type of agent evaluated. No patient experienced acute adverse events with either agent. The target minor adverse events of vomiting or hives, and moderate and severe reactions were not observed in any patient. Adequacy of enhancement was rated as good for both agents in all patients. Objective, blinded evaluation is feasible and readily performable for the evaluation of GBCAs. This proof-of-concept study showed that both GBCAs evaluated exhibited consistent good image quality and no noteworthy adverse events. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Histology and Gadolinium Distribution in the Rodent Brain After the Administration of Cumulative High Doses of Linear and Macrocyclic Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents.

    PubMed

    Lohrke, Jessica; Frisk, Anna-Lena; Frenzel, Thomas; Schöckel, Laura; Rosenbruch, Martin; Jost, Gregor; Lenhard, Diana Constanze; Sieber, Martin A; Nischwitz, Volker; Küppers, Astrid; Pietsch, Hubertus

    2017-06-01

    Retrospective studies in patients with primary brain tumors or other central nervous system pathologies as well as postmortem studies have suggested that gadolinium (Gd) deposition occurs in the dentate nucleus (DN) and globus pallidus (GP) after multiple administrations of primarily linear Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs). However, this deposition has not been associated with any adverse effects or histopathological alterations. The aim of this preclinical study was to systematically examine differences between linear and macrocyclic GBCAs in their potential to induce changes in brain and skin histology including Gd distribution in high spatial resolution. Fifty male Wistar-Han rats were randomly allocated into control (saline, n = 10 rats) and 4 GBCA groups (linear GBCAs: gadodiamide and gadopentetate dimeglumine, macrocyclic GBCAs: gadobutrol and gadoteridol; n = 10 rats per group). The animals received 20 daily intravenous injections at a dose of 2.5 mmol Gd/kg body weight. Eight weeks after the last GBCA administration, the animals were killed, and the brain and skin samples were histopathologically assessed (hematoxylin and eosin; cresyl violet [Nissl]) and by immunohistochemistry. The Gd concentration in the skin, bone, brain, and skeletal muscle samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS, n = 4). The spatial Gd distribution in the brain and skin samples was analyzed in cryosections using laser ablation coupled with ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS, n = 3). For the ultra-high resolution of Gd distribution, brain sections of rats injected with gadodiamide or saline (n = 1) were assessed by scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. No histological changes were observed in the brain. In contrast, 4 of 10 animals in the gadodiamide group but none of the animals in other groups showed macroscopic and histological nephrogenic systemic fibrosis-like skin

  4. Self-assembled gemcitabine-gadolinium nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging and cancer therapy.

    PubMed

    Li, Lele; Tong, Rong; Li, Mengyuan; Kohane, Daniel S

    2016-03-01

    Nanoparticles with combined diagnostic and therapeutic functions are promising tools for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Here, we demonstrate a theranostic nanoparticle that integrates an active gemcitabine metabolite and a gadolinium-based magnetic resonance imaging agent via a facile supramolecular self-assembly synthesis, where the anti-cancer drug gemcitabine-5'-monophosphate (a phosphorylated active metabolite of the anti-cancer drug gemcitabine) was used to coordinate with Gd(III) to self-assemble into theranostic nanoparticles. The formulation exhibits a strong T1 contrast signal for magnetic resonance imaging of tumors in vivo, with enhanced retention time. Furthermore, the nanoparticles did not require other inert nanocarriers or excipients and thus had an exceptionally high drug loading (55 wt%), resulting in the inhibition of MDA-MB-231 tumor growth in mice. Recent advances in nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems have spurred the development of "theranostic" multifunctional nanoparticles, which combine therapeutic and diagnostic functionalities in a single formulation. Developing simple and efficient synthetic strategies for the construction of nanotheranostics with high drug loading remains a challenge. Here, we demonstrate a theranostic nanoparticle that integrates high loadings of an active gemcitabine metabolite and a gadolinium-based magnetic resonance imaging agent via a facile synthesis. The nanoparticles were better T1 contrast agents than currently used Gd-DTPA and had prolonged retention in tumor. Moreover they exhibited enhanced in vivo antitumor activity compared to free drug in a breast cancer xenograft mouse model. The strategy provides a scalable way to fabricate nanoparticles that enables enhancement of both therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  5. Target binding improves relaxivity in aptamer-gadolinium conjugates.

    PubMed

    Bernard, Elyse D; Beking, Michael A; Rajamanickam, Karunanithi; Tsai, Eve C; Derosa, Maria C

    2012-12-01

    MRI contrast agents (CA) have been heavily used over the past several decades to enhance the diagnostic value of the obtained images. From a design perspective, two avenues to improve the efficacy of contrast agents are readily evident: optimization of magnetic properties of the CA, and optimization of the pharmacokinetics and distribution of the CA in the patient. Contrast agents consisting of DNA aptamer-gadolinium(III) conjugates provide a single system in which these factors can be addressed simultaneously. In this proof-of-concept study, the 15mer thrombin aptamer was conjugated to diethylenetriaminepentaacetic (DTPA) dianhydride to form a monoamide derivative of the linear open-chain chelate present in the commonly used contrast agent Magnevist(®). The stability of the conjugated DNA aptamer-DTPA-Gd(III) chelate in a transmetallation study using Zn(II) was found to be similar to that reported for DTPA-Gd(III). Relaxivity enhancements of 35 ± 4 and 20 ± 1 % were observed in the presence of thrombin compared to a control protein at fields of 9.4 and 1.5 T, respectively. The inclusion of spacers between the aptamer and the DTPA to eliminate possible steric effects was also investigated but not found to improve the relaxation enhancement achieved in comparison to the unaltered aptamer conjugate.

  6. Reverse microemulsion synthesis of layered gadolinium hydroxide nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Yadong; Suthar, Jugal; Egbu, Raphael; Weston, Andrew J.; Fogg, Andrew M.; Williams, Gareth R.

    2018-02-01

    A reverse microemulsion approach has been explored for the synthesis of layered gadolinium hydroxide (LGdH) nanoparticles in this work. This method uses oleylamine as a multifunctional agent, acting as surfactant, oil phase and base. 1-butanol is additionally used as a co-surfactant. A systematic study of the key reaction parameters was undertaken, including the volume ratio of surfactant (oleylamine) to water, the reaction time, synthesis temperature, and the amount of co-surfactant (1-butanol) added. It proved possible to obtain pristine LGdH materials at temperatures of 120 °C or below with an oleylamine: water ratio of 1:4. Using larger amounts of surfactant or higher temperatures caused the formation of Gd(OH)3, either as the sole product or as a major impurity phase. The LGdH particles produced have sizes of ca. 200 nm, with this size being largely independent of temperature or reaction time. Adjusting the amount of 1-butanol co-surfactant added permits the size to be varied between 200 and 300 nm.

  7. High longitudinal relaxivity of ultra-small gadolinium oxide prepared by microsecond laser ablation in diethylene glycol

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Ningqi; Tian, Xiumei; Xiao, Jun; Hu, Wenyong; Yang, Chuan; Li, Li; Chen, Dihu

    2013-04-01

    Ultra-small gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) can be used as T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) contrast agent own to its high longitudinal relaxivity (r1) and has attracted intensive attention in these years. In this paper, ultra-small Gd2O3 nanoparticles of 3.8 nm in diameter have been successfully synthesized by a microsecond laser ablating a gadolinium (Gd) target in diethylene glycol (DEG). The growth inhibition effect induced by the large viscosity of DEG makes it possible to synthesize ultra-small Gd2O3 by laser ablation in DEG. The r1 value and T1-weighted MR images are measured by a 3.0 T MRI spectroscope. The results show these nanoparticles with a high r1 value of 9.76 s-1 mM-1 to be good MRI contrast agents. We propose an explanation for the high r1 value of ultra-small Gd2O3 by considering the decreasing factor (surface to volume ratio of the nanoparticles, S/V) and the increasing factor (water hydration number of the Gd3+ on Gd2O3 surface, q), which offer a new look into the relaxivity studies of MRI contrast agents. Our research provides a new approach to preparing ultra-small Gd2O3 of high r1 value by laser ablation in DEG and develops the understanding of high relaxivity of ultra-small Gd2O3 MRI contrast agents.

  8. Exogenous contrast agents for thermoacoustic imaging: An investigation into the underlying sources of contrast

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ogunlade, Olumide, E-mail: o.ogunlade@ucl.ac.uk; Beard, Paul

    2015-01-15

    Purpose: Thermoacoustic imaging at microwave excitation frequencies is limited by the low differential contrast exhibited by high water content tissues. To overcome this, exogenous thermoacoustic contrast agents based on gadolinium compounds, iron oxide, and single wall carbon nanotubes have previously been suggested and investigated. However, these previous studies did not fully characterize the electric, magnetic, and thermodynamic properties of these agents thus precluding identification of the underlying sources of contrast. To address this, measurements of the complex permittivity, complex permeability, DC conductivity, and Grüneisen parameter have been made. These measurements allowed the origins of the contrast provided by each substancemore » to be identified. Methods: The electric and magnetic properties of the contrast agents were characterized at 3 GHz using two rectangular waveguide cavities. The DC conductivity was measured separately using a conductivity meter. Thermoacoustic signals were then acquired and compared to those generated in water. Finally, 3D electromagnetic simulations were used to decouple the different contributions to the absorbed power density. Results: It was found that the gadolinium compounds provided appreciable electric contrast but not originating from the gadolinium itself. The contrast was either due to dissociation of the gadolinium salt which increased ionic conductivity or its nondissociated polar fraction which increased dielectric polarization loss or a combination of both. In addition, very high concentrations were required to achieve appreciable contrast, to the extent that the Grüneisen parameter increased significantly and became a source of contrast. Iron oxide particles were found to produce low but measurable dielectric contrast due to dielectric polarization loss, but this is attributed to the coating of the particles not the iron oxide. Single wall carbon nanotubes did not provide measurable contrast of any

  9. Gadolinium as a Neutron Capture Therapy Agent

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shih, Jing-Luen Allen

    The clinical results of treating brain tumors with boron neutron capture therapy are very encouraging and researchers around the world are once again making efforts to develop this therapeutic modality. Boron-10 is the agent receiving the most attention for neutron capture therapy but ^{157}Gd is a nuclide that also holds interesting properties of being a neutron capture therapy agent. The objective of this study is to evaluate ^{157}Gd as a neutron capture therapy agent. In this study it is determined that tumor concentrations of about 300 mug ^{157}Gd/g tumor can be achieved in brain tumors with some FDA approved MRI contrast agents such as Gd-DTPA and Gd-DOTA, and up to 628 mug ^{157 }Gd/g tumor can be established in bone tumors with Gd-EDTMP. Monte Carlo calculations show that with only 250 ppm of ^{157}Gd in tumor, neutron capture therapy can deliver 2,000 cGy to a tumor of 2 cm diameter or larger with 5 times 10^{12} n/cm ^2 fluence at the tumor. Dose measurements which were made with films and TLD's in phantoms verified these calculations. More extended Monte Carlo calculations demonstrate that neutron capture therapy with Gd possesses comparable dose distribution to B neutron capture therapy. With 5 times 10^{12 } n/cm^2 thermal neutrons at the tumor, Auger electrons from the Gd produced an optical density enhancement on the films that is similar to the effect caused by about 300 cGy of Gd prompt gamma dose which will further enhance the therapeutic effects. A technique that combines brachytherapy with Gd neutron capture therapy has been evaluated. Monte Carlo calculations show that 5,000 cGy of prompt gamma dose can be delivered to a treatment volume of 40 cm^3 with a 3-plane implant of a total of 9 Gd needles. The tumor to normal tissue advantage of this method is as good as ^{60} Co brachytherapy. Measurements of prompt gamma dose with films and TLD-700's in a lucite phantom verify the Monte Carlo evaluation. A technique which displays the Gd

  10. Gadolinium photoionization process

    DOEpatents

    Paisner, J.A.; Comaskey, B.J.; Haynam, C.A.; Eggert, J.H.

    1993-04-13

    A method is provided for selective photoionization of the odd-numbered atomic mass gadolinium isotopes 155 and 157. The selective photoionization is accomplished by circular or linear parallel polarized laser beam energy effecting a three-step photoionization pathway.

  11. Gadolinium photoionization process

    DOEpatents

    Paisner, Jeffrey A.; Comaskey, Brian J.; Haynam, Christopher A.; Eggert, Jon H.

    1993-01-01

    A method is provided for selective photoionization of the odd-numbered atomic mass gadolinium isotopes 155 and 157. The selective photoionization is accomplished by circular or linear parallel polarized laser beam energy effecting a three-step photoionization pathway.

  12. Gadolinium oxide nanoplates with high longitudinal relaxivity for magnetic resonance imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cho, Minjung; Sethi, Richa; Ananta Narayanan, Jeyarama Subramanian; Lee, Seung Soo; Benoit, Denise N.; Taheri, Nasim; Decuzzi, Paolo; Colvin, Vicki L.

    2014-10-01

    Molecular-based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are often characterized by insufficient relaxivity, thus requiring the systemic injection of high doses to induce sufficient contrast enhancement at the target site. In this work, gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoplates are produced via a thermal decomposition method. The nanoplates have a core diameter varying from 2 to 22 nm, a thickness of 1 to 2 nm and are coated with either an oleic acid bilayer or an octylamine modified poly(acrylic acid) (PAA-OA) polymer layer. For the smaller nanoplates, longitudinal relaxivities (r1) of 7.96 and 47.2 (mM s)-1 were measured at 1.41 T for the oleic acid bilayer and PAA-OA coating, respectively. These values moderately reduce as the size of the Gd2O3 nanoplates increases, and are always larger for the PAA-OA coating. Cytotoxicity studies on human dermal fibroblast cells documented no significant toxicity, with 100% cell viability preserved up to 250 μM for the PAA-OA coated Gd2O3 nanoplates. Given the 10 times increase in longitudinal relaxivity over the commercially available Gd-based molecular agents and the favorable toxicity profile, the 2 nm PAA-OA coated Gd2O3 nanoplates could represent a new class of highly effective T1 MRI contrast agents.Molecular-based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are often characterized by insufficient relaxivity, thus requiring the systemic injection of high doses to induce sufficient contrast enhancement at the target site. In this work, gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoplates are produced via a thermal decomposition method. The nanoplates have a core diameter varying from 2 to 22 nm, a thickness of 1 to 2 nm and are coated with either an oleic acid bilayer or an octylamine modified poly(acrylic acid) (PAA-OA) polymer layer. For the smaller nanoplates, longitudinal relaxivities (r1) of 7.96 and 47.2 (mM s)-1 were measured at 1.41 T for the oleic acid bilayer and PAA-OA coating, respectively. These values

  13. Element-specific spectral imaging of multiple contrast agents: a phantom study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Panta, R. K.; Bell, S. T.; Healy, J. L.; Aamir, R.; Bateman, C. J.; Moghiseh, M.; Butler, A. P. H.; Anderson, N. G.

    2018-02-01

    This work demonstrates the feasibility of simultaneous discrimination of multiple contrast agents based on their element-specific and energy-dependent X-ray attenuation properties using a pre-clinical photon-counting spectral CT. We used a photon-counting based pre-clinical spectral CT scanner with four energy thresholds to measure the X-ray attenuation properties of various concentrations of iodine (9, 18 and 36 mg/ml), gadolinium (2, 4 and 8 mg/ml) and gold (2, 4 and 8 mg/ml) based contrast agents, calcium chloride (140 and 280 mg/ml) and water. We evaluated the spectral imaging performances of different energy threshold schemes between 25 to 82 keV at 118 kVp, based on K-factor and signal-to-noise ratio and ranked them. K-factor was defined as the X-ray attenuation in the K-edge containing energy range divided by the X-ray attenuation in the preceding energy range, expressed as a percentage. We evaluated the effectiveness of the optimised energy selection to discriminate all three contrast agents in a phantom of 33 mm diameter. A photon-counting spectral CT using four energy thresholds of 27, 33, 49 and 81 keV at 118 kVp simultaneously discriminated three contrast agents based on iodine, gadolinium and gold at various concentrations using their K-edge and energy-dependent X-ray attenuation features in a single scan. A ranking method to evaluate spectral imaging performance enabled energy thresholds to be optimised to discriminate iodine, gadolinium and gold contrast agents in a single spectral CT scan. Simultaneous discrimination of multiple contrast agents in a single scan is likely to open up new possibilities of improving the accuracy of disease diagnosis by simultaneously imaging multiple bio-markers each labelled with a nano-contrast agent.

  14. Quantification and Assessment of the Chemical Form of Residual Gadolinium in the Brain After Repeated Administration of Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents: Comparative Study in Rats.

    PubMed

    Frenzel, Thomas; Apte, Chirag; Jost, Gregor; Schöckel, Laura; Lohrke, Jessica; Pietsch, Hubertus

    2017-07-01

    Multiple clinical and preclinical studies have reported a signal intensity increase and the presence of gadolinium (Gd) in the brain after repeated administration of Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs). This bioanalytical study in rat brain tissue was initiated to investigate whether the residual Gd is present as intact GBCA or in other chemical forms by using tissue fractionation and chromatography. Rats were divided randomly in 6 groups of 10 animals each. They received 10 daily injections of 2.5 mmol/kg bodyweight of 1 of 5 different GBCAs: linear GBCAs such as gadodiamide (Omniscan; GE Healthcare), gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA, Magnevist; Bayer), or gadobenate dimeglumine (Multihance; Bracco) and macrocyclic GBCAs such as gadobutrol (Gadovist; Bayer) and gadoterate meglumine (Gd-DOTA, Dotarem; Guerbet) or saline. On days 3 and 24 after the last injection (p.i.), 5 randomly chosen animals of each group were killed by exsanguination, and their brains were excised and divided into cerebrum, pons, and cerebellum. The brain sections were homogenized by sonication in ice-cold buffer at pH 7.4. Soluble and insoluble fractions were separated by centrifugation, and the soluble fractions were further separated by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The Gd concentration in all tissue fractions and in the GPC eluate was measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. In a recovery control experiment, all GBCAs were spiked to blank brain tissue and more than 94% recovery of Gd in the tissue fractions was demonstrated. Only traces of the administered Gd were found in the rat brain tissue on day 3 and day 24 p.i. In the animals treated with macrocyclic GBCAs, Gd was found only in the soluble brain fraction and was present solely as low molecular weight molecules, most likely the intact GBCA. In the animals treated with linear GBCAs Gd was found to a large extent in the insoluble tissue fraction. The Gd concentration in the soluble fraction was comparable to the

  15. Hybrid Calcium Phosphate-Polymeric Micelles Incorporating Gadolinium Chelates for Imaging-Guided Gadolinium Neutron Capture Tumor Therapy.

    PubMed

    Mi, Peng; Dewi, Novriana; Yanagie, Hironobu; Kokuryo, Daisuke; Suzuki, Minoru; Sakurai, Yoshinori; Li, Yanmin; Aoki, Ichio; Ono, Koji; Takahashi, Hiroyuki; Cabral, Horacio; Nishiyama, Nobuhiro; Kataoka, Kazunori

    2015-06-23

    Gadolinium (Gd) chelates-loaded nanocarriers have high potential for achieving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided Gd neutron capture therapy (GdNCT) of tumors. Herein, we developed calcium phosphate micelles hybridized with PEG-polyanion block copolymers, and incorporated with the clinical MRI contrast agent Gd-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA/CaP). The Gd-DTPA/CaP were nontoxic to cancer cells at the concentration of 100 μM based on Gd-DTPA, while over 50% of the cancer cells were killed by thermal neutron irradiation at this concentration. Moreover, the Gd-DTPA/CaP showed a dramatically increased accumulation of Gd-DTPA in tumors, leading to the selective contrast enhancement of tumor tissues for precise tumor location by MRI. The enhanced tumor-to-blood distribution ratio of Gd-DTPA/CaP resulted in the effective suppression of tumor growth without loss of body weight, indicating the potential of Gd-DTPA/CaP for safe cancer treatment.

  16. Gadolinium Chelate Safety in Pregnancy: Barely Detectable Gadolinium Levels in the Juvenile Nonhuman Primate after in Utero Exposure.

    PubMed

    Prola-Netto, Joao; Woods, Mark; Roberts, Victoria H J; Sullivan, Elinor L; Miller, Christina Ann; Frias, Antonio E; Oh, Karen Y

    2018-01-01

    Purpose To determine whether gadolinium remains in juvenile nonhuman primate tissue after maternal exposure to intravenous gadoteridol during pregnancy. Materials and Methods Gravid rhesus macaques and their offspring (n = 10) were maintained, as approved by the institutional animal care and utilization committee. They were prospectively studied as part of a pre-existing ongoing research protocol to evaluate the effects of maternal malnutrition on placental and fetal development. On gestational days 85 and 135, they underwent placental magnetic resonance imaging after intravenous gadoteridol administration. Amniocentesis was performed on day 135 prior to administration of the second dose of gadoteridol. After delivery, the offspring were followed for 7 months. Tissue samples from eight different organs and from blood were harvested from each juvenile macaque. Gadolinium levels were measured by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results Gadolinium concentration in the amniotic fluid was 0.028 × 10 -5 %ID/g (percentage injected dose per gram of tissue) 50 days after administration of one gadoteridol dose. Gadolinium was most consistently detected in the femur (mean, 2.5 × 10 -5 %ID/g; range, [0.81-4.1] × 10 -5 %ID/g) and liver (mean, 0.15 × 10 -5 %ID/g; range, [0-0.26] × 10 -5 %ID/g). Levels were undetectable in the remaining sampled tissues, with the exception of one juvenile skin sample (0.07 × 10 -5 %ID/g), one juvenile spleen sample (0.039 × 10 -5 %ID/g), and one juvenile brain (0.095 × 10 -5 %ID/g) and kidney (0.13 × 10 -5 %ID/g) sample. Conclusion The presence of gadoteridol in the amniotic fluid after maternal injection enables confirmation that it crosses the placenta. Extremely low levels of gadolinium are found in juvenile macaque tissues after in utero exposure to two doses of gadoteridol, indicating that a very small amount of gadolinium persists after delivery. © RSNA, 2017.

  17. Histology and Gadolinium Distribution in the Rodent Brain After the Administration of Cumulative High Doses of Linear and Macrocyclic Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents

    PubMed Central

    Lohrke, Jessica; Frisk, Anna-Lena; Frenzel, Thomas; Schöckel, Laura; Rosenbruch, Martin; Jost, Gregor; Lenhard, Diana Constanze; Sieber, Martin A.; Nischwitz, Volker; Küppers, Astrid; Pietsch, Hubertus

    2017-01-01

    Objectives Retrospective studies in patients with primary brain tumors or other central nervous system pathologies as well as postmortem studies have suggested that gadolinium (Gd) deposition occurs in the dentate nucleus (DN) and globus pallidus (GP) after multiple administrations of primarily linear Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs). However, this deposition has not been associated with any adverse effects or histopathological alterations. The aim of this preclinical study was to systematically examine differences between linear and macrocyclic GBCAs in their potential to induce changes in brain and skin histology including Gd distribution in high spatial resolution. Materials and Methods Fifty male Wistar-Han rats were randomly allocated into control (saline, n = 10 rats) and 4 GBCA groups (linear GBCAs: gadodiamide and gadopentetate dimeglumine, macrocyclic GBCAs: gadobutrol and gadoteridol; n = 10 rats per group). The animals received 20 daily intravenous injections at a dose of 2.5 mmol Gd/kg body weight. Eight weeks after the last GBCA administration, the animals were killed, and the brain and skin samples were histopathologically assessed (hematoxylin and eosin; cresyl violet [Nissl]) and by immunohistochemistry. The Gd concentration in the skin, bone, brain, and skeletal muscle samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS, n = 4). The spatial Gd distribution in the brain and skin samples was analyzed in cryosections using laser ablation coupled with ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS, n = 3). For the ultra-high resolution of Gd distribution, brain sections of rats injected with gadodiamide or saline (n = 1) were assessed by scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. Results No histological changes were observed in the brain. In contrast, 4 of 10 animals in the gadodiamide group but none of the animals in other groups showed macroscopic and histological

  18. Comparison of MRI properties between derivatized DTPA and DOTA gadolinium-dendrimer conjugates.

    PubMed

    Nwe, K; Bernardo, M; Regino, C A S; Williams, M; Brechbiel, M W

    2010-08-15

    In this report we directly compare the in vivo and in vitro MRI properties of gadolinium-dendrimer conjugates of derivatized acyclic diethylenetriamine-N,N',N',N'',N''-pentaacetic acid (1B4M-DTPA) and macrocyclic 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetic acid (C-DOTA). The metal-ligand chelates were pre-formed in alcohol prior to conjugation to the generation 4 PAMAM dendrimer (G4D), and the dendrimer-based agents were purified by Sephadex(R) G-25 column. The analysis and SE-HPLC data indicated chelate to dendrimer ratios of 30:1 and 28:1, respectively. Molar relaxivity measured at pH 7.4, 22 degrees C, and 3T are comparable (29.5 vs 26.9 mM(-1)s(-1)), and both conjugates are equally viable as MRI contrast agents based on the images obtained. The macrocyclic agent however exhibits a faster rate of clearance in vivo (t(1/2)=16 vs 29 min). Our conclusion is that the macrocyclic-based agent is the more suitable agent for in vivo use for these reasons combined with kinetic inertness associated with the Gd(III) DOTA complex stability properties. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  19. In vivo selective cancer-tracking gadolinium eradicator as new-generation photodynamic therapy agent

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Tao; Lan, Rongfeng; Chan, Chi-Fai; Law, Ga-Lai; Wong, Wai-Kwok; Wong, Ka-Leung

    2014-01-01

    In this work, we demonstrate a modality of photodynamic therapy (PDT) through the design of our truly dual-functional—PDT and imaging—gadolinium complex (Gd-N), which can target cancer cells specifically. In the light of our design, the PDT drug can specifically localize on the anionic cell membrane of cancer cells in which its laser-excited photoemission signal can be monitored without triggering the phototoxic generation of reactive oxygen species—singlet oxygen—before due excitation. Comprehensive in vitro and in vivo studies had been conducted for the substantiation of the effectiveness of Gd-N as such a tumor-selective PDT photosensitizer. This treatment modality does initiate a new direction in the development of “precision medicine” in line with stem cell and gene therapies as tools in cancer therapy. PMID:25453097

  20. Progressing Toward a Cohesive Pediatric 18F-FDG PET/MR Protocol: Is Administration of Gadolinium Chelates Necessary?

    PubMed

    Klenk, Christopher; Gawande, Rakhee; Tran, Vy Thao; Leung, Jennifer Trinh; Chi, Kevin; Owen, Daniel; Luna-Fineman, Sandra; Sakamoto, Kathleen M; McMillan, Alex; Quon, Andy; Daldrup-Link, Heike E

    2016-01-01

    With the increasing availability of integrated PET/MR scanners, the utility and need for MR contrast agents for combined scans is questioned. The purpose of our study was to evaluate whether administration of gadolinium chelates is necessary for evaluation of pediatric tumors on (18)F-FDG PET/MR images. First, in 119 pediatric patients with primary and secondary tumors, we used 14 diagnostic criteria to compare the accuracy of several MR sequences: unenhanced T2-weighted fast spin-echo imaging; unenhanced diffusion-weighted imaging; and-before and after gadolinium chelate contrast enhancement-T1-weighted 3-dimensional spoiled gradient echo LAVA (liver acquisition with volume acquisition) imaging. Next, in a subset of 36 patients who had undergone (18)F-FDG PET within 3 wk of MRI, we fused the PET images with the unenhanced T2-weighted MR images (unenhanced (18)F-FDG PET/MRI) and the enhanced T1-weighted MR images (enhanced (18)F-FDG PET/MRI). Using the McNemar test, we compared the accuracy of the two types of fused images using the 14 diagnostic criteria. We also evaluated the concordance between (18)F-FDG avidity and gadolinium chelate enhancement. The standard of reference was histopathologic results, surgical notes, and follow-up imaging. There was no significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between the unenhanced and enhanced MR images. Accordingly, there was no significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between the unenhanced and enhanced (18)F-FDG PET/MR images. (18)F-FDG avidity and gadolinium chelate enhancement were concordant in 30 of the 36 patients and 106 of their 123 tumors. Gadolinium chelate administration is not necessary for accurate diagnostic characterization of most solid pediatric malignancies on (18)F-FDG PET/MR images, with the possible exception of focal liver lesions. © 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

  1. Safety assessment of nanoparamagnetic contrast agents with different coatings for molecular MRI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Azizian, Gholamreza; Riyahi-Alam, Nader; Haghgoo, Soheila; Saffari, Mojtaba; Zohdiaghdam, Reza; Gorji, Ensieh

    2013-04-01

    Despite the wide application of gadolinium as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), there is a serious lack of information on its toxicity. Gadolinium and gadolinium oxide (Gd-oxide) are used as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There are methods for reducing toxicity of these materials, such as core nanoparticles coating or conjugating. Therefore, for toxicity evaluation, we compared the viability of commercial contrast agents in MRI (Gd-DTPA) and three nanoparticles with the same core Gd2O3 and small particulate gadolinium oxide or SPGO (< 40 nm) but different coatings of diethyleneglycol (DEG) as Gd2O3-DEG and methoxy polyethylene glycol-silane (mPEG-silane: 550 and 2000 Dalton) as SPGO-mPEG-silane550 and SPGO-mPEG-silane2000, respectively, in the SK-MEL3 cell line, by light microscopy, MTT assay using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide, and the LDH assay detecting lactate dehydrogenase activity. The viability values were not statistically different between the three nanoparticles and Gd-DTPA. The MTT and LDH assay results showed that Gd2O3-DEG nanoparticles were more toxic than Gd-DTPA and other nanoparticles. Also, SPGO-mPEG-silane2000 was more biocompatible than other nanoparticles. The obtained results did not show any significant increase in cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles and Gd-DTPA, neither dose-dependent nor time-dependent. Therefore, DEG and PEG, due to their considerable properties and irregular sizes (different molecular weights), were selected as the useful surface covering materials of nanomagnetic particles that could reveal noticeable relaxivity and biocompatibility characteristics.

  2. The use of theranostic gadolinium-based nanoprobes to improve radiotherapy efficacy

    PubMed Central

    Sancey, L; Kotb, S; Roux, S; Dufort, S; Bianchi, A; Crémillieux, Y; Fries, P; Coll, J-L; Rodriguez-Lafrasse, C; Janier, M; Dutreix, M; Barberi-Heyob, M; Boschetti, F; Denat, F; Louis, C; Porcel, E; Lacombe, S; Le Duc, G; Deutsch, E; Perfettini, J-L; Detappe, A; Verry, C; Berbeco, R; Butterworth, K T; McMahon, S J; Prise, K M; Perriat, P; Tillement, O

    2014-01-01

    A new efficient type of gadolinium-based theranostic agent (AGuIX®) has recently been developed for MRI-guided radiotherapy (RT). These new particles consist of a polysiloxane network surrounded by a number of gadolinium chelates, usually 10. Owing to their small size (<5 nm), AGuIX typically exhibit biodistributions that are almost ideal for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. For example, although a significant proportion of these particles accumulate in tumours, the remainder is rapidly eliminated by the renal route. In addition, in the absence of irradiation, the nanoparticles are well tolerated even at very high dose (10 times more than the dose used for mouse treatment). AGuIX particles have been proven to act as efficient radiosensitizers in a large variety of experimental in vitro scenarios, including different radioresistant cell lines, irradiation energies and radiation sources (sensitizing enhancement ratio ranging from 1.1 to 2.5). Pre-clinical studies have also demonstrated the impact of these particles on different heterotopic and orthotopic tumours, with both intratumoural or intravenous injection routes. A significant therapeutical effect has been observed in all contexts. Furthermore, MRI monitoring was proven to efficiently aid in determining a RT protocol and assessing tumour evolution following treatment. The usual theoretical models, based on energy attenuation and macroscopic dose enhancement, cannot account for all the results that have been obtained. Only theoretical models, which take into account the Auger electron cascades that occur between the different atoms constituting the particle and the related high radical concentrations in the vicinity of the particle, provide an explanation for the complex cell damage and death observed. PMID:24990037

  3. Complex imaging features of accidental cerebral intraventricular gadolinium administration.

    PubMed

    Nayak, Nita B; Huang, Jimmy C; Hathout, Gasser M; Shaba, Wisam; El-Saden, Suzie M

    2013-05-01

    Gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) is a contrast agent commonly used for enhancing MRI. In this paper, the authors report on 2 cases of postoperative inadvertent administration of Gd-DTPA directly into a ventriculostomy tubing side port that was mistaken for intravenous tubing. Both cases demonstrated a low signal on MRI throughout the ventricular system and dependent portions of the subarachnoid spaces, which was originally believed to be CSF with areas of T1 shortening in the nondependent portions of the subarachnoid spaces, and misinterpreted as basal leptomeningeal enhancement and meningitis. The authors propose that the appearance of profound T1 hypointensity within the ventricles and diffuse susceptibility artifact along the ependyma is pathognomonic of intraventricular Gd-DTPA and should be recognized.

  4. Magnetic resonance characteristics and susceptibility weighted imaging of the brain in gadolinium encephalopathy.

    PubMed

    Samardzic, Dejan; Thamburaj, Krishnamoorthy

    2015-01-01

    To report the brain imaging features on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in inadvertent intrathecal gadolinium administration. A 67-year-old female with gadolinium encephalopathy from inadvertent high dose intrathecal gadolinium administration during an epidural steroid injection was studied with multisequence 3T MRI. T1-weighted imaging shows pseudo-T2 appearance with diffusion of gadolinium into the brain parenchyma, olivary bodies, and membranous labyrinth. Nulling of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) signal is absent on fluid attenuation recovery (FLAIR). Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) demonstrates features similar to subarachnoid hemorrhage. CT may demonstrate a pseudo-cerebral edema pattern given the high attenuation characteristics of gadolinium. Intrathecal gadolinium demonstrates characteristic imaging features on MRI of the brain and may mimic subarachnoid hemorrhage on susceptibility-weighted imaging. Identifying high dose gadolinium within the CSF spaces on MRI is essential to avoid diagnostic and therapeutic errors. Copyright © 2013 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

  5. Myocardial late gadolinium enhancement in specific cardiomyopathies by cardiovascular magnetic resonance: a preliminary experience.

    PubMed

    Silva, Caterina; Moon, James C; Elkington, Andrew G; John, Anna S; Mohiaddin, Raad H; Pennell, Dudley J

    2007-12-01

    Late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) can visualize myocardial interstitial abnormalities. The aim of this study was to assess whether regions of abnormal myocardium can also be visualized by late enhancement gadolinium CMR in the specific cardiomyopathies. A retrospective review of all referrals for gadolinium CMR with specific cardiomyopathy over 20 months. Nine patients with different specific cardiomyopathies were identified. Late enhancement was demonstrated in all patients, with a mean signal intensity of 390 +/- 220% compared with normal regions. The distribution pattern of late enhancement was unlike the subendocardial late enhancement related to coronary territories found in myocardial infarction. The affected areas included papillary muscles (sarcoid), the mid-myocardium (Anderson-Fabry disease, glycogen storage disease, myocarditis, Becker muscular dystrophy) and the global sub-endocardium (systemic sclerosis, Loeffler's endocarditis, amyloid, Churg-Strauss). Focal myocardial late gadolinium enhancement is found in the specific cardiomyopathies, and the pattern is distinct from that seen in infarction. Further systematic studies are warranted to assess whether the pattern and extent of late enhancement may aid diagnosis and prognostic assessment.

  6. Gadolinium-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance: administered dose in relationship to United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines.

    PubMed

    Nacif, Marcelo S; Arai, Andrew E; Lima, Joao A C; Bluemke, David A

    2012-02-29

    Myocardial late gadolinium enhancement was originally validated using higher than label-recommended doses of gadolinium chelate. The objective of this study was to evaluate available evidence for various gadolinium dosing regimens used for CMR. The relationship of gadolinium dose warnings (due to nephrogenic systemic fibrosis) announced in 2008 to gadolinium dosing regimens was also examined. We conducted a meta-analysis of peer reviewed publications from January, 2004 to December, 2010. Major subject search headings (MeSh) terms from the National Library of Medicine's PubMed were: contrast media, gadolinium, heart, magnetic resonance imaging; searches were limited to human studies with abstracts published in English. Case reports, review articles, editorials, MRA related papers and all reports that did not indicate gadolinium type or weight-based dose were excluded. For all included references, full text was available to determine the total administered gadolinium dose on a per kg basis. Average and median dose values were weighted by the number of subjects in each study. 399 publications were identified in PubMed; 233 studies matched the inclusion criteria, encompassing 19,934 patients with mean age 54.2 ± 11.4 (range 9.3 to 76 years). 34 trials were related to perfusion testing and 199 to myocardial late gadolinium enhancement. In 2004, the weighted-median and weighted-mean contrast dose were 0.15 and 0.16 ± 0.06 mmol/kg, respectively. Median contrast doses for 2005-2010 were: 0.2 mmol/kg for all years, respectively. Mean contrast doses for the years 2005-2010 were: 0.19 ± 0.03, 0.18 ± 0.04, 0.18 ± 0.10, 0.18 ± 0.03, 0.18 ± 0.04 and 0.18 ± 0.04 mmol/kg, respectively (p for trend, NS). Gadopentetate dimeglumine was the most frequent gadolinium type [114 (48.9%) studies]. No change in mean gadolinium dose was present before, versus after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) black box warning (p > 0.05). Three multi-center dose ranging trials have been

  7. The stability of gadolinium-based contrast agents in human serum: A reanalysis of literature data and association with clinical outcomes.

    PubMed

    Prybylski, John P; Semelka, Richard C; Jay, Michael

    2017-05-01

    To reanalyze literature data of gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents (GBCAs) in plasma with a kinetic model of dissociation to provide a comprehensive assessment of equilibrium conditions for linear GBCAs. Data for the release of Gd from GBCAs in human serum was extracted from a previous report in the literature and fit to a kinetic dissociation/association model. The conditional stabilities (logK cond ) and percent intact over time were calculated using the model rate constants. The correlations between clinical outcomes and logK cond or other stability indices were determined. The release curves for Omniscan®, gadodiamide, OptiMARK®, gadoversetamide Magnevist® and Multihance® were extracted and all fit well to the kinetic model. The logK cond s calculated from the rate constants were on the order of ~4-6, and were not significantly altered by excess ligand or phosphate. The stability constant based on the amount intact by the initial elimination half-life of GBCAs in plasma provided good correlation with outcomes observed in patients. Estimation of the kinetic constants for GBCA dissociation/association revealed that their stability in physiological fluid is much lower than previous approaches would suggest, which correlates well with deposition and pharmacokinetic observations of GBCAs in human patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Density of Gadolinium Nitrate Solutions for the High Flux Isotope Reactor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Taylor, Paul Allen; Lee, Denise L

    2009-05-01

    In late 1992, the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) was planning to switch the solution contained in the poison injection tank from cadmium nitrate to gadolinium nitrate. The poison injection system is an emergency system used to shut down the reactor by adding a neutron poison to the cooling water. This system must be able to supply a minimum of 69 pounds of gadolinium to the reactor coolant system in order to guarantee that the reactor would become subcritical. A graph of the density of gadolinium nitrate solutions over a concentration range of 5 to 30 wt% and a temperaturemore » range of 15 to 40{sup o}C was prepared. Routine density measurements of the solution in the poison injection tank are made by HFIR personnel, and an adaptation of the original graph is used to determine the gadolinium nitrate concentration. In late 2008, HFIR personnel decided that the heat tracing that was present on the piping for the poison injection system could be removed without any danger of freezing the solution; however, the gadolinium nitrate solution might get as cold as 5{sup o}C. This was outside the range of the current density-concentration correlation, so the range needed to be expanded. This report supplies a new density-concentration correlation that covers the extended temperature range. The correlation is given in new units, which greatly simplifies the calculation that is required to determine the pounds of gadolinium in the tank solution. The procedure for calculating the amount of gadolinium in the HFIR poison injection system is as follows: (1) Calculate the usable volume in the system; (2) Measure the density of the solution; (3) Calculate the gadolinium concentration using the following equation: Gd(lb/ft{sup 3}) = measured density (g/mL) x 34.681 - 34.785; (4) Calculate the amount of gadolinium in the system using the following equation: Amount of Gd(lb) = Gd concentration (lb/ft{sup 3}) x usable volume (ft{sup 3}). The equation in step 3 is exact for a

  9. Structural and magnetic phase transitions in gadolinium under high pressures and low temperatures

    DOE PAGES

    Samudrala, Gopi K.; Tsoi, Georgiy M.; Weir, Samuel T.; ...

    2014-11-07

    High pressure structural transition studies have been carried out on rare earth metal gadolinium in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature to 169 GPa. Gadolinium has been compressed to 38% of its initial volume at this pressure. With increasing pressure, a crystal structure sequence of hcp → Smtype→ dhcp → fcc → dfcc → monoclinic has been observed in our studies on gadolinium. The measured equation of state of gadolinium is presented to 169 GPa at ambient temperature. Magnetic ordering temperature of gadolinium has been studied using designer diamond anvils to a pressure of 25 GP and a temperaturemore » of 10 K. The magnetic ordering temperature has been determined from the four-point electrical resistivity measurements carried out on gadolinium. Furthermore, our experiments show that the magnetic transition temperature decreases with increasing pressure to 19 GPa and then increases when gadolinium is subjected to higher pressures.« less

  10. Structural and magnetic phase transitions in gadolinium under high pressures and low temperatures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Samudrala, Gopi K.; Tsoi, Georgiy M.; Weir, Samuel T.

    High pressure structural transition studies have been carried out on rare earth metal gadolinium in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature to 169 GPa. Gadolinium has been compressed to 38% of its initial volume at this pressure. With increasing pressure, a crystal structure sequence of hcp → Smtype→ dhcp → fcc → dfcc → monoclinic has been observed in our studies on gadolinium. The measured equation of state of gadolinium is presented to 169 GPa at ambient temperature. Magnetic ordering temperature of gadolinium has been studied using designer diamond anvils to a pressure of 25 GP and a temperaturemore » of 10 K. The magnetic ordering temperature has been determined from the four-point electrical resistivity measurements carried out on gadolinium. Furthermore, our experiments show that the magnetic transition temperature decreases with increasing pressure to 19 GPa and then increases when gadolinium is subjected to higher pressures.« less

  11. Structural and magnetic phase transitions in gadolinium under high pressures and low temperatures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Samudrala, Gopi K.; Tsoi, Georgiy M.; Weir, Samuel T.; Vohra, Yogesh K.

    2014-10-01

    High pressure structural transition studies have been carried out on rare earth metal gadolinium in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature to 169 GPa. Gadolinium has been compressed to 38% of its initial volume at this pressure. With increasing pressure, a crystal structure sequence of hcp → Sm-type → dhcp → fcc → dfcc → monoclinic has been observed in our studies on gadolinium. The measured equation of state of gadolinium is presented to 169 GPa at ambient temperature. Magnetic ordering temperature of gadolinium has been studied using designer diamond anvils to a pressure of 25 GPa and a temperature of 10 K. The magnetic ordering temperature has been determined from the four-point electrical resistivity measurements carried out on gadolinium. Our experiments show that the magnetic transition temperature decreases with increasing pressure to 19 GPa and then increases when gadolinium is subjected to higher pressures.

  12. Retention of gadolinium compounds used in magnetic resonance imaging: a critical review and the recommendations of regulatory agencies.

    PubMed

    Martí-Bonmatí, L; Martí-Bonmatí, E

    The Spanish Agency for Drugs and Healthcare Products (AEMPS), based on the recommendations of the European Committee for Risk Assessment in Pharmacovigilance, established on 13 March 2017 that linear gadolinium-based MR contrast media, such as MultiHance, Omniscan, Magnevist (currently not marketed) and Optimark (no longer marketed in Spain), the clinical benefits do not outweigh the potential risks derived from their use. AEMPS recommends to suspend its marketing for general use based on the retention of these compounds in the brain. On the other hand, the AEMPS justifies the maintenance of Primovist and MultiHance for liver studies, and Magnevist of intra-articular administration (not commercialized in Spain), and justified the almost exclusive use of macrocyclic structure contrasts (Gadovist, ProHance and Dotarem). However, this retention is known to be different for each of the contrast media. All existing gadolinium contrasts agents have a distribution phase with tissue retention, due to a very slow exchange, in the interstitium of bone, skin, kidney, brain and other organs. The existence of histological effects or clinical symptoms associated with the accumulation of these trace amounts of gadolinium has not been demonstrated. The major toxicological concern with these contrast agents is related to nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). Since the safety profiles are mainly related to the interstitial retention space in the tissues, it does not seem justified to actually exclude contrast media that do not have cases related to the NSF. Based on all of this, we disagree with the latest AEMPS recommendation suggesting the marketing stoppage of linear agents without considering the individual retention profiles. This recommendation is not based neither on the data nor existing knowledge about the retention, relaxivity and clinical efficiency of the Gd compounds. It is therefore necessary to carry out prospective studies on the histological and clinical relevance of

  13. Comparison of MRI properties between derivatized DTPA and DOTA gadolinium-dendrimer conjugates

    PubMed Central

    Nwe, K.; Bernardo, M; Regino, C. A. S.; Williams, M; Brechbiel, M. W.

    2010-01-01

    In this report we directly compare the in vivo and in vitro MRI properties of gadolinium-dendrimer conjugates of derivatized acyclic diethylenetriamine-N,N’,N’,N’’, N’’-pentaacetic acid (1B4M-DTPA) and macrocyclic 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N’,N’’,N’’’-tetraacetic acid (C-DOTA). The metal-ligand chelates were pre-formed in alcohol prior to conjugation to the generation 4 PAMAM dendrimer (G4D), and the dendrimer-based agents were purified by Sephadex® G-25 column. The analysis and SE-HPLC data indicated chelate to dendrimer ratios of 30:1 and 28:1 respectively. Molar relaxivity measured at pH 7.4, 22°C, and 3T are comparable (29.5 vs. 26.9 mM−1s−1), and both conjugates are equally viable as MRI contrast agents based on the images obtained. The macrocyclic agent however exhibits a faster rate of clearance in vivo (t1/2 = 16 vs. 29 min.). Our conclusion is that the macrocyclic-based agent is the more suitable agent for in vivo use for these reasons combined with kinetic inertness associated with the Gd(III) DOTA complex stability properties. PMID:20663676

  14. Saline as the Sole Contrast Agent for Successful MRI-guided Epidural Injections

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Deli, Martin, E-mail: martin.deli@web.de; Fritz, Jan, E-mail: jfritz9@jhmi.edu; Mateiescu, Serban, E-mail: mateiescu@microtherapy.de

    Purpose. To assess the performance of sterile saline solution as the sole contrast agent for percutaneous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided epidural injections at 1.5 T. Methods. A retrospective analysis of two different techniques of MRI-guided epidural injections was performed with either gadolinium-enhanced saline solution or sterile saline solution for documentation of the epidural location of the needle tip. T1-weighted spoiled gradient echo (FLASH) images or T2-weighted single-shot turbo spin echo (HASTE) images visualized the test injectants. Methods were compared by technical success rate, image quality, table time, and rate of complications. Results. 105 MRI-guided epidural injections (12 of 105 withmore » gadolinium-enhanced saline solution and 93 of 105 with sterile saline solution) were performed successfully and without complications. Visualization of sterile saline solution and gadolinium-enhanced saline solution was sufficient, good, or excellent in all 105 interventions. For either test injectant, quantitative image analysis demonstrated comparable high contrast-to-noise ratios of test injectants to adjacent body substances with reliable statistical significance levels (p < 0.001). The mean table time was 22 {+-} 9 min in the gadolinium-enhanced saline solution group and 22 {+-} 8 min in the saline solution group (p = 0.75). Conclusion. Sterile saline is suitable as the sole contrast agent for successful and safe percutaneous MRI-guided epidural drug delivery at 1.5 T.« less

  15. Alkali metal and alkali earth metal gadolinium halide scintillators

    DOEpatents

    Bourret-Courchesne, Edith; Derenzo, Stephen E.; Parms, Shameka; Porter-Chapman, Yetta D.; Wiggins, Latoria K.

    2016-08-02

    The present invention provides for a composition comprising an inorganic scintillator comprising a gadolinium halide, optionally cerium-doped, having the formula A.sub.nGdX.sub.m:Ce; wherein A is nothing, an alkali metal, such as Li or Na, or an alkali earth metal, such as Ba; X is F, Br, Cl, or I; n is an integer from 1 to 2; m is an integer from 4 to 7; and the molar percent of cerium is 0% to 100%. The gadolinium halides or alkali earth metal gadolinium halides are scintillators and produce a bright luminescence upon irradiation by a suitable radiation.

  16. Gadolinium-enhanced computed tomographic angiography: current status.

    PubMed

    Rosioreanu, Alex; Alberico, Ronald A; Litwin, Alan; Hon, Man; Grossman, Zachary D; Katz, Douglas S

    2005-01-01

    This article reviews the research to date, as well as our clinical experience from two institutions, on gadolinium-enhanced computed tomographic angiography (gCTA) for imaging the body. gCTA may be an appropriate examination for the small percentage of patients who would benefit from noninvasive vascular imaging, but who have contraindications to both iodinated contrast and magnetic resonance imaging. gCTA is more expensive than CTA with iodinated contrast, due to the dose of gadolinium administered, and gCTA has limitations compared with CTA with iodinated contrast, in that parenchymal organs are not optimally enhanced at doses of 0.5 mmol/kg or lower. However, in our experience, gCTA has been a very useful problem-solving examination in carefully selected patients. With the advent of 16-64 detector CT, in combination with bolus tracking, we believe that the overall dose of gadolinium needed for diagnostic CTA examinations, while relatively high, can be safely administered.

  17. A study on the imaging characteristics of Gold nanoparticles as a contrast agent in X-ray computed tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mesbahi, Asghar; Famouri, Fatemeh; Ahar, Mohammad Johari; Ghaffari, Maryam Olade; Ghavami, Seyed Mostafa

    2017-03-01

    Aim: In the current study, some imaging characteristics of AuNPs were quantitatively analyzed and compared with two conventional contrast media (CM) including Iodine and Gadolinium by using of a cylindrical phantom. Methods: AuNPs were synthesized with the mean diameter of 16 nm and were equalized to the concentration of 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mg/mL in the same volumes. A cylindrical phantom resembling the head and neck was fabricated and drilled to contain small tubes filled with Iodine, Gadolinium, and AuNPs as contrast media. The phantom was scanned in different exposure techniques and CT numbers of three studied contrast media inside test tubes were measured in terms of Hounsfield Unit (HU). The imaging parameters of the noise and contrast to noise ratios (CNR) were calculated for all studied CMs. Results: AuNPs showed 128% and 166% higher CT number in comparison with Iodine and Gadolinium respectively. Also, Iodine had a greater CT number than Gadolinium for the same exposure techniques and concentration. The maximum CT number for AuNPs and studied contrast materials was obtained at the highest mAs and the lowest tube potential. The maximum CT number were 1033±11 (HU) for AuNP, 565±10 (HU) for Iodine, 458±11 for Gadolinium. Moreover, the maximum CNRs of 433±117, 203±53, 145±37 were found for AuNPs, Iodine and Gadolinium respectively. Conclusion: The contrast agent based on AuNPs showed higher imaging quality in terms of contrast and noise relative to other iodine and gadolinium based contrast media in X-ray computed tomography. Application of the AuNPs as a contrast medium in x-ray CT is recommended.

  18. Gadolinium deposition in the brain: association with various GBCAs using a generalized additive model.

    PubMed

    Bae, Sohi; Lee, Ho-Joon; Han, Kyunghwa; Park, Yae-Won; Choi, Yoon Seong; Ahn, Sung Soo; Kim, Jinna; Lee, Seung-Koo

    2017-08-01

    To determine the relationship between the number of administrations of various gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) and increased T1 signal intensity in the globus pallidus (GP) and dentate nucleus (DN). This retrospective study included 122 patients who underwent double-dose GBCA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Two radiologists calculated GP-to-thalamus (TH) signal intensity ratio, DN-to-pons signal intensity ratio and relative change (R change ) between the baseline and final examinations. Interobserver agreement was evaluated. The relationships between R change and several factors, including number of each GBCA administrations, were analysed using a generalized additive model. Six patients (4.9%) received linear GBCAs (mean 20.8 number of administration; range 15-30), 44 patients (36.1%) received macrocyclic GBCAs (mean 26.1; range 14-51) and 72 patients (59.0%) received both types of GBCAs (mean 31.5; range 12-65). Interobserver agreement was almost perfect (0.99; 95% CI: 0.99-0.99). R change (DN:pons) was associated with gadodiamide (p = 0.006) and gadopentetate dimeglumine (p < 0.001), but not with other GBCAs. R change (GP:TH) was not associated with GBCA administration. Previous administration of linear agents gadoiamide and gadopentetate dimeglumine is associated with increased T1 signal intensity in the DN, whereas macrocyclic GBCAs do not show an association. • Certain linear GBCAs are associated with T1 signal change in the dentate nucleus. • The signal change is related to the administration number of certain linear GBCAs. • Difference in signal change may reflect differences in stability of agents.

  19. Thermodynamic properties of gadolinium in Ga-Sn and Ga-Zn eutectic based alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maltsev, Dmitry S.; Volkovich, Vladimir A.; Yamshchikov, Leonid F.; Chukin, Andrey V.

    2016-09-01

    Thermodynamic properties of gadolinium in Ga-Sn and Ga-Zn eutectic based alloys were studied. Temperature dependences of gadolinium activity in the studied alloys were determined at 573-1073 K employing the EMF method. Solubility of gadolinium in the Ga-Sn and Ga-Zn alloys was measured at 462-1073 K using IMCs sedimentation method. Activity coefficients as well as partial and excess thermodynamic functions of gadolinium in the studied alloys were calculated on the basis of the obtained experimental data.

  20. Nano-assemblies of cationic mPEG brush block copolymers with gadolinium polyoxotungstate [Gd(W5O18)2]9- form stable, high relaxivity MRI contrast agents.

    PubMed

    Ly, Joanne; Li, Yuhuan; Vu, Mai N; Moffat, Bradford A; Jack, Kevin S; Quinn, John F; Whittaker, Michael R; Davis, Thomas P

    2018-04-19

    Polyoxometalates (POMs) incorporating paramagnetic ions, such as gadolinium, show promise as contrast agents for application in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Specifically, [Gd(W5O18)2]9- (denoted as GdWO) has been reported to have a higher relaxivity than commercially available contrast agents, but it's clinical utility has been limited by the intrinsic instability of POMs at physiological pH (7.4). In the current report we present a stability study on neat GdWO and nano-assemblies of block copolymers with GdWO in the pH range 5.0-7.4 to assess their suitability as MRI contrast agents. Neat GdWO only maintained structural stability between pH 5.4 and 6.4, and demonstrated poor MRI contrast at pH 7.4. To address this pH instability, GdWO was self-assembled with cationic mPEG brush block copolymers containing 20 or 40 units derived from the cationic monomer, 2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA). Nano-assemblies with different charge ratios were synthesised and characterised according to their size, stability, contrasting properties and toxicity. The longitudinal relaxivity (r1) of the nano-assemblies was found to be dependent on the charge ratio, but not on the length of the cationic polymer block. Further investigation of PDMAEMA20 nano-assemblies demonstrated that they were stable over the pH range 5.0-7.4, exhibiting a higher r1 than either neat GdWO (2.77 s-1 mM-1) or clinical MRI contrast agent Gd-DTPA (4.1 s-1 mM-1) at pH 7.4. Importantly, the nano-assembly with the lowest charge ratio (0.2), showed the highest r1 (12.1 s-1 mM-1) whilst, stabilising GdWO over the pH range studied, eliciting low toxicity with MDA-MB231 cells.

  1. Various ligand-coated ultrasmall gadolinium-oxide nanoparticles: Water proton relaxivity and in-vivo T1 MR image

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Ja Young; Kim, Sung June; Lee, Gang Ho; Jin, Seonguk; Chang, Yongmin; Bae, Ji Eun; Chae, Kwon Seok

    2015-04-01

    Surface coating of nanoparticles with ligands is essential in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) because of solubility in water and biocompatibility. In this study, five organic molecules were used for surface coating of ultrasmall gadolinium-oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticles (d avg = 2.0 nm). All of the samples showed large longitudinal (r1) and transverse (r2) water proton relaxivities with r2/r1 ratios that were close to one, corresponding to ideal conditions for T1 MRI contrast agents. Finally, in-vivo T1 MR images were acquired to prove the effectiveness of the surface-coated ultrasmall Gd2O3 nanoparticles as a T1 MRI contrast agent.

  2. Reaction of gadolinium chelates with ozone and hydroxyl radicals.

    PubMed

    Cyris, Maike; Knolle, Wolfgang; Richard, Jessica; Dopp, Elke; von Sonntag, Clemens; Schmidt, Torsten C

    2013-09-03

    Gadolinium chelates are used in increasing amounts as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging, and their fate in wastewater treatment has recently become the focus of research. Oxidative processes, in particular the application of ozone, are currently discussed or even implemented for advanced wastewater treatment. However, reactions of the gadolinium chelates with ozone are not yet characterized. In this study, therefore, rate constants with ozone were determined for the three commonly used chelates Gd-DTPA, Gd-DTPA-BMA, and Gd-BT-DO3A, which were found to be 4.8 ± 0.88, 46 ± 2.5, and 24 ± 1.5 M(-1) s(-1), respectively. These low rate constants indicate that a direct reaction with ozone in wastewater is negligible. However, application of ozone in wastewater leads to substantial yields of (•)OH. Different methods have been applied and compared for determination of k((•)OH+Gd chelate). From rate constants determined by pulse radiolysis experiments (k((•)OH+Gd-DTPA) = 2.6 ± 0.2 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), k((•)OH+Gd-DTPA-BMA) = 1.9 ± 0.7 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), k((•)OH+Gd-BT-DO3A) = 4.3 ± 0.2 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1)), it is concluded that a reaction in wastewater via (•)OH radicals is feasible. Toxicity has been tested for educt and product mixtures of both reactions. Cytotoxicity (MTT test) and genotoxicity (micronuclei assay) were not detectable.

  3. Gadolinium Accumulation in the Deep Cerebellar Nuclei and Globus Pallidus After Exposure to Linear but Not Macrocyclic Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents in a Retrospective Pig Study With High Similarity to Clinical Conditions.

    PubMed

    Boyken, Janina; Frenzel, Thomas; Lohrke, Jessica; Jost, Gregor; Pietsch, Hubertus

    2018-05-01

    The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the gadolinium (Gd) concentration in different brain areas in a pig cohort that received repeated administration of Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs) at standard doses over several years, comparable with a clinical setting. Brain tissue was collected from 13 Göttingen mini pigs that had received repeated intravenous injections of gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA; Magnevist) and/or gadobutrol (Gadovist). The animals have been included in several preclinical imaging studies since 2008 and received cumulative Gd doses ranging from 7 to 129 mmol per animal over an extended period. Two animals with no history of administration of GBCA were included as controls. Brain autopsies were performed not earlier than 8 and not later than 38 months after the last GBCA application. Tissues from multiple brain areas including cerebellar and cerebral deep nuclei, cerebellar and cerebral cortex, and pons were analyzed for Gd using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Of the 13 animals, 8 received up to 48 injections of gadobutrol and Gd-DTPA and 5 received up to 29 injections of gadobutrol only. In animals that had received both Gd-DTPA and gadobutrol, a median (interquartile range) Gd concentration of 1.0 nmol/g tissue (0.44-1.42) was measured in the cerebellar nuclei and 0.53 nmol/g (0.29-0.62) in the globus pallidus. The Gd concentration in these areas in gadobutrol-only animals was 50-fold lower with median concentrations of 0.02 nmol/g (0.01-0.02) for cerebellar nuclei and 0.01 nmol/g (0.01-0.01) for globus pallidus and was comparable with control animals with no GBCA history. Accordingly, in animals that received both GBCAs, the amount of residual Gd correlated with the administered dose of Gd-DTPA (P ≤ 0.002) but not with the total Gd dose, consisting of Gd-DTPA and gadobutrol. The Gd concentration in cortical tissue and in the pons was very low (≤0.07 nmol/g tissue) in all animals analyzed. Multiple exposure

  4. Contrast enhanced liver MRI in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis: inverse appearance of focal confluent fibrosis on delayed phase MR images with hepatocyte specific versus extracellular gadolinium based contrast agents.

    PubMed

    Husarik, Daniela B; Gupta, Rajan T; Ringe, Kristina I; Boll, Daniel T; Merkle, Elmar M

    2011-12-01

    To assess the enhancement pattern of focal confluent fibrosis (FCF) on contrast-enhanced hepatic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using hepatocyte-specific (Gd-EOB-DTPA) and extracellular (ECA) gadolinium-based contrast agents in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). After institutional review board approval, 10 patients with PSC (6 male, 4 female; 33-61 years) with 13 FCF were included in this retrospective study. All patients had a Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver MRI exam, and a comparison ECA-enhanced MRI. On each T1-weighted dynamic dataset, the signal intensity (SI) of FCF and the surrounding liver as well as the paraspinal muscle (M) were measured. In the Gd-EOB-DTPA group, hepatocyte phase images were also included. SI FCF/SI M, SI liver/SI M, and [(SI liver - SI FCF)/SI liver] were compared between the different contrast agents for each dynamic phase using the paired Student's t-test. There was no significant difference in SI FCF/SI M in all imaging phases. SI liver/SI M was significantly higher for the Gd-EOB-DTPA group in the delayed phase (P < .001), whereas there was no significant difference in all other imaging phases. In the Gd-EOB-DTPA group, mean [(SI liver - SI FCF)/SI liver] were as follows (values for ECA group in parentheses): unenhanced phase: 0.26 (0.26); arterial phase: 0.01 (-0.31); portal venous phase (PVP): -0.05 (-0.26); delayed phase (DP): 0.14 (-0.54); and hepatocyte phase: 0.26. Differences were significant for the DP (P < .001). On delayed phase MR images the FCF-to-liver contrast is reversed with the lesions appearing hyperintense on ECA enhanced images and hypointense on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced images. Copyright © 2011 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Gadolinium-encapsulating iron oxide nanoprobe as activatable NMR/MRI contrast agent.

    PubMed

    Santra, Santimukul; Jativa, Samuel D; Kaittanis, Charalambos; Normand, Guillaume; Grimm, Jan; Perez, J Manuel

    2012-08-28

    Herein we report a novel gadolinium-encapsulating iron oxide nanoparticle-based activatable NMR/MRI nanoprobe. In our design, Gd-DTPA is encapsulated within the poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) polymer coating of a superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (IO-PAA), yielding a composite magnetic nanoprobe (IO-PAA-Gd-DTPA) with quenched longitudinal spin-lattice magnetic relaxation (T(1)). Upon release of the Gd-DTPA complex from the nanoprobe's polymeric coating in acidic media, an increase in the T(1) relaxation rate (1/T(1)) of the composite magnetic nanoprobe was observed, indicating a dequenching of the nanoprobe with a corresponding increase in the T(1)-weighted MRI signal. When a folate-conjugated nanoprobe was incubated in HeLa cells, a cancer cell line overexpressing folate receptors, an increase in the 1/T(1) signal was observed. This result suggests that, upon receptor-mediated internalization, the composite magnetic nanoprobe degraded within the cell's lysosome acidic (pH 5.0) environment, resulting in an intracellular release of Gd-DTPA complex with subsequent T(1) activation. In addition, when an anticancer drug (Taxol) was coencapsulated with the Gd-DTPA within the folate receptor targeting composite magnetic nanoprobe, the T(1) activation of the probe coincided with the rate of drug release and corresponding cytotoxic effect in cell culture studies. Taken together, these results suggest that our activatable T(1) nanoagent could be of great importance for the detection of acidic tumors and assessment of drug targeting and release by MRI.

  6. Differences in perilymphatic space enhancement and adverse inflammatory reaction after intratympanic injection of two different gadolinium agents: A 9.4-T magnetic resonance imaging study.

    PubMed

    Park, Mina; Lee, Ho Sun; Kim, Hyeonjin; Oh, Seung Ha; Lee, Jun Ho; Suh, Myung-Whan

    2016-03-01

    To compare the inner ear enhancement after intratympanic injection of two widely used gadolinium (Gd) agents by 9.4 T micro-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to investigate the effects of Gd on the inner ear. Twelve ears of six rats received intratympanic administration of 1/5 diluted Gd agents: gadoterate meglumine (Gd-DTPA) for the left ear and gadodiamide (Gd-DTPA-BMA) for the right ear. MRI was performed every 30 min from 1 to 4 h after administration. The normalized signal intensity was evaluated by quantitative analysis at each cochlear fluid compartment. Eight, six, and seven ears treated with Gd-DTPA, Gd-DPTA-BMA, and nothing as controls, respectively, were processed for histological evaluation after MRI. After hematoxylin & eosin staining, adverse inflammatory reactions were evaluated for turbid aggregation and lymphocytes. The perilymphatic enhancement of Gd-DTPA was superior to that of Gd-DTPA-BMA regardless of cochlear turn, compartment, and time point. Inflammatory reactions were found in 4/8 (50.0%) and 4/6 (66.6%) ears administered Gd-DTPA and Gd-DTPA-BMA, respectively. Regardless of the contrast agent used, inflammatory reactions were most definite in the scala tympani of the basal turn, i.e., near the round window. Slightly greater inflammatory reactions were observed in ears injected with Gd-DTPA-BMA compared to Gd-DTPA although the difference was not statistically significant. No inflammatory reaction was observed in any of the seven controls. The auditory brainstem response threshold was 11.8 ± 2.5 dB SPL before IT Gd injection and it did not change for up to 5 days (15.4 ± 6.6 dB SPL) post-injection. Gd-DTPA was superior to Gd-DTPA-BMA for visualization of the inner ear. Administration of diluted Gd agents intratympanically may induce considerable inflammatory reactions in the inner ear. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. 28 CFR 552.25 - Use of less-than-lethal weapons, including chemical agents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Use of less-than-lethal weapons... Use of less-than-lethal weapons, including chemical agents. (a) The Warden may authorize the use of less-than-lethal weapons, including those containing chemical agents, only when the situation is such...

  8. 28 CFR 552.25 - Use of less-than-lethal weapons, including chemical agents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Use of less-than-lethal weapons... Use of less-than-lethal weapons, including chemical agents. (a) The Warden may authorize the use of less-than-lethal weapons, including those containing chemical agents, only when the situation is such...

  9. 28 CFR 552.25 - Use of less-than-lethal weapons, including chemical agents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Use of less-than-lethal weapons... Use of less-than-lethal weapons, including chemical agents. (a) The Warden may authorize the use of less-than-lethal weapons, including those containing chemical agents, only when the situation is such...

  10. Gadolinium-based Contrast Media, Cerebrospinal Fluid and the Glymphatic System: Possible Mechanisms for the Deposition of Gadolinium in the Brain.

    PubMed

    Taoka, Toshiaki; Naganawa, Shinji

    2018-04-10

    After Kanda's first report in 2014 on gadolinium (Gd) deposition in brain tissue, a considerable number of studies have investigated the explanation for the observation. Gd deposition in brain tissue after repeated administration of gadolinium-based contrast medium (GBCM) has been histologically proven, and chelate stability has been shown to affect the deposition. However, the mechanism for this deposition has not been fully elucidated. Recently, a hypothesis was introduced that involves the 'glymphatic system', which is a coined word that combines 'gl' for glia cell and 'lymphatic' system. According to this hypothesis, the perivascular space functions as a conduit for cerebrospinal fluid to flow into the brain parenchyma. The perivascular space around the arteries allows cerebrospinal fluid to enter the interstitial space of the brain tissue through water channels controlled by aquaporin 4. The cerebrospinal fluid entering the interstitial space clears waste proteins from the tissue. It then flows into the perivascular space around the vein and is discharged outside the brain. In addition to the hypothesis regarding the glymphatic system, some reports have described that after GBCM administration, some of the GBCM distributes through systemic blood circulation and remains in other compartments including the cerebrospinal fluid. It is thought that the GBCM distributed into the cerebrospinal fluid cavity via the glymphatic system may remain in brain tissue for a longer duration compared to the GBCM in systemic circulation. Glymphatic system may of course act as a clearance system for GBCM from brain tissue. Based on these findings, the mechanism for Gd deposition in the brain will be discussed in this review. The authors speculate that the glymphatic system may be the major contributory factor to the deposition and clearance of gadolinium in brain tissue.

  11. Gadolinium-based Contrast Media, Cerebrospinal Fluid and the Glymphatic System: Possible Mechanisms for the Deposition of Gadolinium in the Brain

    PubMed Central

    Taoka, Toshiaki; Naganawa, Shinji

    2018-01-01

    After Kanda’s first report in 2014 on gadolinium (Gd) deposition in brain tissue, a considerable number of studies have investigated the explanation for the observation. Gd deposition in brain tissue after repeated administration of gadolinium-based contrast medium (GBCM) has been histologically proven, and chelate stability has been shown to affect the deposition. However, the mechanism for this deposition has not been fully elucidated. Recently, a hypothesis was introduced that involves the ‘glymphatic system’, which is a coined word that combines ‘gl’ for glia cell and ‘lymphatic’ system. According to this hypothesis, the perivascular space functions as a conduit for cerebrospinal fluid to flow into the brain parenchyma. The perivascular space around the arteries allows cerebrospinal fluid to enter the interstitial space of the brain tissue through water channels controlled by aquaporin 4. The cerebrospinal fluid entering the interstitial space clears waste proteins from the tissue. It then flows into the perivascular space around the vein and is discharged outside the brain. In addition to the hypothesis regarding the glymphatic system, some reports have described that after GBCM administration, some of the GBCM distributes through systemic blood circulation and remains in other compartments including the cerebrospinal fluid. It is thought that the GBCM distributed into the cerebrospinal fluid cavity via the glymphatic system may remain in brain tissue for a longer duration compared to the GBCM in systemic circulation. Glymphatic system may of course act as a clearance system for GBCM from brain tissue. Based on these findings, the mechanism for Gd deposition in the brain will be discussed in this review. The authors speculate that the glymphatic system may be the major contributory factor to the deposition and clearance of gadolinium in brain tissue. PMID:29367513

  12. Hyperintense Dentate Nuclei on T1-Weighted MRI: Relation to Repeat Gadolinium Administration

    PubMed Central

    Adin, M.E.; Kleinberg, L.; Vaidya, D.; Zan, E.; Mirbagheri, S.; Yousem, D.M.

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE A hyperintense appearance of the dentate nucleus on T1-weighted MR images has been related to various clinical conditions, but the etiology remains indeterminate. We aimed to investigate the possible associations between a hyperintense appearance of the dentate nucleus on T1-weighted MR images in patients exposed to radiation and factors including, but not limited to, the cumulative number of contrast-enhanced MR images, amount of gadolinium administration, dosage of ionizing radiation, and patient demographics. MATERIALS AND METHODS The medical records of 706 consecutive patients who were treated with brain irradiation at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions between 1995 and 2010 were blindly reviewed by 2 readers. RESULTS One hundred eighty-four subjects were included for dentate nuclei analysis. Among the 184 subjects who cumulatively underwent 2677 MR imaging studies following intravenous gadolinium administration, 103 patients had hyperintense dentate nuclei on precontrast T1-weighted MR images. The average number of gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging studies performed in the group with normal dentate nuclei was significantly lower than that of the group with hyperintense dentate nuclei. The average follow-up time was 62.5 months. No significant difference was observed between hyperintense and normal dentate nuclei groups in terms of exposed radiation dose, serum creatinine and calcium/phosphate levels, patient demographics, history of chemotherapy, and strength of the scanner. No dentate nuclei abnormalities were found on the corresponding CT scans of patients with hyperintense dentate nuclei (n = 44). No dentate nuclei abnormalities were found in 53 healthy volunteers. CONCLUSIONS Repeat performance of gadolinium-enhanced studies likely contributes to a long-standing hyperintense appearance of dentate nuclei on precontrast T1-weighted-MR images. PMID:26294649

  13. Compensated gadolinium-loaded plastic scintillators for thermal neutron detection (and counting)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dumazert, Jonathan; Coulon, Romain; Bertrand, Guillaume H. V.

    2015-07-01

    Plastic scintillator loading with gadolinium-rich organometallic complexes shows a high potential for the deployment of efficient and cost-effective neutron detectors. Due to the low-energy photon and electron signature of thermal neutron capture by gadolinium-155 and gadolinium-157, alternative treatment to Pulse Shape Discrimination has to be proposed in order to display a trustable count rate. This paper discloses the principle of a compensation method applied to a two-scintillator system: a detection scintillator interacts with photon radiation and is loaded with gadolinium organometallic compound to become a thermal neutron absorber, while a non-gadolinium loaded compensation scintillator solely interacts with the photon partmore » of the incident radiation. Posterior to the nonlinear smoothing of the counting signals, a hypothesis test determines whether the resulting count rate after photon response compensation falls into statistical fluctuations or provides a robust image of a neutron activity. A laboratory prototype is tested under both photon and neutron irradiations, allowing us to investigate the performance of the overall compensation system in terms of neutron detection, especially with regards to a commercial helium-3 counter. The study reveals satisfactory results in terms of sensitivity and orientates future investigation toward promising axes. (authors)« less

  14. Macromolecular and Dendrimer Based Magnetic Resonance Contrast Agents

    PubMed Central

    Bumb, Ambika; Brechbiel, Martin W.; Choyke, Peter

    2010-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful imaging modality that can provide an assessment of function or molecular expression in tandem with anatomic detail. Over the last 20–25 years, a number of gadolinium based MR contrast agents have been developed to enhance signal by altering proton relaxation properties. This review explores a range of these agents from small molecule chelates, such as Gd-DTPA and Gd-DOTA, to macromolecular structures composed of albumin, polylysine, polysaccharides (dextran, inulin, starch), poly(ethylene glycol), copolymers of cystamine and cystine with GD-DTPA, and various dendritic structures based on polyamidoamine and polylysine (Gadomers). The synthesis, structure, biodistribution and targeting of dendrimer-based MR contrast agents are also discussed. PMID:20590365

  15. In vivo evaluation of neutron capture therapy effectivity using calcium phosphate-based nanoparticles as Gd-DTPA delivery agent.

    PubMed

    Dewi, Novriana; Mi, Peng; Yanagie, Hironobu; Sakurai, Yuriko; Morishita, Yasuyuki; Yanagawa, Masashi; Nakagawa, Takayuki; Shinohara, Atsuko; Matsukawa, Takehisa; Yokoyama, Kazuhito; Cabral, Horacio; Suzuki, Minoru; Sakurai, Yoshinori; Tanaka, Hiroki; Ono, Koji; Nishiyama, Nobuhiro; Kataoka, Kazunori; Takahashi, Hiroyuki

    2016-04-01

    A more immediate impact for therapeutic approaches of current clinical research efforts is of major interest, which might be obtained by developing a noninvasive radiation dose-escalation strategy, and neutron capture therapy represents one such novel approach. Furthermore, some recent researches on neutron capture therapy have focused on using gadolinium as an alternative or complementary for currently used boron, taking into account several advantages that gadolinium offers. Therefore, in this study, we carried out feasibility evaluation for both single and multiple injections of gadolinium-based MRI contrast agent incorporated in calcium phosphate nanoparticles as neutron capture therapy agent. In vivo evaluation was performed on colon carcinoma Col-26 tumor-bearing mice irradiated at nuclear reactor facility of Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute with average neutron fluence of 1.8 × 10(12) n/cm(2). Antitumor effectivity was evaluated based on tumor growth suppression assessed until 27 days after neutron irradiation, followed by histopathological analysis on tumor slice. The experimental results showed that the tumor growth of irradiated mice injected beforehand with Gd-DTPA-incorporating calcium phosphate-based nanoparticles was suppressed up to four times higher compared to the non-treated group, supported by the results of histopathological analysis. The results of antitumor effectivity observed on tumor-bearing mice after neutron irradiation indicated possible effectivity of gadolinium-based neutron capture therapy treatment.

  16. Deep learning enables reduced gadolinium dose for contrast-enhanced brain MRI.

    PubMed

    Gong, Enhao; Pauly, John M; Wintermark, Max; Zaharchuk, Greg

    2018-02-13

    There are concerns over gadolinium deposition from gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) administration. To reduce gadolinium dose in contrast-enhanced brain MRI using a deep learning method. Retrospective, crossover. Sixty patients receiving clinically indicated contrast-enhanced brain MRI. 3D T 1 -weighted inversion-recovery prepped fast-spoiled-gradient-echo (IR-FSPGR) imaging was acquired at both 1.5T and 3T. In 60 brain MRI exams, the IR-FSPGR sequence was obtained under three conditions: precontrast, postcontrast images with 10% low-dose (0.01mmol/kg) and 100% full-dose (0.1 mmol/kg) of gadobenate dimeglumine. We trained a deep learning model using the first 10 cases (with mixed indications) to approximate full-dose images from the precontrast and low-dose images. Synthesized full-dose images were created using the trained model in two test sets: 20 patients with mixed indications and 30 patients with glioma. For both test sets, low-dose, true full-dose, and the synthesized full-dose postcontrast image sets were compared quantitatively using peak-signal-to-noise-ratios (PSNR) and structural-similarity-index (SSIM). For the test set comprised of 20 patients with mixed indications, two neuroradiologists scored blindly and independently for the three postcontrast image sets, evaluating image quality, motion-artifact suppression, and contrast enhancement compared with precontrast images. Results were assessed using paired t-tests and noninferiority tests. The proposed deep learning method yielded significant (n = 50, P < 0.001) improvements over the low-dose images (>5 dB PSNR gains and >11.0% SSIM). Ratings on image quality (n = 20, P = 0.003) and contrast enhancement (n = 20, P < 0.001) were significantly increased. Compared to true full-dose images, the synthesized full-dose images have a slight but not significant reduction in image quality (n = 20, P = 0.083) and contrast enhancement (n = 20, P = 0.068). Slightly

  17. Adverse allergic reactions to linear ionic gadolinium-based contrast agents: experience with 194, 400 injections.

    PubMed

    Aran, S; Shaqdan, K W; Abujudeh, H H

    2015-05-01

    To report the authors' experience with the administration of four gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA; gadopentetate dimeglumine, gadofosveset trisodium, gadoxetate disodium and gadobenate dimeglumine) in a large study population at a single, large academic medical centre. The institutional review board approved this retrospective study in which data in the electronic incident reporting system were searched. A total of 194, 400 intravenous administrations of linear ionic GBCAs were assessed for the incidence of adverse reactions and risk factors from 1 January 2007 to 14 January 2014. The severity of reactions (mild, moderate, and severe), patient type (outpatients, inpatients, and emergency), examination type, and treatment options were also investigated. In total, 204/194400 (0.1%) patients (mean age 45.7 ± 14.9) showed adverse reactions, consisting of 6/746 (0.80%), 10/3200 (0.31%), 14/6236 (0.22%) and 174/184218 (0.09%), for gadofosveset trisodium, gadoxetate disodium, gadobenate dimeglumine, and gadopentetate dimeglumine, respectively. An overall significant difference was found between different GBCAs regarding the total number of reactions (p < 0.0001). When comparing the GBCAs together, significant differences were found between gadofosveset trisodium versus gadopentetate dimeglumine (p < 0.0001), gadofosveset trisodium versus gadobenate dimeglumine (p = 0.0051), gadoxetate disodium versus gadopentetate dimeglumine (p < 0.0001) and gadopentetate dimeglumine versus gadobenate dimeglumine (p = 0.0013). Rate of reaction was higher in females (F: 146/113187, 0.13%/M: 58/81213, 0.07%; p < 0.0001). Rate of reactions was higher in outpatient (180/158885, 0.11%), emergency (10/10413, 0.10%), and inpatients (14/25102, 0.05%), respectively (p < 0.0001). Most of the patients had mild symptoms 171/204 (83.8%). Abdomen-pelvis, liver, and thoracic examinations had highest rates of reactions (0.17 versus 0.16 versus 0.15). The overall rate of adverse reaction to GBCAs

  18. Contrast-enhanced peripheral MRA: technique and contrast agents.

    PubMed

    Nielsen, Yousef W; Thomsen, Henrik S

    2012-09-01

    In the last decade contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) has gained wide acceptance as a valuable tool in the diagnostic work-up of patients with peripheral arterial disease. This review presents current concepts in peripheral CE-MRA with emphasis on MRI technique and contrast agents. Peripheral CE-MRA is defined as an MR angiogram of the arteries from the aortic bifurcation to the feet. Advantages of CE-MRA include minimal invasiveness and lack of ionizing radiation. The basic technique employed for peripheral CE-MRA is the bolus-chase method. With this method a paramagnetic MRI contrast agent is injected intravenously and T1-weighted images are acquired in the subsequent arterial first-pass phase. In order to achieve high quality MR angiograms without interfering venous contamination or artifacts, a number of factors need to be taken into account. This includes magnetic field strength of the MRI system, receiver coil configuration, use of parallel imaging, contrast bolus timing technique, and k-space filling strategies. Furthermore, it is possible to optimize peripheral CE-MRA using venous compression techniques, hybrid scan protocols, time-resolved imaging, and steady-state MRA. Gadolinium(Gd)-based contrast agents are used for CE-MRA of the peripheral arteries. Extracellular Gd agents have a pharmacokinetic profile similar to iodinated contrast media. Accordingly, these agents are employed for first-pass MRA. Blood-pool Gd-based agents are characterized by prolonged intravascular stay, due to macromolecular structure or protein binding. These agents can be used for first-pass, as well as steady-state MRA. Some Gd-based contrast agents with low thermodynamic stability have been linked to development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in patients with severe renal insufficiency. Using optimized technique and a stable MRI contrast agent, peripheral CE-MRA is a safe procedure with diagnostic accuracy close to that of conventional catheter X

  19. Sensitive and transportable gadolinium-core plastic scintillator sphere for neutron detection and counting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dumazert, Jonathan; Coulon, Romain; Carrel, Frédérick; Corre, Gwenolé; Normand, Stéphane; Méchin, Laurence; Hamel, Matthieu

    2016-08-01

    Neutron detection forms a critical branch of nuclear-related issues, currently driven by the search for competitive alternative technologies to neutron counters based on the helium-3 isotope. The deployment of plastic scintillators shows a high potential for efficient detectors, safer and more reliable than liquids, more easily scalable and cost-effective than inorganic. In the meantime, natural gadolinium, through its 155 and mostly 157 isotopes, presents an exceptionally high interaction probability with thermal neutrons. This paper introduces a dual system including a metal gadolinium core inserted at the center of a high-scale plastic scintillator sphere. Incident fast neutrons are thermalized by the scintillator shell and then may be captured with a significant probability by gadolinium 155 and 157 nuclei in the core. The deposition of a sufficient fraction of the capture high-energy prompt gamma signature inside the scintillator shell will then allow discrimination from background radiations by energy threshold, and therefore neutron detection. The scaling of the system with the Monte Carlo MCNPX2.7 code was carried out according to a tradeoff between the moderation of incident fast neutrons and the probability of slow neutron capture by a moderate-cost metal gadolinium core. Based on the parameters extracted from simulation, a first laboratory prototype for the assessment of the detection method principle has been synthetized. The robustness and sensitivity of the neutron detection principle are then assessed by counting measurement experiments. Experimental results confirm the potential for a stable, highly sensitive, transportable and cost-efficient neutron detector and orientate future investigation toward promising axes.

  20. [Rapid imaging in orbito-ocular pathology. Contribution of gadolinium].

    PubMed

    Pigeau, I; Legeais, J M; D'Hermies, F; Fayet, B; Leport, M; Abenhaim, A; Guinet, C; Levy, C; Renard, G; Vadrot, D

    1990-01-01

    To evaluate Gradient-Echo Imaging (GEI) in orbito-ocular pathology, 15 volunteers and 34 patients (40 lesions) were examined with GEA T1 and GEA T2 (0.5 T). Results were compared with SE T1 in all cases, with SE T2 in 20 cases and with other imaging modalities (CT). 30 patients were examined before and after injection of gadolinium. Final diagnosis was obtained by surgery or biopsy in 24 cases or by combined results of imaging and clinical findings in 16 cases. Compared with SE, GEA demonstrated a better visualisation of optic nerve, orbital muscles, choroidal-retinal layer, lens capsule and episclera and a better detection of small lesions. It is very helpful for characterisation of lesions containing hemorrhages or paramagnetic components (melanine, gadolinium) or of vascular nature (angioma). Gadolinium was useful for detection of small lesions or characterisation of a few lesions. Thus GEA seems to be an efficient method for the evaluation of orbito-ocular pathology.

  1. Tumor Xenograft Response to Redox-Active Therapies Assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging Using a Thiol-Bearing DOTA Complex of Gadolinium1

    PubMed Central

    Guntle, Gerald P; Jagadish, Bhumasamudram; Mash, Eugene A; Powis, Garth; Dorr, Robert T; Raghunand, Natarajan

    2012-01-01

    Gd-LC6-SH is a thiol-bearing DOTA complex of gadolinium designed to bind plasma albumin at the conserved Cys34 site. The binding of Gd-LC6-SH shows sensitivity to the presence of competing thiols. We hypothesized that Gd-LC6-SH could provide magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enhancement that is sensitive to tumor redox state and that the prolonged retention of albumin-bound Gd-LC6-SH in vivo can be exploited to identify a saturating dose above which the shortening of MRI longitudinal relaxation time (T1) of tissue is insensitive to the injected gadolinium dose. In the Mia-PaCa-2 pancreatic tumor xenograft model in SCID mice, both the small-molecule Gd-DTPA-BMA and the macromolecule Galbumin MRI contrast agents produced dose-dependent decreases in tumor T1. By contrast, the decreases in tumor T1 provided by Gd-LC6-SH at 0.05 and 0.1 mmol/kg were not significantly different at longer times after injection. SCID mice bearing Mia-PaCa-2 or NCI-N87 tumor xenografts were treated with either the glutathione synthesis inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine or the thiol-oxidizing anticancer drug Imexon, respectively. In both models, there was a significantly greater increase in tumor R1 (=1/T1) 60 minutes after injection of Gd-LC6-SH in drug-treated animals relative to saline-treated controls. In addition, Mercury Orange staining for nonprotein sulfhydryls was significantly decreased by drug treatment relative to controls in both tumor models. In summary, these studies show that thiol-bearing complexes of gadolinium such as Gd-LC6-SH can serve as redox-sensitive MRI contrast agents for detecting differences in tumor redox status and can be used to evaluate the effects of redox-active drugs. PMID:22741038

  2. Relaxivity enhancement of aquated Tris(β-diketonate)gadolinium(III) chelates by confinement within ultrashort single-walled carbon nanotubes.

    PubMed

    Law, Justin J; Guven, Adem; Wilson, Lon J

    2014-01-01

    Ultrashort single-walled carbon nanotubes loaded with gadolinium ions (gadonanotubes) have been previously shown to exhibit extremely high T1 -weighted relaxivities (>100 mm(-1) s(-1) ). To further examine the effect of nanoconfinement on the relaxivity of gadolinium-based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging, a series of ultrashort single-walled carbon nanotube (US-tube) materials internally loaded with gadolinium chelates have been prepared and studied. US-tubes were loaded with Gd(acac)3  · 2H2 O, Gd(hfac)3  · 2H2 O, and Gd(thd)3 (acac = acetylacetone, hfac = hexafluoroacetylacetone, thd = tetramethylheptanedione). The longitudinal relaxivities of the prepared materials determined at 25°C in a 1.5 T field were 103 mm(-1) s(-1) for Gd(acac)3  · 2H2 O@US-tubes, 105 mm(-1) s(-1) for Gd(hfac)3  · 2H2 O@US-tubes and 26 mm(-1) s(-1) for Gd(thd)3 @US-tubes. Compared with the relaxivities obtained for the unloaded chelates (<10 mm(-1) s(-1) ) as well as accounting for the T1 reduction observed for the empty US-tubes, the boost in relaxivity for chelate-loaded US-tubes is attributed to confinement within the nanotube and depends on the number of coordinated water molecules. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Characterization of the reaction products and precipitates at the interface of carbon fiber reinforced magnesium–gadolinium composite

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Yaping; Jiang, Longtao, E-mail: longtaojiang@163.com; Chen, Guoqin

    2016-03-15

    In the present work, carbon fiber reinforced magnesium-gadolinium composite was fabricated by pressure infiltration method. The phase composition, micro-morphology, and crystal structure of reaction products and precipitates at the interface of the composite were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis revealed the segregation of gadolinium element at the interface between carbon fiber and matrix alloy. It was shown that block-shaped Gd4C5, GdC2 and nano-sized Gd2O3 were formed at the interface during the fabrication process due to the interfacial reaction. Furthermore, magnesium-gadolinium precipitates including needle-like Mg5Gd (or Mg24Gd5) and thin plate-shaped long period stacking-ordered phase, were also observedmore » at the interface and in the matrix near the interface. The interfacial microstructure and bonding mode were influenced by these interfacial products, which were beneficial for the improvement of the interfacial bonding strength. - Highlights: • Gadolinium element segregated on the surface of carbon fibers. • Block-shaped Gd{sub 4}C{sub 5} and GdC{sub 2} were formed at the interface via chemical reaction. • Gadolinium and oxygen reacted at the interface and formed nano-scaled Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}. • The precipitates formed in the interface were identified to be Mg{sub 5}Gd (or Mg{sub 24}Gd{sub 5}) and plate-shaped long period stacking-ordered phase.« less

  4. XFM demonstrates preferential accumulation of a vanadyl-based MRI contrast agent in murine colonic tumors

    PubMed Central

    Mustafi, Devkumar; Ward, Jesse; Dougherty, Urszula; Bissonnette, Marc; Hart, John; Vogt, Stefan; Karczmar, Gregory S.

    2016-01-01

    Contrast agents that specifically enhance cancers on MRI would allow earlier detection. Vanadyl-based chelates (VCs) selectively enhance rodent cancers on MRI, suggesting selective uptake of VCs by cancers. Here we report X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) of VC uptake by murine colon cancer. Colonic tumors in mice treated with azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium were identified by MRI. Then a gadolinium-based contrast agent and a VC were injected I.V.; mice were sacrificed and colons sectioned. VC distribution was sampled at 120 minutes after injection to evaluate the long term accumulation. Gadolinium distribution was sampled at 10 minutes after injection due to its rapid washout. XFM was performed on 72 regions of normal and cancerous colon from 5 normal mice and 4 cancer-bearing mice. XFM showed that all gadolinium was extracellular with similar concentrations in colon cancers and normal colon. In contrast, the average VC concentration was 2-fold higher in cancers vs. normal tissue (p<0.002). Cancers also contained numerous ‘hot spots’ with intracellular VC concentrations 6-fold higher than the concentration in normal colon (p<0.0001). No ‘hot spots’ were detected in normal colon. This is the first direct demonstration that VCs selectively accumulate in cancer cells, and thus may improve cancer detection. PMID:25813904

  5. Feasibility and accuracy of dual-layer spectral detector computed tomography for quantification of gadolinium: a phantom study.

    PubMed

    van Hamersvelt, Robbert W; Willemink, Martin J; de Jong, Pim A; Milles, Julien; Vlassenbroek, Alain; Schilham, Arnold M R; Leiner, Tim

    2017-09-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of dual-layer spectral detector CT (SDCT) for the quantification of clinically encountered gadolinium concentrations. The cardiac chamber of an anthropomorphic thoracic phantom was equipped with 14 tubular inserts containing different gadolinium concentrations, ranging from 0 to 26.3 mg/mL (0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.1, 10.6, 15.7, 20.7 and 26.3 mg/mL). Images were acquired using a novel 64-detector row SDCT system at 120 and 140 kVp. Acquisitions were repeated five times to assess reproducibility. Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn on three slices per insert. A spectral plot was extracted for every ROI and mean attenuation profiles were fitted to known attenuation profiles of water and pure gadolinium using in-house-developed software to calculate gadolinium concentrations. At both 120 and 140 kVp, excellent correlations between scan repetitions and true and measured gadolinium concentrations were found (R > 0.99, P < 0.001; ICCs > 0.99, CI 0.99-1.00). Relative mean measurement errors stayed below 10% down to 2.0 mg/mL true gadolinium concentration at 120 kVp and below 5% down to 1.0 mg/mL true gadolinium concentration at 140 kVp. SDCT allows for accurate quantification of gadolinium at both 120 and 140 kVp. Lowest measurement errors were found for 140 kVp acquisitions. • Gadolinium quantification may be useful in patients with contraindication to iodine. • Dual-layer spectral detector CT allows for overall accurate quantification of gadolinium. • Interscan variability of gadolinium quantification using SDCT material decomposition is excellent.

  6. Gadolinium Enhanced MR Coronary Vessel Wall Imaging at 3.0 Tesla.

    PubMed

    Kelle, Sebastian; Schlendorf, Kelly; Hirsch, Glenn A; Gerstenblith, Gary; Fleck, Eckart; Weiss, Robert G; Stuber, Matthias

    2010-10-11

    Purpose. We evaluated the influence of the time between low-dose gadolinium (Gd) contrast administration and coronary vessel wall enhancement (LGE) detected by 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in healthy subjects and patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Materials and Methods. Four healthy subjects (4 men, mean age 29 ± 3 years and eleven CAD patients (6 women, mean age 61 ± 10 years) were studied on a commercial 3.0 Tesla (T) whole-body MR imaging system (Achieva 3.0 T; Philips, Best, The Netherlands). T1-weighted inversion-recovery coronary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was repeated up to 75 minutes after administration of low-dose Gadolinium (Gd) (0.1 mmol/kg Gd-DTPA). Results. LGE was seen in none of the healthy subjects, however in all of the CAD patients. In CAD patients, fifty-six of 62 (90.3%) segments showed LGE of the coronary artery vessel wall at time-interval 1 after contrast. At time-interval 2, 34 of 42 (81.0%) and at time-interval 3, 29 of 39 evaluable segments (74.4%) were enhanced. Conclusion. In this work, we demonstrate LGE of the coronary artery vessel wall using 3.0 T MRI after a single, low-dose Gd contrast injection in CAD patients but not in healthy subjects. In the majority of the evaluated coronary segments in CAD patients, LGE of the coronary vessel wall was already detectable 30-45 minutes after administration of the contrast agent.

  7. Multifunctional gadolinium-based dendritic macromolecules as liver targeting imaging probes.

    PubMed

    Luo, Kui; Liu, Gang; He, Bin; Wu, Yao; Gong, Qingyong; Song, Bin; Ai, Hua; Gu, Zhongwei

    2011-04-01

    The quest for highly efficient and safe contrast agents has become the key factor for successful application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The gadolinium (Gd) based dendritic macromolecules, with precise and tunable nanoscopic sizes, are excellent candidates as multivalent MRI probes. In this paper, a novel series of Gd-based multifunctional peptide dendritic probes (generation 2, 3, and 4) possessing highly controlled structures and single molecular weight were designed and prepared as liver MRI probes. These macromolecular Gd-ligand agents exhibited up to 3-fold increase in T(1) relaxivity comparing to Gd-DTPA complexes. No obvious in vitro cytotoxicity was observed from the measured concentrations. These dendritic probes were further functionalized with multiple galactosyl moieties and led to much higher cell uptake in vitro as demonstrated in T(1)-weighted scans. During in vivo animal studies, the probes provided better signal intensity (SI) enhancement in mouse liver, especially at 60 min post-injection, with the most efficient enhancement from the galactosyl moiety decorated third generation dendrimer. The imaging results were verified with analysis of Gd content in liver tissues. The design strategy of multifunctional Gd-ligand peptide dendritic macromolecules in this study may be used for developing other sensitive MRI probes with targeting capability. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. MRI of normal and abnormal duodenum using Half-Fourier Single-Shot RARE and gadolinium-enhanced spoiled gradient echo sequences.

    PubMed

    Marcos, H B; Semelka, R C; Noone, T C; Woosley, J T; Lee, J K

    1999-07-01

    The objective of this research was two-fold: First, to describe the normal and abnormal MR appearances of the duodenum using combined Half-Fourier Acquisition Single Shot RARE (HASTE) and gadolinium-enhanced standard and fat suppressed spoiled gradient echo (SGE) sequences. The second objective was to assess the ability of these combined sequences to detect and characterize duodenal diseases. MR examinations were performed on fifty consecutive patients with no clinical history of duodenal diseases, who were 1) imaged with HASTE and gadolinium-enhanced standard and fat suppressed SGE sequences and 2) referred to MR examination for reasons other than duodenal diseases, and were reviewed retrospectively to determine the normal MR appearances of the duodenum. A second population of patients with abnormal duodenum who were imaged with the same MR sequences were included in the second part of this study. This population was composed of 20 consecutive patients with subsequently proven duodenal abnormalities, including: malrotation (2), diverticula (4), intussusception (1), sprue (1), polyps (2), neurofibroma (1), lymphoma (1), Zollinger Ellison syndrome (1), metastatic disease (1), Crohn's disease (1), and wall thickening and duodenitis (5). Normal measurements of the duodenum are described. Abnormalities of wall thickness and duodenal masses required combined HASTE and gadolinium-enhanced SGE images to evaluate well. Abnormalities of the bowel lumen (e.g., diverticula and intussusception), and developmental variants (e.g., malrotation), were sufficiently visualized on HASTE images alone. Bowel inflammation was best shown on gadolinium-enhanced fat suppressed SGE images. HASTE and gadolinium-enhanced fat suppressed SGE sequences are complementary techniques for the demonstration of normal and abnormal duodenum. The combined use of both sequences allows evaluation of different aspects of bowel diseases; abnormalities of position, lumen, and contents are well shown on HASTE

  9. The feasibility of in vivo quantification of bone-gadolinium in humans by prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) following gadolinium-based contrast-enhanced MRI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mostafaei, F.; McNeill, F. E.; Chettle, D. R.; Noseworthy, M. D.; Prestwich, W. V.

    2015-11-01

    The feasibility of using a 238Pu/Be-based in vivo prompt γ-ray neutron activation analysis (IVNAA) system, previously successfully used for measurements of muscle, for the detection of gadolinium (Gd) in bone was presented. Gd is extensively used in contrast agents in MR imaging. We present phantom measurement data for the measurement of Gd in the tibia. Gd has seven naturally occurring isotopes, of which two have extremely large neutron capture cross sections; 155Gd (14.8% natural abundance (NA), σ= 60,900 barns) and 157Gd (15.65% NA, σ= 254,000 barns). Our previous work focused on muscle but this only informs about the short term kinetics of Gd. We studied the possibility of measuring bone, as it may be a long term storage site for Gd. A human simulating bone phantom set was developed. The phantoms were doped with seven concentrations of Gd of concentrations 0.0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 120 and 150 ppm. Additional elements important for neutron activation analysis, Na, Cl and Ca, were also included to create an overall elemental composition consistent with Reference Man. The overall conclusion is that the potential application of this Pu-Be-based prompt in vivo NAA for the monitoring of the storage and retention of Gd in bone is not feasible.

  10. Core-shell monodisperse spherical mSiO2/Gd2O3:Eu3+@mSiO2 particles as potential multifunctional theranostic agents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eurov, Daniil A.; Kurdyukov, Dmitry A.; Kirilenko, Demid A.; Kukushkina, Julia A.; Nashchekin, Alexei V.; Smirnov, Alexander N.; Golubev, Valery G.

    2015-02-01

    Core-shell nanoparticles with diameters in the range 100-500 nm have been synthesized as monodisperse spherical mesoporous (pore diameter 3 nm) silica particles with size deviation of less than 4 %, filled with gadolinium and europium oxides and coated with a mesoporous silica shell. It is shown that the melt technique developed for filling with gadolinium and europium oxides provides a nearly maximum filling of mesopores in a single-run impregnation, with gadolinium and europium uniformly distributed within the particles and forming no bulk oxides on their surface. The coating with a shell does not impair the monodispersity and causes no coagulation. The coating technique enables controlled variation of the shell thickness within the range 5-100 % relative to the core diameter. The thus produced nanoparticles are easily dispersed in water, have large specific surface area (300 m2 g-1) and pore volume (0.3 cm3 g-1), and are bright solid phosphor with superior stability in aqueous media. The core-shell structured particles can be potentially used for cancer treatment as a therapeutic agent (gadolinium neutron-capture therapy and drug delivery system) and, simultaneously, as a multimodal diagnostic tool (fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging), thereby serving as a multifunctional theranostic agent.

  11. The dosimetric impact of gadolinium-based contrast media in GBM brain patient plans for a MRI-Linac

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bilal Ahmad, Syed; Paudel, Moti Raj; Sarfehnia, Arman; Kim, Anthony; Pang, Geordi; Ruschin, Mark; Sahgal, Arjun; Keller, Brian M.

    2017-08-01

    Dosimetric effects of gadolinium based contrast media (Gadovist) were evaluated for the Elekta MRI linear accelerator using the research version of the Monaco treatment planning system (TPS). In order to represent a gadolinium uptake, the contrast was manually assigned to a phantom as well as to the gross tumour volume (GTV) of 6 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients. A preliminary estimate of the dose enhancement, due to gadolinium, was performed using the phantom irradiated with a single beam. A more complicated assessment was performed for the GBM patients using a 7 field IMRT technique. The material table in Monaco was modified in order to identify the presence of a non-biological material. The dose distribution was modelled using GPUMCD (MC algorithm in Monaco) for an unmodified (or default) material table (DMT) as well as for a modified (or custom) material table (CMT) for both the phantom and patients. Various concentrations ranging between 8 and 157 mg ml-1 were used to represent the gadolinium uptake in the patient’s GTV. It was assumed that the gadolinium concentration remained the same for the entire course of radiation treatment. Results showed that at the tissue-Gadovist interface, inside the phantom, dose scored using the DMT was 7% lower compared to that using the CMT for 157 mg ml-1 concentration of gadolinium. Dosimetric differences in the case of the patient study were measured using the DVH parameters. D 50% was higher by 6% when the DMT was used compared to the CMT for dose modelling for a gadolinium concentration of 157 mg ml-1. This difference decreased gradually with decreasing concentration of gadolinium. It was concluded that dosimetric differences can be quantified in Monaco if the tumour-gadolinium concentration is more than 23 mg ml-1. If the gadolinium concentration is lower than 23 mg ml-1, then a correction for the presence of gadolinium may not be necessary in the TPS.

  12. The dosimetric impact of gadolinium-based contrast media in GBM brain patient plans for a MRI-Linac.

    PubMed

    Ahmad, Syed Bilal; Paudel, Moti Raj; Sarfehnia, Arman; Kim, Anthony; Pang, Geordi; Ruschin, Mark; Sahgal, Arjun; Keller, Brian M

    2017-08-01

    Dosimetric effects of gadolinium based contrast media (Gadovist) were evaluated for the Elekta MRI linear accelerator using the research version of the Monaco treatment planning system (TPS). In order to represent a gadolinium uptake, the contrast was manually assigned to a phantom as well as to the gross tumour volume (GTV) of 6 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients. A preliminary estimate of the dose enhancement, due to gadolinium, was performed using the phantom irradiated with a single beam. A more complicated assessment was performed for the GBM patients using a 7 field IMRT technique. The material table in Monaco was modified in order to identify the presence of a non-biological material. The dose distribution was modelled using GPUMCD (MC algorithm in Monaco) for an unmodified (or default) material table (DMT) as well as for a modified (or custom) material table (CMT) for both the phantom and patients. Various concentrations ranging between 8 and 157 mg ml -1 were used to represent the gadolinium uptake in the patient's GTV. It was assumed that the gadolinium concentration remained the same for the entire course of radiation treatment. Results showed that at the tissue-Gadovist interface, inside the phantom, dose scored using the DMT was 7% lower compared to that using the CMT for 157 mg ml -1 concentration of gadolinium. Dosimetric differences in the case of the patient study were measured using the DVH parameters. D 50% was higher by 6% when the DMT was used compared to the CMT for dose modelling for a gadolinium concentration of 157 mg ml -1 . This difference decreased gradually with decreasing concentration of gadolinium. It was concluded that dosimetric differences can be quantified in Monaco if the tumour-gadolinium concentration is more than 23 mg ml -1 . If the gadolinium concentration is lower than 23 mg ml -1 , then a correction for the presence of gadolinium may not be necessary in the TPS.

  13. Enhancements in hepatobiliary imaging: the spectrum of gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid usages in hepatobiliary magnetic resonance imaging.

    PubMed

    Channual, Stephanie; Pahwa, Anokh; Lu, David S; Raman, Steven S

    2016-09-01

    Gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) is a unique hepatocyte-specific contrast agent approved for clinical use in the United States in 2008. Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR has shown to improve detection and characterization of hepatic lesions. Gd-EOB-DTPA is now being routinely used in daily clinical practice worldwide. Therefore, it is important for radiologists to be familiar with the potential uses and pitfalls of Gd-EOB-DTPA, which extends beyond the assessment of focal hepatic lesions. The purpose of this article is to review the various usages of Gd-EOB-DTPA in hepatobiliary MR imaging.

  14. NMR structural studies of the supramolecular adducts between a liver cytosolic bile acid binding protein and gadolinium(III)-chelates bearing bile acids residues: molecular determinants of the binding of a hepatospecific magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent.

    PubMed

    Assfalg, Michael; Gianolio, Eliana; Zanzoni, Serena; Tomaselli, Simona; Russo, Vito Lo; Cabella, Claudia; Ragona, Laura; Aime, Silvio; Molinari, Henriette

    2007-11-01

    The binding affinities of a selected series of Gd(III) chelates bearing bile acid residues, potential hepatospecific MRI contrast agents, to a liver cytosolic bile acid transporter, have been determined through relaxivity measurements. The Ln(III) complexes of compound 1 were selected for further NMR structural analysis aimed at assessing the molecular determinants of binding. A number of NMR experiments have been carried out on the bile acid-like adduct, using both diamagnetic Y(III) and paramagnetic Gd(III) complexes, bound to a liver bile acid binding protein. The identified protein "hot spots" defined a single binding site located at the protein portal region. The presented findings will serve in a medicinal chemistry approach for the design of hepatocytes-selective gadolinium chelates for liver malignancies detection.

  15. Method of separating and purifying gadolinium-153

    DOEpatents

    Bray, Lane A [Richland, WA; Corneillie, Todd M [Davis, CA

    2001-01-01

    The present invention is an improvement to the method of separating and purifying gadolinium from a mixture of gadolinium and europium having the steps of (a) dissolving the mixture in an acid; (b) reducing europium+3 to europium+2; and (c) precipitating the europium+2 with a sulfate ion in a superstoichiometric amount; wherein the improvement is achieved by using one or more of the following: (i) the acid is an anoic acid; (ii) the reducing is with zinc metal in the absence of a second metal or with an amount of the second metal that is ineffective in the reducing; (iii) adding a group IIA element after step (c) for precipitating the excess sulfate prior to repeating step (c); (iv) the sulfate is a sulfate salt with a monovalent cation; (v) adding cold europium+3 prior to repeating step (c).

  16. Self-Assembled Nanomicelles as MRI Blood-Pool Contrast Agent.

    PubMed

    Babič, Andrej; Vorobiev, Vassily; Xayaphoummine, Céline; Lapicorey, Gaëlle; Chauvin, Anne-Sophie; Helm, Lothar; Allémann, Eric

    2018-01-26

    Gadolinium-loaded nanomicelles show promise as future magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents (CAs). Their increased size and high gadolinium (Gd) loading gives them an edge in proton relaxivity over smaller molecular Gd-complexes. Their size and stealth properties are fundamental for their long blood residence time, opening the possibility for use as blood-pool contrast agents. Using l-tyrosine as a three-functional scaffold we synthesized a nanostructure building block 8. The double C18 aliphatic chain on one side, Gd-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1-4-7-triacetic acid (Gd-DO3A) with access to bulk water in the center and 2 kDa PEG on the hydrophilic side gave the amphiphilic properties required for the core-shell nanomicellar architecture. The self-assembly into Gd-loaded monodispersed 10-20 nm nanomicelles occurred spontaneously in water. These nanomicelles (Tyr-MRI) display very high relaxivity at 29 mm -1  s -1 at low field strength and low cytotoxicity. Good contrast enhancement of the blood vessels and the heart together with prolonged circulation time in vivo, makes Tyr-MRI an excellent candidate for a new supramolecular blood-pool MRI CA. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Gadolinium: Central Metal of the Lanthanoids

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Laing, Michael

    2009-01-01

    The physical and chemical properties of gadolinium are compared with those of the other lanthanoids. Some properties are intermediate between those of lanthanum and lutetium; some between those of barium and hafnium; and others (unexpectedly) between those of ytterbium and lutetium. Both the remarkably high molar heat capacity of the metal and the…

  18. Gadolinium Use in Spine Pain Management Procedures for Patients with Contrast Allergies: Results in 527 Procedures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Safriel, Yair; Ang, Roberto; Ali, Muhammed

    2008-03-15

    Introduction. To review the safety and efficacy of gadolinium in spine pain management procedures in patients at high risk for a contrast reaction and who are not suitable candidates for the use of standard non-ionic contrast. Methods. We reviewed records over a 61-month period of all image-guided spinal pain management procedures where patients had allergies making them unsuitable candidates for standard non-ionic contrast and where gadolinium was used to confirm needle tip placement prior to injection of medication. Results. Three hundred and four outpatients underwent 527 procedures. A spinal needle was used in all but 41 procedures. Gadolinium was visualizedmore » using portable C-arm fluoroscopy in vivo allowing for confirmation of needle tip location. The gadolinium dose ranged from 0.2 to 10 ml per level. The highest dose received by one patient was 15.83 ml intradiscally during a three-level discogram. Three hundred and one patients were discharged without complication or known delayed complications. One patient had documented intrathecal injection but without sequelae and 2 patients who underwent cervical procedures experienced seizures requiring admission to the intensive care unit. Both the latter patients were discharged without any further complications. Conclusion. Based on our experience we recommend using gadolinium judiciously for needle tip confirmation. We feel more confident using gadolinium in the lumbar spine and in cervical nerve blocks. Gadolinium should probably not be used as an injectate volume expander. The indications for gadolinium use in cervical needle-guided spine procedures are less clear and use of a blunt-tipped needle should be considered.« less

  19. Theoretical study of structure and stability of small gadolinium carboxylate complexes in liquid scintillator solvents.

    PubMed

    Huang, Pin-Wen

    2014-09-01

    The structural properties of three small gadolinium carboxylate complexes in three liquid scintillator solvents (pseudocumene, linear alkylbenzene, and phenyl xylylethane) were theoretically investigated using density functional theory (B3LYP/LC-RECP) and polarizable continuum model (PCM). The average interaction energy between gadolinium atom and carboxylate ligand (E(int)) and the energy difference of the highest singly occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (Δ(SL)) were calculated to evaluate and compare the relative stability of these complexes in solvents. The calculation results show that the larger (with a longer alkyl chain) gadolinium carboxylate complex has greater stability than the smaller one, while these gadolinium carboxylates in linear alkylbenzene were found to have greater stability than those in the other two solvents.

  20. Toxicological and pharmacological effects of gadolinium and samarium chlorides

    PubMed Central

    Haley, T. J.; Raymond, K.; Komesu, N.; Upham, H. C.

    1961-01-01

    A study has been made of the toxicology and pharmacology of gadolinium and samarium chlorides. The symptoms of acute toxicity following intraperitoneal injection are described. The chronic oral ingestion of both chemicals for 12 weeks produced no effects on growth or the blood picture, and only the male rats receiving gadolinium chloride showed liver damage. The pharmacological responses to both chemicals were mainly depressant on all systems studied, and death was associated with cardiovascular collapse coupled with respiratory paralysis. The greatest damage seen was on abraded skin, where non-healing ulcers were produced by both chemicals, whereas irritation of intact skin and ocular tissues was only transient in nature. PMID:13903826

  1. Removal of gadolinium, a neutron poison from the moderator system of nuclear reactors.

    PubMed

    Rufus, A L; Kumar, Padma S; Jeena, K; Velmurugan, S

    2018-01-15

    Gadolinium as gadolinium nitrate is used as neutron poison in the moderator system for regulating and controlling the power generation of Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) and proposed to be used in Advanced Heavy Water Reactors (AHWR) owing to its high neutron absorption cross section. Removal of the added gadolinium nitrate (Gd 3+ and NO 3 - ) from the system after its intended use is done using ion exchange resins. In the present investigation, attempts have been made to optimize the ion exchange process for generation of low radioactive waste and maximize utilization of the ion exchange resins by employing different types of resins and different modes of operation. The investigations revealed that use of mixed bed (MB) resin column consisting of Strong Acid Cation (SAC) resin and Strong Base Anion (SBA) resin followed by SAC resin column is efficient in removing the Gd 3+ and NO 3 - from the system besides maintaining the pH of the moderator system in the desirable regime, where gadolinium does not get precipitated as its hydroxide. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Gadolinium-Encapsulating Iron Oxide Nanoprobe as Activatable NMR/MRI Contrast Agent

    PubMed Central

    Santra, Santimukul; Jativa, Samuel D.; Kaittanis, Charalambos; Normand, Guillaume; Grimm, Jan; Perez, J. Manuel

    2012-01-01

    Herein we report a novel gadolinium-encapsulating iron oxide nanoparticle-based activatable NMR/MRI nanoprobe. In our design, Gd-DTPA is encapsulated within the polyacrylic acid (PAA) polymer coating of a superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (IO-PAA) yielding a composite magnetic nanoprobe (IO-PAA-Gd-DTPA) with quenched longitudinal spin-lattice magnetic relaxation (T1). Upon release of the Gd-DTPA complex from the nanoprobe's polymeric coating in acidic media, an increase in the T1 relaxation rate (1/T1) of the composite magnetic nanoprobe was observed, indicating a dequenching of the nanoprobe with a corresponding increase in the T1-weighted MRI signal. When a folate-conjugated nanoprobe was incubated in HeLa cells, a cancer cell line overexpressing folate receptors, an increase in the 1/T1 signal was observed. This result suggests that upon receptor-mediated internalization, the composite magnetic nanoprobe degraded within the cell's lysosome acidic (pH = 5.0) environment, resulting in an intracellular release of Gd-DTPA complex with subsequent T1 activation. No change in T1 was observed when the Gd-DTPA complex was chemically conjugated on the surface of the nanoparticle's polymeric coating or when encapsulated in the polymeric coating of a non-magnetic nanoparticle. These results confirmed that the observed (T1) quenching of the composite magnetic nanoprobe is due to the encapsulation and close proximity of the Gd ion to the nanoparticles superparamagnetic iron oxide (IO) core. In addition, when an anticancer drug (Taxol) was co-encapsulated with the Gd-DTPA within the folate receptor targeting composite magnetic nanoprobe, the T1 activation of the probe coincide with the rate of drug release and corresponding cytotoxic effect in cell culture studies. Taken together, these results suggest that our activatable T1 nanoagent could be of great importance for the detection of acidic tumors and assessment of drug targeting and release by MRI. PMID:22809405

  3. Gadolinium Scandium Gallium Garnet (GSGG) as a Solid-State Laser Host

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-07-01

    o*SATI CODSi1.SBEC EM (otne nrvrs fnceayad dniy nb)k ubr ~~~~~~~~ Gadolinium Scandium Gallium Garnet (GSGG)asaSldtteLerHt 17. ABSTRACT 6.SUJCTTEM...certain other garnet materials for replacement. It also addresses the solid-state laser host material Gadolinium Scandium Gal- lium Garnet (GSGG) and its...by neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) or other mate- rials for most applications. In the years after the invention of the ruby laser, in

  4. Mechanical delivery of aerosolized gadolinium-DTPA for pulmonary ventilation assessment in MR imaging.

    PubMed

    Haage, P; Adam, G; Karaagac, S; Pfeffer, J; Glowinski, A; Döhmen, S; Günther, R W

    2001-04-01

    To evaluate a new technique with mechanical administration of aerosolized gadolinium (Gd)-DTPA for MR visualization of lung ventilation. Ten experimental procedures were performed in six domestic pigs. Gd-DTPA was aerosolized by a small-particle generator. The intubated animals were mechanically aerosolized with the nebulized contrast agent and studied on a 1.5-T MR imager. Respiratory gated T1-weighted turbo spin-echo images were obtained before, during, and after contrast administration. Pulmonary signal intensity (SI) changes were calculated for corresponding regions of both lungs. Homogeneity of aerosol distribution was graded independently by two radiologists. To achieve a comparable SI increase as attained in previous trials that used manual aerosol ventilation, a ventilation period of 20 minutes (formerly 30 minutes) was sufficient. Mean SI changes of 116% were observed after that duration. Contrast delivery was rated evenly distributed in all cases by the reviewers. The feasibility of applying Gd-DTPA as a contrast agent to demonstrate pulmonary ventilation in large animals has been described before. The results of this refined technique substantiate the potential of Gd-based ventilation MR imaging by improving aerosol distribution and shortening the nebulization duration in the healthy lung.

  5. Application of an oscillation-type linear cadmium telluride detector to enhanced gadolinium K-edge computed tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matsukiyo, Hiroshi; Sato, Eiichi; Hagiwara, Osahiko; Abudurexiti, Abulajiang; Osawa, Akihiro; Enomoto, Toshiyuki; Watanabe, Manabu; Nagao, Jiro; Sato, Shigehiro; Ogawa, Akira; Onagawa, Jun

    2011-03-01

    A linear cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector is useful for carrying out energy-discrimination X-ray imaging, including computed tomography (CT). To perform enhanced gadolinium K-edge CT, we used an oscillation-type linear CdTe detector with an energy resolution of 1.2 keV. CT is performed by repeating the linear scan and the rotation of an object. Penetrating X-ray photons from the object are detected by the CdTe detector, and event signals of X-ray photons are produced using charge-sensitive and shaping amplifiers. Both the photon energy and the energy width are selected using a multichannel analyzer, and the number of photons is counted by a counter card. In energy-discrimination CT, tube voltage and current were 80 kV and 20 μA, respectively, and X-ray intensity was 1.55 μGy/s at 1.0 m from the source at a tube voltage of 80 kV. Demonstration of enhanced gadolinium K-edge X-ray CT was carried out by selecting photons with energies just beyond gadolinium K-edge energy of 50.3 keV.

  6. Removal of gadolinium nitrate from heavy water

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wilde, E.W.

    2000-03-22

    Work was conducted to develop a cost-effective process to purify 181 55-gallon drums containing spent heavy water moderator (D2O) contaminated with high concentrations of gadolinium nitrate, a chemical used as a neutron poison during former nuclear reactor operations at the Savannah River Site (SRS). These drums also contain low level radioactive contamination, including tritium, which complicates treatment options. Presently, the drums of degraded moderator are being stored on site. It was suggested that a process utilizing biological mechanisms could potentially lower the total cost of heavy water purification by allowing the use of smaller equipment with less product loss andmore » a reduction in the quantity of secondary waste materials produced by the current baseline process (ion exchange).« less

  7. Intraoperative Near-Infrared Optical Imaging Can Localize Gadolinium-Enhancing Gliomas During Surgery

    PubMed Central

    Lee, John Y-K.; Thawani, Jayesh P.; Pierce, John; Zeh, Ryan; Martinez-Lage, Maria; Chanin, Michelle; Venegas, Ollin; Nims, Sarah; Learned, Kim; Keating, Jane; Singhal, Sunil

    2016-01-01

    Background Although real-time localization of gliomas has improved with intraoperative image guidance systems, these tools are limited by brain shift, surgical cavity deformation, and expense. Objective To propose a novel method to perform near-infrared (NIR) imaging during glioma resections based on preclinical and clinical investigations, in order to localize tumors and to potentially identify residual disease. Methods Fifteen patients were identified and administered an FDA-approved, NIR contrast agent (Second Window indocyanine green [ICG], 5 mg/kg) prior to surgical resection. An NIR camera was utilized to localize the tumor prior to resection and to visualize surgical margins following resection. Neuropathology and MR imaging data were used to assess the accuracy and precision of NIR-fluorescence in identifying tumor tissue. Results NIR visualization of 15 gliomas (10 glioblastoma multiforme, 1 anaplastic astrocytoma, 2 low grade astrocytoma, 1 juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma, and 1 ganglioglioma) was performed 22.7 hours (mean) after intravenous injection of ICG. During surgery, 12/15 tumors were visualized with the NIR camera. The mean signal-to-background ratio was 9.5 ± 0.8 and fluorescence was noted through the dura to a maximum parenchymal depth of 13 mm. The best predictor of positive fluorescence was enhancement on T1-weighted imaging; this correlated with SBR (P = .03). Non-enhancing tumors did not demonstrate NIR fluorescence. Using pathology as the gold standard, the technique demonstrated a sensitivity of 98% and specificity of 45% to identify tumor in gadolinium-enhancing specimens (n = 71). Conclusion Using Second Window ICG, gadolinium-enhancing tumors can be localized through brain parenchyma intraoperatively. Its utility for margin detection is promising but limited by lower specificity. PMID:27741220

  8. Tuning the relaxation rates of dual-mode T1/T2 nanoparticle contrast agents: a study into the ideal system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keasberry, Natasha A.; Bañobre-López, Manuel; Wood, Christopher; Stasiuk, Graeme. J.; Gallo, Juan; Long, Nicholas. J.

    2015-09-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an excellent imaging modality. However the low sensitivity of the technique poses a challenge to achieving an accurate image of function at the molecular level. To overcome this, contrast agents are used; typically gadolinium based agents for T1 weighted imaging, or iron oxide based agents for T2 imaging. Traditionally, only one imaging mode is used per diagnosis although several physiological situations are known to interfere with the signal induced by the contrast agents in each individual imaging mode acquisition. Recently, the combination of both T1 and T2 imaging capabilities into a single platform has emerged as a tool to reduce uncertainties in MR image analysis. To date, contradicting reports on the effect on the contrast of the coupling of a T1 and T2 agent have hampered the application of these specialised probes. Herein, we present a systematic experimental study on a range of gadolinium-labelled magnetite nanoparticles envisioned to bring some light into the mechanism of interaction between T1 and T2 components, and advance towards the design of efficient (dual) T1 and T2 MRI probes. Unexpected behaviours observed in some of the constructs will be discussed. In this study, we demonstrate that the relaxivity of such multimodal probes can be rationally tuned to obtain unmatched potentials in MR imaging, exemplified by preparation of the magnetite-based nanoparticle with the highest T2 relaxivity described to date.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an excellent imaging modality. However the low sensitivity of the technique poses a challenge to achieving an accurate image of function at the molecular level. To overcome this, contrast agents are used; typically gadolinium based agents for T1 weighted imaging, or iron oxide based agents for T2 imaging. Traditionally, only one imaging mode is used per diagnosis although several physiological situations are known to interfere with the signal induced by the contrast agents in

  9. Cell-permeable Ln(III) chelate-functionalized InP quantum dots as multimodal imaging agents.

    PubMed

    Stasiuk, Graeme J; Tamang, Sudarsan; Imbert, Daniel; Poillot, Cathy; Giardiello, Marco; Tisseyre, Céline; Barbier, Emmanuel L; Fries, Pascal Henry; de Waard, Michel; Reiss, Peter; Mazzanti, Marinella

    2011-10-25

    Quantum dots (QDs) are ideal scaffolds for the development of multimodal imaging agents, but their application in clinical diagnostics is limited by the toxicity of classical CdSe QDs. A new bimodal MRI/optical nanosized contrast agent with high gadolinium payload has been prepared through direct covalent attachment of up to 80 Gd(III) chelates on fluorescent nontoxic InP/ZnS QDs. It shows a high relaxivity of 900 mM(-1) s(-1) (13 mM(-1 )s(-1) per Gd ion) at 35 MHz (0.81 T) and 298 K, while the bright luminescence of the QDs is preserved. Eu(III) and Tb(III) chelates were also successfully grafted to the InP/ZnS QDs. The absence of energy transfer between the QD and lanthanide emitting centers results in a multicolor system. Using this convenient direct grafting strategy additional targeting ligands can be included on the QD. Here a cell-penetrating peptide has been co-grafted in a one-pot reaction to afford a cell-permeable multimodal multimeric MRI contrast agent that reports cellular localization by fluorescence and provides high relaxivity and increased tissue retention with respect to commercial contrast agents.

  10. Biomedical Nanocrystal Agents: Design, Synthesis, and Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cho, Minjung

    In these days, nanomaterials are applied in a variety of biomedical applications including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cell imaging, drug delivery, and cell separation. Most MRI contrast agents affect the longitudinal relaxation time (T1) and transverse relaxation time (T2 ) of water protons in the tissue and result in increased positive or negative contrast. Here, we report the optimization of r1 (1/T 1) or r2 (1/T2) relaxivity dynamics with diameter controlled gadolinium oxide nanocrystals (2˜22 nm) and iron based magnetic nanocrystals (4 ˜33 nm). The r1 and r2 MR relaxivity values of hydrated nanocrystals were optimized and examined depending on their core diameter, surface coating, and compositions; the high r1 value of gadolinium oxide was 40-60 S-1mM-1, which is 10-15 fold higher than that of commercial Gd (III) chelates (4.3˜4.6 S-1mM-1). Moreover, in vitro toxicological studies revealed that polymer coated nanocrystals suspensions had no significant effect on human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells even at high concentration. Towards multimodal imaging or multifunctional ability, we developed the iron oxide/QDs complexes, which consist of cores of iron oxide that act as nucleation sites for fluorescent QDs. The choice of variable QDs helped to visualize and remove large iron oxide materials in a magnetic separation. Additionally, diluted materials concentrated on the magnet could be fluorescently detected even at very low concentration. The designed MRI or multifunctional nanomaterials will give great and powerful uses in biomedical applications.

  11. In vitro radiosensitizing effects of ultrasmall gadolinium based particles on tumour cells.

    PubMed

    Mowat, P; Mignot, A; Rima, W; Lux, F; Tillement, O; Roulin, C; Dutreix, M; Bechet, D; Huger, S; Humbert, L; Barberi-Heyob, M; Aloy, M T; Armandy, E; Rodriguez-Lafrasse, C; Le Duc, G; Roux, S; Perriat, P

    2011-09-01

    Since radiotherapy is widely used in cancer treatment, it is essential to develop strategies which lower the irradiation burden while increasing efficacy and become efficient even in radio resistant tumors. Our new strategy is relying on the development of solid hybrid nanoparticles based on rare-earth such as gadolinium. In this paper, we then evidenced that gadolinium-based particles can be designed to enter efficiently into the human glioblastoma cell line U87 in quantities that can be tuned by modifying the incubation conditions. These sub-5 nm particles consist in a core of gadolinium oxide, a shell of polysiloxane and are functionalized by diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). Although photoelectric effect is maximal in the [10-100 keV] range, such particles were found to possess efficient in-vitro radiosensitizing properties at an energy of 660 keV by using the "single-cell gel electrophoresis comet assay," an assay that measures the number of DNA damage that occurs during irradiation. Even more interesting, the particles have been evidenced by MTT assays to be also efficient radiosensitizers at an energy of 6 MeV for doses comprised between 2 and 8 Gy. The properties of the gadolinium-based particles give promising opening to a particle-assisted radio-therapy by using irradiation systems already installed in the majority of hospitals.

  12. Gadolinium-Conjugated Gold Nanoshells for Multimodal Diagnostic Imaging and Photothermal Cancer Therapy

    PubMed Central

    Coughlin, Andrew J.; Ananta, Jeyarama S.; Deng, Nanfu; Larina, Irina V.; Decuzzi, Paolo

    2014-01-01

    Multimodal imaging offers the potential to improve diagnosis and enhance the specificity of photothermal cancer therapy. Toward this goal, we have engineered gadolinium-conjugated gold nanoshells and demonstrated that they enhance contrast for magnetic resonance imaging, X-Ray, optical coherence tomography, reflectance confocal microscopy, and two-photon luminescence. Additionally, these particles effectively convert near-infrared light to heat, which can be used to ablate cancer cells. Ultimately, these studies demonstrate the potential of gadolinium-nanoshells for image-guided photothermal ablation. PMID:24115690

  13. Gadolinium-hydrogen ion exchange of zirconium phosphate

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liu, D. C.; Power, J. L.

    1972-01-01

    The Gd(+3)/H(+) ion exchange on a commercial zirconium phosphate ion exchanger was investigated in chloride, sulfate, and phosphate solutions of Gd(+3) at gadolinium concentrations of 0.001 to 1 millimole per cc and in the pH range of 0 to 3.5. Relatively low Gd(+3) capacities, in the range of 0.01 to 0.1 millimole per g of ion exchanger were found at room temperature. A significant difference in Gd(+3) sorption was observed, depending on whether the ion exchanger was converted from initial conditions of greater or lesser Gd(+3) sorption than the specific final conditions. Correlations were found between decrease in Gd(+3) capacity and loss of exchanger phosphate groups due to hydrolysis during washing and between increase in capacity and treatment with H3PO4. Fitting of the experimental data to ideal ion exchange equilibrium expressions indicated that each Gd(+3) ion is sorbed on only one site of the ion exchanger. The selectivity quotient was determined to be 2.5 + or - 0.4 at room temperature on gadolinium desorption in chloride solutions.

  14. Biocompatible Nanocomplexes for Molecular Targeted MRI Contrast Agent

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Zhijin; Yu, Dexin; Wang, Shaojie; Zhang, Na; Ma, Chunhong; Lu, Zaijun

    2009-07-01

    Accurate diagnosis in early stage is vital for the treatment of Hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of poly lactic acid-polyethylene glycol/gadolinium-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid (PLA-PEG/Gd-DTPA) nanocomplexes using as biocompatible molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent. The PLA-PEG/Gd-DTPA nanocomplexes were obtained using self-assembly nanotechnology by incubation of PLA-PEG nanoparticles and the commercial contrast agent, Gd-DTPA. The physicochemical properties of nanocomplexes were measured by atomic force microscopy and photon correlation spectroscopy. The T1-weighted MR images of the nanocomplexes were obtained in a 3.0 T clinical MR imager. The stability study was carried out in human plasma and the distribution in vivo was investigated in rats. The mean size of the PLA-PEG/Gd-DTPA nanocomplexes was 187.9 ± 2.30 nm, and the polydispersity index was 0.108, and the zeta potential was -12.36 ± 3.58 mV. The results of MRI test confirmed that the PLA-PEG/Gd-DTPA nanocomplexes possessed the ability of MRI, and the direct correlation between the MRI imaging intensities and the nano-complex concentrations was observed ( r = 0.987). The signal intensity was still stable within 2 h after incubation of the nanocomplexes in human plasma. The nanocomplexes gave much better image contrast effects and longer stagnation time than that of commercial contrast agent in rat liver. A dose of 0.04 mmol of gadolinium per kilogram of body weight was sufficient to increase the MRI imaging intensities in rat livers by five-fold compared with the commercial Gd-DTPA. PLA-PEG/Gd-DTPA nanocomplexes could be prepared easily with small particle sizes. The nanocomplexes had high plasma stability, better image contrast effect, and liver targeting property. These results indicated that the PLA-PEG/Gd-DTPA nanocomplexes might be potential as molecular targeted imaging contrast agent.

  15. The Effect of gadolinium on the ESR response of alanine and ammonium tartrate exposed to thermal neutrons.

    PubMed

    Marrale, Maurizio; Brai, Maria; Gennaro, Gaetano; Bartolotta, Antonio; D'Oca, Maria Cristina

    2008-02-01

    Many efforts have been made to develop neutron capture therapy (NCT) for cancer treatment. Among the challenges in using NCT is the characterization of the features of the mixed radiation field and of its components. In this study, we examined the enhancement of the ESR response of pellets of alanine and ammonium tartrate with gadolinium oxide exposed to a thermal neutron beam. In particular, the ESR response of these dosimeters as a function of the gadolinium content inside the dosimeter was analyzed. We found that the addition of gadolinium improves the sensitivity of both alanine and ammonium tartrate. However, the use of gadolinium reduces or abolishes tissue equivalence because of its high atomic number (Z(Gd) = 64). Therefore, it is necessary to find the optimum compromise between the sensitivity to thermal neutrons and the reduction of tissue equivalence. Our analysis showed that a low concentration of gadolinium oxide (of the order of 5% of the total mass of the dosimeter) can enhance the thermal neutron sensitivity more than 13 times with an insignificant reduction of tissue equivalence.

  16. Selective modification of NMR relaxation time in human colorectal carcinoma by using gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid conjugated with monoclonal antibody 19-9.

    PubMed Central

    Curtet, C; Tellier, C; Bohy, J; Conti, M L; Saccavini, J C; Thedrez, P; Douillard, J Y; Chatal, J F; Koprowski, H

    1986-01-01

    Monoclonal antibody 19-9 (mAb 19-9) against human colon adenocarcinoma was conjugated with gadolinium X diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd X DTPA) and used as a contrast agent in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in an effort to improve tumor target selectivity in nude mice. The data indicate that Gd X DTPA-mAb 19-9 in solution decreased the T1 relaxation of water protons at 90 MHz in direct proportion to the gadolinium concentration, and this effect was greater than in Gd X DTPA solutions. T1 relaxation time at 90 MHz, measured in tumors removed from nude mice 24 hr after injection of Gd X DTPA-mAb 19-9 (Gd, 20 mumol/kg; 16 DTPA molecules per mAb molecule), was significantly decreased (by 15%) as compared with the control group. Similar results were obtained in tumors from mice injected with Gd X DTPA-mAb 19-9 solutions in which Gd was used at 2, 6, or 10 mumol/kg (16 DTPA molecules per mAb molecule). These doses are lower than those commonly used for Gd X DTPA (10-100 mumol/kg) as contrast agent. Tumor localization by the Gd X DTPA-mAb 19-9 complex containing radioactive Gd (0.3 microCi/microgram of 153Gd) to confirm scintigraphy revealed significant concentrations of the complex (5% of the injected dose per gram of tissue) in the tumor. Scan images recorded in planar scintigraphy at day 5 showed good visualization of tumors. Images PMID:3459174

  17. Caspase-responsive smart gadolinium-based contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging of drug-induced apoptosis.

    PubMed

    Ye, Deju; Shuhendler, Adam J; Pandit, Prachi; Brewer, Kimberly D; Tee, Sui Seng; Cui, Lina; Tikhomirov, Grigory; Rutt, Brian; Rao, Jianghong

    2014-10-01

    Non-invasive detection of caspase-3/7 activity in vivo has provided invaluable predictive information regarding tumor therapeutic efficacy and anti-tumor drug selection. Although a number of caspase-3/7 targeted fluorescence and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging probes have been developed, there is still a lack of gadolinium (Gd)-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probes that enable high spatial resolution detection of caspase-3/7 activity in vivo . Here we employ a self-assembly approach and develop a caspase-3/7 activatable Gd-based MRI probe for monitoring tumor apoptosis in mice. Upon reduction and caspase-3/7 activation, the caspase-sensitive nano-aggregation MR probe (C-SNAM: 1 ) undergoes biocompatible intramolecular cyclization and subsequent self-assembly into Gd-nanoparticles (GdNPs). This results in enhanced r 1 relaxivity-19.0 (post-activation) vs. 10.2 mM -1 s -1 (pre-activation) at 1 T in solution-and prolonged accumulation in chemotherapy-induced apoptotic cells and tumors that express active caspase-3/7. We demonstrate that C-SNAM reports caspase-3/7 activity by generating a significantly brighter T 1 -weighted MR signal compared to non-treated tumors following intravenous administration of C-SNAM, providing great potential for high-resolution imaging of tumor apoptosis in vivo .

  18. Gadolinium-loaded Plastic Scintillators for Thermal Neutron Detection using Compensation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dumazert, Jonathan; Coulon, Romain; Hamel, Matthieu; Carrel, Frédérick; Sguerra, Fabien; Normand, Stéphane; Méchin, Laurence; Bertrand, Guillaume H. V.

    2016-06-01

    Plastic scintillator loading with gadolinium-rich organometallic complexes shows a high potential for the deployment of efficient and cost-effective neutron detectors. Due to the low-energy photon and electron signature of thermal neutron capture by Gd-155 and Gd-157, alternative treatment to pulse-shape discrimination has to be proposed in order to display a count rate. This paper discloses the principle of a compensation method applied to a two-scintillator system: a detection scintillator interacts with photon and fast neutron radiation and is loaded with gadolinium organometallic compound to become a thermal neutron absorber, while a not-gadolinium loaded compensation scintillator solely interacts with the fast neutron and photon part of incident radiation. After the nonlinear smoothing of the counting signals, a hypothesis test determines whether the resulting count rate post-background response compensation falls into statistical fluctuations or provides a robust indication of neutron activity. Laboratory samples are tested under both photon and neutron irradiations, allowing the authors to investigate the performance of the overall detection system in terms of sensitivity and detection limits, especially with regards to a similar-active volume He-3 based commercial counter. The study reveals satisfactory figures of merit in terms of sensitivity and directs future investigation toward promising paths.

  19. Heterogeneous intratumoral distribution of gadolinium nanoparticles within U87 human glioblastoma xenografts unveiled by micro-PIXE imaging.

    PubMed

    Carmona, Asuncion; Roudeau, Stéphane; L'Homel, Baptiste; Pouzoulet, Frédéric; Bonnet-Boissinot, Sarah; Prezado, Yolanda; Ortega, Richard

    2017-04-15

    Metallic nanoparticles have great potential in cancer radiotherapy as theranostic drugs since, they serve simultaneously as contrast agents for medical imaging and as radio-therapy sensitizers. As with other anticancer drugs, intratumoral diffusion is one of the main limiting factors for therapeutic efficiency. To date, a few reports have investigated the intratumoral distribution of metallic nanoparticles. The aim of this study was to determine the quantitative distribution of gadolinium (Gd) nanoparticles after direct intratumoral injection within U87 human glioblastoma tumors grafted in mice, using micro-PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emission) imaging. AGuIX (Activation and Guiding of Irradiation by X-ray) 3 nm particles composed of a polysiloxane network surrounded by gadolinium chelates were used. PIXE results indicate that the direct injection of Gd nanoparticles in tumors results in their heterogeneous diffusion, probably related to variations in tumor density. All tumor regions contain Gd, but with markedly different concentrations, with a more than 250-fold difference. Also Gd can diffuse to the healthy adjacent tissue. This study highlights the usefulness of mapping the distribution of metallic nanoparticles at the intratumoral level, and proposes PIXE as an imaging modality to probe the quantitative distribution of metallic nanoparticles in tumors from experimental animal models with micrometer resolution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Evaluating the behavior of gadolinium and other rare earth elements through large metropolitan sewage treatment plants.

    PubMed

    Verplanck, Philip L; Furlong, Edward T; Gray, James L; Phillips, Patrick J; Wolf, Ruth E; Esposito, Kathleen

    2010-05-15

    A primary pathway for emerging contaminants (pharmaceuticals, personal care products, steroids, and hormones) to enter aquatic ecosystems is effluent from sewage treatment plants (STP), and identifying technologies to minimize the amount of these contaminants released is important. Quantifying the flux of these contaminants through STPs is difficult. This study evaluates the behavior of gadolinium, a rare earth element (REE) utilized as a contrasting agent in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), through four full-scale metropolitan STPs that utilize several biosolids thickening, conditioning, stabilization, and dewatering processing technologies. The organically complexed Gd from MRIs has been shown to be stable in aquatic systems and has the potential to be utilized as a conservative tracer in STP operations to compare to an emerging contaminant of interest. Influent and effluent waters display large enrichments in Gd compared to other REEs. In contrast, most sludge samples from the STPs do not display Gd enrichments, including primary sludges and end-product sludges. The excess Gd appears to remain in the liquid phase throughout the STP operations, but detailed quantification of the input Gd load and residence times of various STP operations is needed to utilize Gd as a conservative tracer.

  1. Usefulness of the dynamic gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with simultaneous acquisition of coronal and sagittal planes for detection of pituitary microadenomas.

    PubMed

    Lee, Han Bee; Kim, Sung Tae; Kim, Hyung-Jin; Kim, Keon Ha; Jeon, Pyoung; Byun, Hong Sik; Choi, Jin Wook

    2012-03-01

    Does dynamic gadolinium-enhanced imaging with simultaneous acquisition of coronal and sagittal planes improve diagnostic accuracy of pituitary microadenomas compared with coronal images alone? Fifty-six patients underwent 3-T sella MRI including dynamic simultaneous acquisition of coronal and sagittal planes after gadolinium injection. According to conspicuity, lesions were divided into four scores (0, no; 1, possible; 2, probable; 3, definite delayed enhancing lesion). Additional information on supplementary sagittal images compared with coronal ones was evaluated with a 4-point score (0, no; 1, possible; 2, probable; 3, definite additional information). Accuracy of tumour detection was calculated. Average scores for lesion detection of a combination of two planes, coronal, and sagittal images were 2.59, 2.32, and 2.18. 6/10 lesions negative on coronal images were detected on sagittal ones. Accuracy of a combination of two planes, of coronal and of sagittal images was 92.86%, 82.14% and 75%. Six patients had probable or definite additional information on supplementary sagittal images compared with coronal ones alone (10.71%). Dynamic MRI with combined coronal and sagittal planes was more accurate for detection of pituitary microadenomas than routinely used coronal images. Simultaneous dynamic enhanced acquisition can make study time fast and costs low. We present a new dynamic MRI technique for evaluating pituitary microadenomas • This technique provides simultaneous acquisition of contrast enhanced coronal and sagittal images. • This technique makes the diagnosis more accurate and reduces the examination time. • Such MR imaging only requires one single bolus of contrast agent.

  2. Graphene Oxide and Gadolinium-Chelate Functionalized Poly(lactic acid) Nanocapsules Encapsulating Perfluorooctylbromide for Ultrasound/Magnetic Resonance Bimodal Imaging Guided Photothermal Ablation of Cancer.

    PubMed

    Li, Zhenglin; Ke, Hengte; Wang, Jinrui; Miao, Zhaohua; Yue, Xiuli

    2016-03-01

    This paper successfully fabricated a novel multifunctional theranostic agent (PFOB@PLA/GO/Gd-DTPA NCs) by loading perfluorooctylbromide (PFOB) into poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanocapsules (NCs) followed by surface functionalization with graphene oxide (GO) and gadolinium-chelate (Gd-DTPA). It was found that the resulting nanoagent could serve as a contrast agent simultaneously to enhance ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Benefiting from the strong absorption in the near infrared (NIR) region, the nanocapsules could efficiently kill cancer cells under NIR laser irradiation. Thus, such a single theranostic agent with the combination of realtime US imaging and high-resolution MR imaging could achieve great therapeutic effectiveness without systemic damage to the body. In addition, the cytotoxicity assay on HUVEC cells revealed a good biocompatibility of PFOB@PLA/GO/Gd-DTPA NCs, showing that the versatile nanocapsule system may hold great potential as an effective nanoplatform for contrast enhanced imaging guided photothermal therapy.

  3. Synthesis and characterization of gadolinium nanosheets with bound rose bengal: potential use in photodynamic therapy and MRI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stefanakis, Dimitrios; Seimenis, Ioannis; Ghanotakis, Demetrios

    2014-11-01

    Gadolinium (Gd) is a trivalent paramagnetic element, making it useful as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Gd2(OH)5NO3· xH2O belongs to a new family of nanosheets. The advantages of these materials are their relatively small size, paramagnetic behavior, stability, lack of toxicity and highly ordered structure. In the present study, Gd2(OH)5NO3 nanosheets were functionalized with amino groups and modified with the photosensitiser rose bengal (RB). This surface modification makes possible the use of the nanosheets in photodynamic therapy. The coated nanosheets were characterized with X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy, as well as transmission electron microscopy. The possibility of using these nanosheets as potential spin-lattice ( T 1) and spin-spin relaxation ( T 2) contrast agents in MRI was evaluated at 1.5 T. Finally, the ability of Gd2(OH)5NO3-RB to catalyze photooxidization reactions was examined using nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS).

  4. Do we need gadolinium-based contrast medium for brain magnetic resonance imaging in children?

    PubMed

    Dünger, Dennis; Krause, Matthias; Gräfe, Daniel; Merkenschlager, Andreas; Roth, Christian; Sorge, Ina

    2018-06-01

    Brain imaging is the most common examination in pediatric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), often combined with the use of a gadolinium-based contrast medium. The application of gadolinium-based contrast medium poses some risk. There is limited evidence of the benefits of contrast medium in pediatric brain imaging. To assess the diagnostic gain of contrast-enhanced sequences in brain MRI when the unenhanced sequences are normal. We retrospectively assessed 6,683 brain MR examinations using contrast medium in children younger than 16 years in the pediatric radiology department of the University Hospital Leipzig to determine whether contrast-enhanced sequences delivered additional, clinically relevant information to pre-contrast sequences. All examinations were executed using a 1.5-T or a 3-T system. In 8 of 3,003 (95% confidence interval 0.12-0.52%) unenhanced normal brain examinations, a relevant additional finding was detected when contrast medium was administered. Contrast enhancement led to a change in diagnosis in only one of these cases. Children with a normal pre-contrast brain MRI rarely benefit from contrast medium application. Comparing these results to the risks and disadvantages of a routine gadolinium application, there is substantiated numerical evidence for avoiding routine administration of gadolinium in a pre-contrast normal MRI examination.

  5. A neutral polydisulfide containing Gd(III) DOTA monoamide as a redox-sensitive biodegradable macromolecular MRI contrast agent.

    PubMed

    Ye, Zhen; Zhou, Zhuxian; Ayat, Nadia; Wu, Xueming; Jin, Erlei; Shi, Xiaoyue; Lu, Zheng-Rong

    2016-01-01

    This work aims to develop safe and effective gadolinium (III)-based biodegradable macromolecular MRI contrast agents for blood pool and cancer imaging. A neutral polydisulfide containing macrocyclic Gd-DOTA monoamide (GOLS) was synthesized and characterized. In addition to studying the in vitro degradation of GOLS, its kinetic stability was also investigated in an in vivo model. The efficacy of GOLS for contrast-enhanced MRI was examined with female BALB/c mice bearing 4T1 breast cancer xenografts. The pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and metabolism of GOLS were also determined in mice. GOLS has an apparent molecular weight of 23.0 kDa with T1 relaxivities of 7.20 mM(-1) s(-1) per Gd at 1.5 T, and 6.62 mM(-1) s(-1) at 7.0 T. GOLS had high kinetic inertness against transmetallation with Zn(2+) ions, and its polymer backbone was readily cleaved by L-cysteine. The agent showed improved efficacy for blood pool and tumor MR imaging. The structural effect on biodistribution and in vivo chelation stability was assessed by comparing GOLS with Gd(HP-DO3A), a negatively charged polydisulfide containing Gd-DOTA monoamide GODC, and a polydisulfide containing Gd-DTPA-bisamide (GDCC). GOLS showed high in vivo chelation stability and minimal tissue deposition of gadolinium. The biodegradable macromolecular contrast agent GOLS is a promising polymeric contrast agent for clinical MR cardiovascular imaging and cancer imaging. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  6. Measurement of gamma-ray production from thermal neutron capture on gadolinium for neutrino experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yano, Takatomi; 2012B0025 Collaboration; 2014B0126 Collaboration

    2017-02-01

    Recently, several scientific applications of gadolinium are found in neutrino physics experiments. Gadolinium-157 is the nucleus, which has the largest thermal neutron capture cross-section among all stable nuclei. Gadolinium-155 also has the large cross-section. These neutron capture reactions provide the gamma-ray cascade with the total energy of about 8 MeV. This reaction is applied for several neutrino experiments, e.g. reactor neutrino experiments and Gd doped large water Cherenkov detector experiments, to recognize inverse-beta-decay reaction. A good Gd(n,γ) simulation model is needed to evaluate the detection efficiency of the neutron capture reaction, i.e. the efficiency of IBD detection. In this presentation, we will report the development and study status of a Gd(n,γ) calculation model and comparison with our experimental data taken at ANNRI/MLF beam line, J-PARC.

  7. Type-II domains in ferroelectric gadolinium molybdate (in German)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bohm, J.; Kuersten, H.D.

    Etching (001)-faces of gadolinium molybdate (GMO) reveals new kinds of domains. They are created by a translation, that leaves the spontaneous polarization and the transition parameter invariant. The translation vector is a part of a lattice vector, similar to stacking faults. (auth)

  8. MRI contrast agent for targeting glioma: interleukin-13 labeled liposome encapsulating gadolinium-DTPA

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Xiaoli; Madhankumar, Achuthamangalam B.; Miller, Patti A.; Duck, Kari A.; Hafenstein, Susan; Rizk, Elias; Slagle-Webb, Becky; Sheehan, Jonas M.; Connor, James R.; Yang, Qing X.

    2016-01-01

    Background Detection of glioma with MRI contrast agent is limited to cases in which the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is compromised as contrast agents cannot cross the BBB. Thus, an early-stage infiltrating tumor is not detectable. Interleukin-13 receptor alpha 2 (IL-13Rα2), which has been shown to be overexpressed in glioma, can be used as a target moiety. We hypothesized that liposomes conjugated with IL-13 and encapsulating MRI contrast agent are capable of passing through an intact BBB and producing MRI contrast with greater sensitivity. Methods The targeted MRI contrast agent was created by encapsulating Magnevist (Gd-DTPA) into liposomes conjugated with IL-13 and characterized by particle size distribution, cytotoxicity, and MRI relaxivity. MR image intensity was evaluated in the brain in normal mice post injection of Gd-DTPA and IL-13-liposome-Gd-DTPA one day apart. The specificity for glioma detection by IL-13-liposome-Gd-DTPA was demonstrated in an intracranial glioma mouse model and validated histologically. Results The average size of IL-13-liposome-Gd-DTPA was 137 ± 43 nm with relaxivity of 4.0 ± 0.4 L/mmole-s at 7 Tesla. No significant cytotoxicity was observed with MTS assay and serum chemistry in mice. The MRI signal intensity was enhanced up to 15% post injection of IL-13-liposome-Gd-DTPA in normal brain tissue following a similar time course as that for the pituitary gland outside of the BBB. MRI enhanced by IL-13-liposome-Gd-DTPA detected small tumor masses in addition to those seen with Magnevist-enhanced MRI. Conclusions IL-13-liposome-Gd-DTPA is able to pass through the uncompromised BBB and detect an early stage glioma that cannot be seen with conventional contrast-enhanced MRI. PMID:26519740

  9. Nanoamplifiers synthesized from gadolinium and gold nanocomposites for magnetic resonance imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Xiumei; Shao, Yuanzhi; He, Haoqiang; Liu, Huan; Shen, Yingying; Huang, Wenlin; Li, Li

    2013-03-01

    We have synthesized an efficient and highly sensitive nanoamplifier composed of gadolinium-doped silica nanoparticles and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in vitro and in vivo assays revealed enhancement of signal sensitivity, which may be explained by electron transfer between water and gadolinium-doped nanoparticles, apparent in the presence of gold. In vitro and in vivo evaluation demonstrated nanoamplifier incurred minimal cytotoxicity and immunotoxicity, increased stability, and gradual excretion patterns. Tumor targeted properties were preliminarily determined when the nanoamplifier was injected into mouse models of colon cancer liver metastasis. Furthermore, although AuNPs departed from the nanoamplifiers in specific mice tissues, optical and magnetic resonance imaging was efficient, especially in metastatic tumors. These assays validate our nanoamplifier as an effective MRI signal enhancer with sensitive cancer diagnosis potential.We have synthesized an efficient and highly sensitive nanoamplifier composed of gadolinium-doped silica nanoparticles and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in vitro and in vivo assays revealed enhancement of signal sensitivity, which may be explained by electron transfer between water and gadolinium-doped nanoparticles, apparent in the presence of gold. In vitro and in vivo evaluation demonstrated nanoamplifier incurred minimal cytotoxicity and immunotoxicity, increased stability, and gradual excretion patterns. Tumor targeted properties were preliminarily determined when the nanoamplifier was injected into mouse models of colon cancer liver metastasis. Furthermore, although AuNPs departed from the nanoamplifiers in specific mice tissues, optical and magnetic resonance imaging was efficient, especially in metastatic tumors. These assays validate our nanoamplifier as an effective MRI signal enhancer with sensitive cancer diagnosis potential. Electronic supplementary information

  10. Electron magnetic resonance investigation of gadolinium diffusion in zircon powders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Biasi, R. S.; Grillo, M. L. N.

    2011-11-01

    The electron magnetic resonance (EMR) technique was used to investigate the diffusion of gadolinium in zircon (ZrSiO4) powders. The EMR absorption intensity was measured for several annealing times and three different temperatures of isothermal annealing: 1273, 1323 and 1373 K. The activation energy for diffusion, calculated from the experimental data using a theoretical model based on the Fick equation, was found to be EA=506±5 kJ mol-1. This value is close to the ones for the diffusion of Gd in UO2 and CeO2, but much larger than for the diffusion of gadolinium in a compound with the same crystal structure as zircon, YVO4. This is attributed to a difference in the relative sizes of the ions involved in the diffusion process.

  11. Gadolinium concentration analysis in brain phantom by X-ray fluorescence.

    PubMed

    Almalki, Musaed; Majid, Samir Abdul; Butler, Philip H; Reinisch, Lou

    2010-06-01

    We have measured the X-ray fluorescence from gadolinium as a function of concentration and position in tumors of different sizes and shapes in a head phantom. The gadolinium fluorescence was excited with a 36 GBq Am-241 source. The fluorescence signal was detected with a CdTe detector and a multi-channel analyzer. The fluorescence peak was clearly separated from the scattered X-rays. Concentrations of 5.62-78.63 mg/ml of Gd ion were used in 1, 2, and 3 cm diameter spherical tumors and a 2x4 cm oblate spheroid tumor. The data show trends approaching saturation for the highest concentrations, probably due to reabsorption in the tumor. A comparison of X-ray photographic imaging and densitometer measurements to determine concentration is also presented.

  12. Ultrasound guidance to perform intra-articular injection of gadolinium-based contrast material for magnetic resonance arthrography as an alternative to fluoroscopy: the time is now.

    PubMed

    Messina, Carmelo; Banfi, Giuseppe; Aliprandi, Alberto; Mauri, Giovanni; Secchi, Francesco; Sardanelli, Francesco; Sconfienza, Luca Maria

    2016-05-01

    Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has been definitively established as the reference standard in the evaluation of joints in the body. Similarly, magnetic resonance arthrography has emerged as a technique that has been proven to increase significantly the diagnostic performance if compared with conventional MR imaging, especially when dealing with fibrocartilage and articular cartilage abnormalities. Diluted gadolinium can be injected in the joint space using different approaches: under palpation using anatomic landmarks or using an imaging guidance, such as fluoroscopy, computed tomography, or ultrasound. Fluoroscopy has been traditionally used, but the involvement of ionizing radiation should represent a remarkable limitation of this modality. Conversely, ultrasound has emerged as a feasible, cheap, quick, and radiation-free modality that can be used to inject joints, with comparable accuracy of fluoroscopy. In the present paper, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using fluoroscopy or ultrasound in injecting gadolinium-based contrast agents in joints to perform magnetic resonance arthrography, also in view of the new EuroSAFE Imaging initiative promoted by the European Society of Radiology and the recent updates to the European Atomic Energy Community 2013/59 directive on the medical use of ionizing radiation. • Intra-articular contrast agent injection can be performed using different imaging modalities • Fluoroscopy is widely used, but uses ionizing radiation • Ultrasound is an accurate, quick, and radiation-free modality for joint injection • X-rays should be avoided when other radiation-free modalities can be used.

  13. Recovery of methamphetamine associated cardiomyopathy predicted by late gadolinium enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

    PubMed

    Lopez, Javier E; Yeo, Khung; Caputo, Gary; Buonocore, Michael; Schaefer, Saul

    2009-11-11

    Methamphetamine is known to cause a cardiomyopathy which may be reversible with appropriate medical therapy and cessation of use. Late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has been shown to identify fibrosis in ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. We present a case of severe methamphetamine-associated cardiomyopathy in which cardiac function recovered after 6 months. Evaluation by CMR using late gadolinium enhancement was notable for an absence of enhancement, suggesting an absence of irreversible myocyte injury and a good prognosis. CMR may be useful to predict recovery in toxin-associated non-ischemic cardiomyopathies.

  14. Recovery of methamphetamine associated cardiomyopathy predicted by late gadolinium enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Methamphetamine is known to cause a cardiomyopathy which may be reversible with appropriate medical therapy and cessation of use. Late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has been shown to identify fibrosis in ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. We present a case of severe methamphetamine-associated cardiomyopathy in which cardiac function recovered after 6 months. Evaluation by CMR using late gadolinium enhancement was notable for an absence of enhancement, suggesting an absence of irreversible myocyte injury and a good prognosis. CMR may be useful to predict recovery in toxin-associated non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. PMID:19906310

  15. In vitro cellular accumulation of gadolinium incorporated into chitosan nanoparticles designed for neutron-capture therapy of cancer.

    PubMed

    Shikata, Futoshi; Tokumitsu, Hiroyuki; Ichikawa, Hideki; Fukumori, Yoshinobu

    2002-01-01

    The accumulation of gadolinium loaded as gadopentetic acid (Gd-DTPA) in chitosan nanoparticles (Gd-nanoCPs), which were designed for gadolinium neutron-capture therapy (Gd-NCT) for cancer, was evaluated in vitro in cultured cells. Using L929 fibroblast cells, the Gd accumulation for 12 h at 37 degrees C was investigated at Gd concentrations lower than 40 ppm. The accumulation leveled above 20 ppm and reached 18.0+/-2.7 (mean+/-S.D.) microg Gd/10(6) cells at 40 ppm. Furthermore, the corresponding accumulations in B16F10 melanoma cells and SCC-VII squamous cell carcinoma, which were used in the previous Gd-NCT trials in vivo, were 27.1+/-2.9 and 59.8+/-9.8 microg Gd/10(6) cells, respectively, hence explaining the superior growth-suppression in the in vivo trials using SCC-VII cells. The accumulation of Gd-nanoCPs in these cells was 100-200 times higher in comparison to dimeglumine gadopentetate aqueous solution (Magnevist), a magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent. The endocytic uptake of Gd-nanoCPs, strongly holding Gd-DTPA, was suggested from transmission electron microscopy and comparative studies at 4 degrees C and with the solution system. These findings indicated that Gd-nanoCPs had a high affinity to the cells, probably contributing to the long retention of Gd in tumor tissue and leading to the significant suppression of tumor growth in the in vivo studies that were previously reported.

  16. Layered gadolinium hydroxides for low-temperature magnetic cooling.

    PubMed

    Abellán, Gonzalo; Espallargas, Guillermo Mínguez; Lorusso, Giulia; Evangelisti, Marco; Coronado, Eugenio

    2015-09-28

    Layered gadolinium hydroxides have revealed to be excellent candidates for cryogenic magnetic refrigeration. These materials behave as pure 2D magnetic systems with a Heisenberg-Ising critical crossover, induced by dipolar interactions. This 2D character and the possibility offered by these materials to be delaminated open the possibility of rapid heat dissipation upon substrate deposition.

  17. Synthesis and characterization of protocatechuic acid-loaded gadolinium-layered double hydroxide and gold nanocomposite for theranostic application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Usman, Muhammad Sani; Hussein, Mohd Zobir; Kura, Aminu Umar; Fakurazi, Sharida; Masarudin, Mas Jaffri; Saad, Fathinul Fikri Ahmad

    2018-03-01

    A theranostic nanocomposite was developed using anticancer agent, protocatechuic acid (PA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent gadolinium nitrate (Gd) for simultaneous delivery using layered double hydroxide (LDH) as the delivery agent. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were adsorbed on the surface of the LDH, which served as a complementary contrast agent. Based on the concept of supramolecular chemistry (SPC) and multimodal delivery system (MDS), the PA and Gd guests were first intercalated into the LDH host and subsequently AuNPs were surface adsorbed as the third guest. The nanohybrid developed was named MAPGAu. The MAPGAu was exposed to various characterizations at different stages of synthesis, starting with XRD analysis, which was used to confirm the intercalation episode and surface adsorption of the guest molecules. Consequently, FESEM, Hi-TEM, XRD, ICP-OES, CHNS, FTIR and UV-Vis analyses were done on the nanohybrids. The result of XRD analysis indicated successful intercalation of the Gd and PA as well the adsorption of AuNPs. The UV-Vis release study showed 90% of the intercalated drug was released at pH 4.8, which is the pH of the cancer cells. The FESEM and TEM micrographs obtained equally confirmed the formation of MAGPAu nanocomposite, with AuNPs conspicuously deposited on the LDH surface. The cytotoxicity study of the nanohybrid also showed insignificant toxicity to normal cell lines and significant toxicity to cancer cell lines. The developed MAGPAu nanocomposite has shown prospects for future theranostic cancer treatment.

  18. Gd-doped BNNTs as T2-weighted MRI contrast agents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ciofani, Gianni; Boni, Adriano; Calucci, Lucia; Forte, Claudia; Gozzi, Alessandro; Mazzolai, Barbara; Mattoli, Virgilio

    2013-08-01

    This work describes, for the first time, doping of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) with gadolinium (Gd@BNNTs), a stable functionalization that permits non-invasive BNNT tracking via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We report the structure, Gd loading, and relaxometric properties in water suspension at 7 T of Gd@BNNTs, and show the behaviour of these nanostructures as promising T2-weighted contrast agents. Finally, we demonstrate their complete biocompatibility in vitro on human neuroblastoma cells, together with their ability to effectively label and affect contrast in MRI images at 7 T.

  19. Gadolinium-148 and other spallation production cross section measurements for accelerator target facilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kelley, Karen Corzine

    At the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center accelerator complex, protons are accelerated to 800 MeV and directed to two tungsten targets, Target 4 at the Weapons Neutron Research facility and the 1L target at the Lujan Center. The Department of Energy requires hazard classification analyses to be performed on these targets and places limits on certain radionuclide inventories in the targets to avoid characterizing the facilities as "nuclear facilities." Gadolinium-148 is a radionuclide created from the spallation of tungsten. Allowed isotopic inventories are particularly low for this isotope because it is an alpha-particle emitter with a 75-year half-life. The activity level of Gadolinium-148 is low, but it encompasses almost two-thirds of the total dose burden for the two tungsten targets based on present yield estimates. From a hazard classification standpoint, this severely limits the lifetime of these tungsten targets. The cross section is not well-established experimentally and this is the motivation for measuring the Gadolinium-148 production cross section from tungsten. In a series of experiments at the Weapons Neutron Research facility, Gadolinium-148 production was measured for 600- and 800-MeV protons on tungsten, tantalum, and gold. These experiments used 3 mum thin tungsten, tantalum, and gold foils and 10 mum thin aluminum activation foils. In addition, spallation yields were determined for many short-lived and long-lived spallation products with these foils using gamma and alpha spectroscopy and compared with predictions of the Los Alamos National Laboratory codes CEM2k+GEM2 and MCNPX. The cumulative Gadolinium-148 production cross section measured from tantalum, tungsten, and gold for incident 600-MeV protons were 15.2 +/- 4.0, 8.31 +/- 0.92, and 0.591 +/- 0.155, respectively. The average production cross sections measured at 800 MeV were 28.6 +/- 3.5, 19.4 +/- 1.8, and 3.69 +/- 0.50 for tantalum, tungsten, and gold, respectively. These cumulative

  20. Gadolinium-Doped Gallic Acid-Zinc/Aluminium-Layered Double Hydroxide/Gold Theranostic Nanoparticles for a Bimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Drug Delivery System.

    PubMed

    Sani Usman, Muhammad; Hussein, Mohd Zobir; Fakurazi, Sharida; Masarudin, Mas Jaffri; Ahmad Saad, Fathinul Fikri

    2017-08-31

    We have developed gadolinium-based theranostic nanoparticles for co-delivery of drug and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent using Zn/Al-layered double hydroxide as the nanocarrier platform, a naturally occurring phenolic compound, gallic acid (GA) as therapeutic agent, and Gd(NO₃)₃ as diagnostic agent. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were grown on the system to support the contrast for MRI imaging. The nanoparticles were characterized using techniques such as Hi-TEM, XRD, ICP-ES. Kinetic release study of the GA from the nanoparticles showed about 70% of GA was released over a period of 72 h. The in vitro cell viability test for the nanoparticles showed relatively low toxicity to human cell lines (3T3) and improved toxicity on cancerous cell lines (HepG2). A preliminary contrast property test of the nanoparticles, tested on a 3 Tesla MRI machine at various concentrations of GAGZAu and water (as a reference) indicates that the nanoparticles have a promising dual diagnostic and therapeutic features to further develop a better future for clinical remedy for cancer treatment.

  1. Gadolinium-Doped Gallic Acid-Zinc/Aluminium-Layered Double Hydroxide/Gold Theranostic Nanoparticles for a Bimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Drug Delivery System

    PubMed Central

    Sani Usman, Muhammad; Hussein, Mohd Zobir; Fakurazi, Sharida; Ahmad Saad, Fathinul Fikri

    2017-01-01

    We have developed gadolinium-based theranostic nanoparticles for co-delivery of drug and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent using Zn/Al-layered double hydroxide as the nanocarrier platform, a naturally occurring phenolic compound, gallic acid (GA) as therapeutic agent, and Gd(NO3)3 as diagnostic agent. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were grown on the system to support the contrast for MRI imaging. The nanoparticles were characterized using techniques such as Hi-TEM, XRD, ICP-ES. Kinetic release study of the GA from the nanoparticles showed about 70% of GA was released over a period of 72 h. The in vitro cell viability test for the nanoparticles showed relatively low toxicity to human cell lines (3T3) and improved toxicity on cancerous cell lines (HepG2). A preliminary contrast property test of the nanoparticles, tested on a 3 Tesla MRI machine at various concentrations of GAGZAu and water (as a reference) indicates that the nanoparticles have a promising dual diagnostic and therapeutic features to further develop a better future for clinical remedy for cancer treatment. PMID:28858229

  2. The magnetic, relaxometric, and optical properties of gadolinium-catalyzed single walled carbon nanotubes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sitharaman, Balaji; Jacobson, Barry D.; Wadghiri, Youssef Z.; Bryant, Henry; Frank, Joseph

    2013-04-01

    We report the magnetic behavior, relaxometry, phantom magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and near-infrared (NIR) photoluminescence spectroscopy of gadolinium (Gd) catalyzed single-walled carbon nanotubes (Gd-SWCNTs). Gd-SWCNTs are paramagnetic with an effective magnetic moment of 7.29 μB. Gd-SWCNT solutions show high r1 and r2 relaxivities at very low (0.01 MHz) to clinically relevant (61 MHz) magnetic fields (r1 ≥ 130 mM-1 s-1, r2 ≥ 160 mM-1 s-1). Analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance dispersion profiles using Solomon, Bloembergen, and Morgan equations suggests that multiple structural and dynamic parameters such as rotational correlation time τR, rate of water exchange τM, and the number of fast-exchanging water molecules within the inner sphere q may be responsible for the increase in r1 and r2 relaxivity. The T1 weighted MRI signal intensity (gradient echo sequence; repetition time (TR) = 66 ms, echo time (TE) = 3 ms, flop angle = 108°) of Gd-SWCNT phantom solution is 14 times greater than the Gd-based clinical MRI contrast agent Magnevist. Additionally, these nanotubes exhibit near infrared fluorescence with distinct E11 transitions of several semiconducting SWCNTs. Taken together, these results demonstrate that Gd-SWCNTs have potential as a novel, highly efficacious, multimodal MRI-NIR optical imaging contrast agent.

  3. A highly stable gadolinium complex with a fast, associative mechanism of water exchange.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Marlon K; Botta, Mauro; Nicolle, Gaëlle; Helm, Lothar; Aime, Silvio; Merbach, André E; Raymond, Kenneth N

    2003-11-26

    The stability and water exchange dynamics of gadolinium (GdIII) complexes are critical characteristics that determine their effectiveness as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A new heteropodal GdIII chelate, [Gd-TREN-bis(6-Me-HOPO)-(TAM-TRI)(H2O)2] (Gd-2), is presented which is based on a hydroxypyridinate (HOPO)-terephthalamide (TAM) ligand design. Thermodynamic equilibrium constants for the acid-base properties and the GdIII complexation strength of TREN-bis(6-Me-HOPO)-(TAM-TRI) (2) were measured by potentiometric and spectrophotometric titration techniques, respectively. The pGd of 2 is 20.6 (pH 7.4, 25 degrees C, I = 0.1 M), indicating that Gd-2 is of more than sufficient thermodynamic stability for in vivo MRI applications. The water exchange rate of Gd-2 (kex = 5.3(+/-0.6) x 107 s-1) was determined by variable temperature 17O NMR and is in the fast exchange regime - ideal for MRI. Variable pressure 17O NMR was used to determine the volume of activation (DeltaV) of Gd-2. DeltaV for Gd-2 is -5 cm3 mol-1, indicative of an interchange associative (Ia) water exchange mechanism. The results reported herein are important as they provide insight into the factors influencing high stability and fast water exchange in the HOPO series of complexes, potentially future clinical contrast agents.

  4. MRI contrast agent for targeting glioma: interleukin-13 labeled liposome encapsulating gadolinium-DTPA.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xiaoli; Madhankumar, Achuthamangalam B; Miller, Patti A; Duck, Kari A; Hafenstein, Susan; Rizk, Elias; Slagle-Webb, Becky; Sheehan, Jonas M; Connor, James R; Yang, Qing X

    2016-05-01

    Detection of glioma with MRI contrast agent is limited to cases in which the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is compromised as contrast agents cannot cross the BBB. Thus, an early-stage infiltrating tumor is not detectable. Interleukin-13 receptor alpha 2 (IL-13Rα2), which has been shown to be overexpressed in glioma, can be used as a target moiety. We hypothesized that liposomes conjugated with IL-13 and encapsulating MRI contrast agent are capable of passing through an intact BBB and producing MRI contrast with greater sensitivity. The targeted MRI contrast agent was created by encapsulating Magnevist (Gd-DTPA) into liposomes conjugated with IL-13 and characterized by particle size distribution, cytotoxicity, and MRI relaxivity. MR image intensity was evaluated in the brain in normal mice post injection of Gd-DTPA and IL-13-liposome-Gd-DTPA one day apart. The specificity for glioma detection by IL-13-liposome-Gd-DTPA was demonstrated in an intracranial glioma mouse model and validated histologically. The average size of IL-13-liposome-Gd-DTPA was 137 ± 43 nm with relaxivity of 4.0 ± 0.4 L/mmole-s at 7 Tesla. No significant cytotoxicity was observed with MTS assay and serum chemistry in mice. The MRI signal intensity was enhanced up to 15% post injection of IL-13-liposome-Gd-DTPA in normal brain tissue following a similar time course as that for the pituitary gland outside of the BBB. MRI enhanced by IL-13-liposome-Gd-DTPA detected small tumor masses in addition to those seen with Magnevist-enhanced MRI. IL-13-liposome-Gd-DTPA is able to pass through the uncompromised BBB and detect an early stage glioma that cannot be seen with conventional contrast-enhanced MRI. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. Highly stabilized gadolinium chelates functionalized on metal nanoparticles as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siddiqui, Talha S.

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive method for imaging and diagnosing tissue damage, organ function and the vascular system. Magnevist(TM) a complex of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and Gd3+ is a clinically approved contrast agent for MRI. A derivative of DTPA was formed by the addition of two cysteine groups (DTPA-L-Cys) through amide linkage. The Gd complex of this ligand bonds with the silver surfaces through the cysteine thiols. GdDTPA-L-Cys was bound to ˜10nm diameter Ag nanoparticles for use as a multifunctional MRI contrast agent. The ligand and complex were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, ESI-MS and IR spectroscopy. The silver construct was characterized by TEM, TGA and UV-Vis absorption spectra. The per metal complex r1 relaxivity of GdDTPA-L-Cys{Ag} greater than that of Magnavist(TM) with the same molarity for both compounds. The synthesis of a DTPA derivative is described that allows it to bind to silver or gold nanoparticles through a single thiol linkage (DTPASH). The resulting Gd complex, GdDTPASH, was bound to Ag nanoparticles to create a single monolayer on the surface. The construct was further stabilized in buffered solution with the addition of a thiolated PEG chain. The highly stabilized nanoparticle construct delivers a high payload of Gd compelex and is an effective T1 brightening agent. The production of this type of construct opens the way for engineered multimodal MRI contrast agents.

  6. Application of High-Resolution Magic-Angle Spinning NMR Spectroscopy to Define the Cell Uptake of MRI Contrast Agents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Calabi, Luisella; Alfieri, Goffredo; Biondi, Luca; De Miranda, Mario; Paleari, Lino; Ghelli, Stefano

    2002-06-01

    A new method, based on proton high-resolution magic-angle spinning ( 1H HR-MAS) NMR spectroscopy, has been employed to study the cell uptake of magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents (MRI-CAs). The method was tested on human red blood cells (HRBC) and white blood cells (HWBC) by using three gadolinium complexes, widely used in diagnostics, Gd-BOPTA, Gd-DTPA, and Gd-DOTA, and the analogous complexes obtained by replacing Gd(III) with Dy(III), Nd(III), and Tb(III) (i.e., complexes isostructural to the ones of gadolinium but acting as shift agents). The method is based on the evaluation of the magnetic effects, line broadening, or induced lanthanide shift (LIS) caused by these complexes on NMR signals of intra- and extracellular water. Since magnetic effects are directly linked to permeability, this method is direct. In all the tests, these magnetic effects were detected for the extracellular water signal only, providing a direct proof that these complexes are not able to cross the cell membrane. Line broadening effects (i.e., the use of gadolinium complexes) only allow qualitative evaluations. On the contrary, LIS effects can be measured with high precision and they can be related to the concentration of the paramagnetic species in the cellular compartments. This is possible because the HR-MAS technique provides the complete elimination of bulk magnetic susceptibility (BMS) shift and the differentiation of extra- and intracellular water signals. Thus with this method, the rapid quantification of the MRI-CA amount inside and outside the cells is actually feasible.

  7. Induction of sister chromatid exchange in the presence of gadolinium-DTPA and its reduction by dimethyl sulfoxide

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yamazaki, Etsuo; Fukuda, Hozumi; Shibuya, Hitoshi

    The authors investigate the frequency of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) after the addition of gadolinium (Gd)-DTPA to venous blood samples. Venous blood was obtained from nonsmokers. Samples were incubated with Gd-DTPA alone or in combination with mitomycin C, cytarabine, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and then evaluated for SCEs. The frequency of SCE increased with the concentration of Gd-DTPA and as each chemotherapeutic agent was added. Sister chromatid exchange frequencies were lower when the blood was treated with a combination of Gd-DTPA and DMSO compared with Gd-DTPA alone. The increase in frequency of SCE seen after the addition of Gd-DTPA wasmore » decreased by the addition of DMSO, indicating the production of hydroxyl radicals. The effect likely is dissociation-related. 14 refs., 6 tabs.« less

  8. Nanoengineered multimodal contrast agent for medical image guidance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perkins, Gregory J.; Zheng, Jinzi; Brock, Kristy; Allen, Christine; Jaffray, David A.

    2005-04-01

    Multimodality imaging has gained momentum in radiation therapy planning and image-guided treatment delivery. Specifically, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging are two complementary imaging modalities often utilized in radiation therapy for visualization of anatomical structures for tumour delineation and accurate registration of image data sets for volumetric dose calculation. The development of a multimodal contrast agent for CT and MR with prolonged in vivo residence time would provide long-lasting spatial and temporal correspondence of the anatomical features of interest, and therefore facilitate multimodal image registration, treatment planning and delivery. The multimodal contrast agent investigated consists of nano-sized stealth liposomes encapsulating conventional iodine and gadolinium-based contrast agents. The average loading achieved was 33.5 +/- 7.1 mg/mL of iodine for iohexol and 9.8 +/- 2.0 mg/mL of gadolinium for gadoteridol. The average liposome diameter was 46.2 +/- 13.5 nm. The system was found to be stable in physiological buffer over a 15-day period, releasing 11.9 +/- 1.1% and 11.2 +/- 0.9% of the total amounts of iohexol and gadoteridol loaded, respectively. 200 minutes following in vivo administration, the contrast agent maintained a relative contrast enhancement of 81.4 +/- 13.05 differential Hounsfield units (ΔHU) in CT (40% decrease from the peak signal value achieved 3 minutes post-injection) and 731.9 +/- 144.2 differential signal intensity (ΔSI) in MR (46% decrease from the peak signal value achieved 3 minutes post-injection) in the blood (aorta), a relative contrast enhancement of 38.0 +/- 5.1 ΔHU (42% decrease from the peak signal value achieved 3 minutes post-injection) and 178.6 +/- 41.4 ΔSI (62% decrease from the peak signal value achieved 3 minutes post-injection) in the liver (parenchyma), a relative contrast enhancement of 9.1 +/- 1.7 ΔHU (94% decrease from the peak signal value achieved 3 minutes

  9. The network formers role of gadolinium(III) ions in some zinc-borate glass ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bosca, Maria; Pop, Lidia; Pascuta, Petru

    2017-12-01

    EPR and magnetic susceptibility measurements were performed on glass ceramics from the (Gd2O3)x.(B2O3)(60-x).(ZnO)40 system, with 0 ≤ x ≤ 15 mol%, in order to determine the role of gadolinium ions on structural and magnetic properties. At low Gd2O3 contents (x ≤ 1 mol%) the EPR spectra show four resonance lines with effective g-values of ˜ 6, 4.8, 2.8 and 2, typical for Gd3+ ions uniformly distributed in the glass and glass ceramic samples. For higher contents of gadolinium ions (x ≥ 3 mol%) the EPR spectra are dominated by a single broad line centered at g ˜ 2, which can be due to the magnetic clusters containing Gd3+ ions. The magnetic susceptibility data show that the gadolinium ions are involved in superexchange interactions in all the investigated glass ceramics, being antiferromagnetically coupled.

  10. Magnetization reversal and inverted magnetoresistance of exchange-biased spin valves with a gadolinium layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Milyaev, M.; Naumova, L.; Chernyshova, T.; Proglyado, V.; Kamensky, I.; Krinitsina, T.; Ryabukhina, M.; Ustinov, V.

    2017-03-01

    FeMn-based spin valves with a gadolinium layer have been fabricated by magnetron sputtering. The magnetoresistive properties of the spin valves have been investigated at temperatures of 80-293 K. Temperature-induced switching between low- and high-resistance magnetic states has been revealed. Realization of the low- or high-resistance states depends on which magnetic moment dominates in the exchange-coupled Gd/CoFe, of Gd or CoFe. It has been shown that the switching temperature depends on the thickness of the gadolinium layer.

  11. Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents in Kidney Disease: Comprehensive Review and Clinical Practice Guideline Issued by the Canadian Association of Radiologists.

    PubMed

    Schieda, Nicola; Blaichman, Jason I; Costa, Andreu F; Glikstein, Rafael; Hurrell, Casey; James, Matthew; Jabehdar Maralani, Pejman; Shabana, Wael; Tang, An; Tsampalieros, Anne; van der Pol, Christian; Hiremath, Swapnil

    2018-05-01

    Use of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) in renal impairment is controversial, with physician and patient apprehension in acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and dialysis because of concerns regarding nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). The position that GBCAs are absolutely contraindicated in AKI, CKD stage 4 or 5 (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] <30 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) and dialysis-dependent patients is outdated, and may limit access to clinically necessary contrast-enhanced MRI examinations. Following a comprehensive review of the literature and reported NSF cases to date, a committee of radiologists and nephrologists developed clinical practice guidelines to assist physicians in making decisions regarding GBCA administrations. In patients with mild-to-moderate CKD (eGFR ≥30 and <60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ), administration of standard doses of GBCA is safe and no additional precautions are necessary. In patients with AKI, with severe CKD (eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ), or on dialysis, administration of GBCAs should be considered individually and alternative imaging modalities utilized whenever possible. If GBCAs are necessary, newer GBCAs may be administered with patient consent obtained by a physician (or their delegate), citing an exceedingly low risk (much less than 1%) of developing NSF. Standard GBCA dosing should be used; half or quarter dosing is not recommended and repeat injections should be avoided. Dialysis-dependent patients should receive dialysis; however, initiating dialysis or switching from peritoneal to hemodialysis to reduce the risk of NSF is unproven. Use of a macrocyclic ionic instead of macrocyclic nonionic GBCA or macrocyclic instead of newer linear GBCA to further prevent NSF is unproven. Gadopentetate dimeglumine, gadodiamide, and gadoversetamide remain absolutely contraindicated in patients with AKI, with stage 4 or 5 CKD, or on dialysis. The panel agreed that screening for renal disease is

  12. Engineered gadolinium-doped carbon dots for magnetic resonance imaging-guided radiotherapy of tumors.

    PubMed

    Du, Fengyi; Zhang, Lirong; Zhang, Li; Zhang, Miaomiao; Gong, Aihua; Tan, Youwen; Miao, Jiawen; Gong, Yuhua; Sun, Mingzhong; Ju, Huixiang; Wu, Chaoyang; Zou, Shenqiang

    2017-03-01

    The effectiveness of radiotherapy can decrease due to inaccurate positioning of machinery and inherent radioresistance of tumors. To address this issue, we present a novel theranostic nanoplatform based on gadolinium-doped carbon dots (Gd-doped CDs) designed specifically for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided radiotherapy of tumors. The Gd-doped CDs (∼18 nm) with dispersibility in water and stable photoluminescence were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal approach. After tail vein injection of the Gd-doped CDs, they exhibited a relatively long circulation time (∼6 h), enabled efficient passive tumor targeting. Gd-doped CDs accumulate in the kidney and could be cleared out of the body from bladder. Importantly, they exhibited favorable biocompatibility with excellent performance in longitudinal relaxivity rate (r 1 ) of 6.45 mM -1 S -1 and radiosensitization enhancements. These results show that Gd-doped CDs are excellent T 1 contrast agents and radiosensitizers, possessing great promise for MRI-guided radiotherapy of tumors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Nanoparticles in magnetic resonance imaging: from simple to dual contrast agents

    PubMed Central

    Estelrich, Joan; Sánchez-Martín, María Jesús; Busquets, Maria Antònia

    2015-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become one of the most widely used and powerful tools for noninvasive clinical diagnosis owing to its high degree of soft tissue contrast, spatial resolution, and depth of penetration. MRI signal intensity is related to the relaxation times (T1, spin–lattice relaxation and T2, spin–spin relaxation) of in vivo water protons. To increase contrast, various inorganic nanoparticles and complexes (the so-called contrast agents) are administered prior to the scanning. Shortening T1 and T2 increases the corresponding relaxation rates, 1/T1 and 1/T2, producing hyperintense and hypointense signals respectively in shorter times. Moreover, the signal-to-noise ratio can be improved with the acquisition of a large number of measurements. The contrast agents used are generally based on either iron oxide nanoparticles or ferrites, providing negative contrast in T2-weighted images; or complexes of lanthanide metals (mostly containing gadolinium ions), providing positive contrast in T1-weighted images. Recently, lanthanide complexes have been immobilized in nanostructured materials in order to develop a new class of contrast agents with functions including blood-pool and organ (or tumor) targeting. Meanwhile, to overcome the limitations of individual imaging modalities, multimodal imaging techniques have been developed. An important challenge is to design all-in-one contrast agents that can be detected by multimodal techniques. Magnetoliposomes are efficient multimodal contrast agents. They can simultaneously bear both kinds of contrast and can, furthermore, incorporate targeting ligands and chains of polyethylene glycol to enhance the accumulation of nanoparticles at the site of interest and the bioavailability, respectively. Here, we review the most important characteristics of the nanoparticles or complexes used as MRI contrast agents. PMID:25834422

  14. Gadolinium-labeled dendronized gold nanoparticles as new targeted MRI contrast agent

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pan, Hongmu; Daniel, Marie-Christine

    2010-04-01

    Early diagnosis is critical for positive outcome of cancer treatments. In many cases, lives would be saved if the tumor could be detected at a very early stage. Nanoparticles have the property of passively targeting tumor sites due to their enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effect. Thus they can play a critical role in improving the ability to find cancer in its earliest and most treatable stages. Furthermore magnetic resonance imaging is one of the most precise techniques for cancer screening since it can show 3D images of the tumors. For a better enhancement of the sensitivity of this method, MRI contrast agent (DOTA)Gd was attached to poly(propylene imine) dendrons of third generation and the obtained dendrons were used for modification of gold nanoparticles.

  15. Gadolinium prevents high airway pressure-induced permeability increases in isolated rat lungs.

    PubMed

    Parker, J C; Ivey, C L; Tucker, J A

    1998-04-01

    To determine the initial signaling event in the vascular permeability increase after high airway pressure injury, we compared groups of lungs ventilated at different peak inflation pressures (PIPs) with (gadolinium group) and without (control group) infusion of 20 microM gadolinium chloride, an inhibitor of endothelial stretch-activated cation channels. Microvascular permeability was assessed by using the capillary filtration coefficient (Kfc), a measure of capillary hydraulic conductivity. Kfc was measured after ventilation for 30-min periods with 7, 20, and 30 cmH2O PIP with 3 cmH2O positive end-expiratory pressure and with 35 cmH2O PIP with 8 cmH2O positive end-expiratory pressure. In control lungs, Kfc increased significantly to 1.8 and 3.7 times baseline after 30 and 35 cmH2O PIP, respectively. In the gadolinium group, Kfc was unchanged from baseline (0.060 +/- 0.010 ml . min-1 . cmH2O-1 . 100 g-1) after any PIP ventilation period. Pulmonary vascular resistance increased significantly from baseline in both groups before the last Kfc measurement but was not different between groups. These results suggest that microvascular permeability is actively modulated by a cellular response to mechanical injury and that stretch-activated cation channels may initiate this response through increases in intracellular calcium concentration.

  16. Direct comparison of intra-articular versus intravenous delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of hip joint cartilage.

    PubMed

    Zilkens, Christoph; Miese, Falk; Kim, Young-Jo; Jäger, Marcus; Mamisch, Tallal C; Hosalkar, Harish; Antoch, Gerald; Krauspe, Rüdiger; Bittersohl, Bernd

    2014-01-01

    To investigate the potential of delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in cartilage (dGEMRIC) after intra-articular (ia) contrast agent administration at 3 Tesla (T), a paired study comparing intravenous (iv) dGEMRIC (standard) with ia-dGEMRIC was performed. Thirty-five symptomatic patients with suspected cartilage damage underwent ia- and iv-dGEMRIC. MRI was performed with a 3T system wherein the interval between both measurements was 2 weeks. For iv-dGEMRIC, FDA approved Gd-DOTA(-) was injected intravenously 45 min before the MRI scan. For ia-dGEMRIC, 10-20 mL of a 2 mM solution of Gd- DOTA(-) was injected under fluoroscopic guidance 30 min before the MRI scan. Both ia- and iv-dGEMRIC demonstrated the typical T1Gd pattern in hip joint cartilage with increasing values toward the superior regions in acetabular cartilage reflecting the higher glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content in the main weight-bearing area. Correlation analysis revealed a moderate correlation between both techniques (r = 0.439, P-value < 0.001), whereas the T1Gd values for iv-dGEMRIC were significantly higher than those for ia-dGEMRIC. This corresponds with the Bland-Altman plot analysis, which revealed a systemic bias (higher T1Gd values after iv gadolinium application) of ∼70 ms. Ia-dGEMRIC was able to reveal the characteristic T1Gd pattern in hip joint cartilage confirming the sensitivity of ia-dGEMRIC for GAG. In addition, there was a significant correlation between iv-dGEMRIC and ia-dGEMRIC. However, the T1Gd values after ia contrast media application were significantly lower than those after iv application that has to be considered for future studies. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. MO-FG-BRA-07: Theranostic Gadolinium-Based AGuIX Nanoparticles for MRI-Guided Radiation Therapy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Detappe, A; Institut Lumiere-Matiere, Villeurbanne; Nano-H, St-Quentin Fallavier

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: AGuIX are gadolinium-based nanoparticles, initially developed for MRI, that have a potential role in radiation therapy as a radiosensitizer. Our goal is to demonstrate that these nanoparticles can both be used as an MRI contrast agent, as well as to obtain local dose enhancement in a pancreatic tumor when delivered in combination with an external beam irradiation. Methods: We performed in vitro cell uptake and radiosensitization studies of a pancreatic cancer cell line in a low energy (220kVp) beam, a standard clinical 6MV beam (STD) and a flattening filter free clinical 6MV beam (FFF). After injection of 40mM ofmore » nanoparticles, a biodistribution study was performed in vivo on mice with subcutaneous xenograft pancreatic tumors. In vivo radiation therapy studies were performed at the time point of maximum tumor uptake. Results: The concentration of AGuIX nanoparticles in Panc-1 pancreatic cancer cells, determined in vitro by MRI and ICPMS, peaks after 30 minutes with 0.3% of the initial concentration (5mg/g). Clonogenic assays show a significant effect (p<0.05) when the AGuIX are coupled with MV photon irradiation (DEF20%=1.31). Similar AGuIX tumor uptake is found in vivo by both MRI and ICPMS 30 minutes after intravenous injection. For long term survival studies, the choice of the radiation dose is determined with 5 control groups (3mice/group) irradiated with 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20Gy. Afterwards, 4 groups (8mice/group) are used to evaluate the effect of the nanoparticles. A Logrank test is performed as a statistical test to evaluate the effect of the nanoparticles. Conclusion: The combination of the MRI contrast and radiosensitization properties of gadolinium nanoparticles reveals a strong potential for usage with MRI-guided radiation therapy.« less

  18. Lectin conjugates as biospecific contrast agents for MRI. Coupling of Lycopersicon esculentum agglutinin to linear water-soluble DTPA-loaded oligomers.

    PubMed

    Pashkunova-Martic, Irena; Kremser, Christian; Galanski, Markus; Schluga, Petra; Arion, Vladimir; Debbage, Paul; Jaschke, Werner; Keppler, Bernhard

    2011-06-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) requires synthesis of contrast media bearing targeting groups and numerous gadolinium chelating groups generating high relaxivity. This paper explores the results of linking the gadolinium chelates to the targeting group, a protein molecule, via various types of linkers. Polycondensates of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) with either diols or diamines were synthesised and coupled to the targeting group, a lectin (Lycopersicon esculentum agglutinin, tomato lectin) which binds with high affinity to specific oligosaccharide configurations in the endothelial glycocalyx. The polycondensates bear up to four carboxylic groups per constitutive unit. Gd-chelate bonds are created through dative interactions with the unshared pair of electrons on each oxygen and nitrogen atom on DTPA. This is mandatory for complexation of Gd(III) and avoidance of the severe toxicity of free gadolinium ions. The polymer-DTPA compounds were characterised by (1)H NMR and mass spectrometry. The final lectin-DTPA-polycondensate conjugates were purified by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). The capacity for specific binding was assessed, and the MRI properties were examined in order to evaluate the use of these oligomers as components of selective perfusional contrast agents.

  19. Helium defectoscopy of cerium gadolinium ceramics Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9 with a submicrocrystalline structure in the impurity disorder region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koromyslov, A. V.; Zhiganov, A. N.; Kovalenko, M. A.; Kupryazhkin, A. Ya.

    2013-12-01

    The concentration of impurity anion vacancies formed upon the dissociation of gadolinium-vacancy complexes has been determined using helium defectoscopy of the cerium gadolinium ceramics Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9 with a submicrocrystalline structure in the temperature range T = 740-1123 K and at saturation pressures ranging from 0.05 to 15 MPa. It has been found that the energy of dissociation of gadoliniumvacancy complexes is E {eff/ D }= 0.26 ± 0.06 eV, and the energy of dissolution of helium in anion vacancies in the impurity disorder region is E P = -0.31 ± 0.09 eV. The proposed mechanism of dissolution has been confirmed by the investigation of the electrical conductivity of the cerium gadolinium ceramics, as well as by the high-speed molecular dynamics simulation of the dissociation of gadolinium-vacancy complexes. It has been assumed that a decrease in the effective dissolution energy in comparison with the results of the previously performed low-temperature investigations is caused by the mutual repulsion of vacancies formed upon the dissociation of gadolinium-vacancy complexes in highly concentrated solutions of gadolinium in CeO2 with increasing temperature.

  20. Light deflection in gadolinium molybdate ferroelastic crystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Staniorowski, Piotr; Bornarel, Jean

    2000-02-01

    The deflection of a He-Ne light beam by polydomain gadolinium molybdate (GMO) crystals has been studied with respect to incidence angle icons/Journals/Common/alpha" ALT="alpha" ALIGN="TOP"/> i on the sample at room temperature. The A and B deflected beams do not cross each other during the icons/Journals/Common/alpha" ALT="alpha" ALIGN="TOP"/> i variation, in contrast to results and calculations previously published. The model using the Fresnel equation confirms this result. The model presented is more accurate for numerical calculation than that using the Huygens construction.

  1. Influence of acquired obesity on coronary vessel wall late gadolinium enhancement in discordant monozygote twins.

    PubMed

    Makowski, Marcus R; Jansen, Christian H P; Ebersberger, Ullrich; Schaeffter, Tobias; Razavi, Reza; Mangino, Massimo; Spector, Tim D; Botnar, Rene M; Greil, Gerald F

    2017-11-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of BMI on late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) of the coronary artery wall in identical monozygous twins discordant for BMI. Coronary LGE represents a useful parameter for the detection and quantification of atherosclerotic coronary vessel wall disease. Thirteen monozygote female twin pairs (n = 26) with significantly different BMIs (>1.6 kg/m2) were recruited out of >10,000 twin pairs (TwinsUK Registry). A coronary 3D-T2prep-TFE MR angiogram and 3D-IR-TFE vessel wall scan were performed prior to and following the administration of 0.2 mmol/kg of Gd-DTPA on a 1.5 T MR scanner. The number of enhancing coronary segments and contrast to noise ratios (CNRs) of the coronary wall were quantified. An increase in BMI was associated with an increased number of enhancing coronary segments (5.3 ± 1.5 vs. 3.5 ± 1.6, p < 0.0001) and increased coronary wall enhancement (6.1 ± 1.1 vs. 4.8 ± 0.9, p = 0.0027) compared to matched twins with lower BMI. This study in monozygous twins indicates that acquired factors predisposing to obesity, including lifestyle and environmental factors, result in increased LGE of the coronary arteries, potentially reflecting an increase in coronary atherosclerosis in this female study population. • BMI-discordant twins allow the investigation of the influence of lifestyle factors independent from genetic confounders. • Only thirteen obesity-discordant twins were identified underlining the strong genetic component of BMI. • In female twins, a BMI increase is associated with increased coronary late gadolinium enhancement. • Increased late gadolinium enhancement in the coronary vessel wall potentially reflects increased atherosclerosis.

  2. Synthesis of Tumor-avid Photosensitizer-Gd(III)DTPA conjugates: impact of the number of gadolinium units in T1/T2 relaxivity, intracellular localization, and photosensitizing efficacy.

    PubMed

    Goswami, Lalit N; White, William H; Spernyak, Joseph A; Ethirajan, Manivannan; Chen, Yihui; Missert, Joseph R; Morgan, Janet; Mazurchuk, Richard; Pandey, Ravindra K

    2010-05-19

    To develop novel bifunctional agents for tumor imaging (MR) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), certain tumor-avid photosensitizers derived from chlorophyll-a were conjugated with variable number of Gd(III)aminobenzyl DTPA moieties. All the conjugates containing three or six gadolinium units showed significant T(1) and T(2) relaxivities. However, as a bifunctional agent, the 3-(1'-hexyloxyethyl)pyropheophorbide-a (HPPH) containing 3Gd(III) aminophenyl DTPA was most promising with possible applications in tumor-imaging and PDT. Compared to HPPH, the corresponding 3- and 6Gd(III)aminobenzyl DTPA conjugates exhibited similar electronic absorption characteristics with a slightly decreased intensity of the absorption band at 660 nm. However, compared to HPPH, the excitation of the broad "Soret" band (near 400 nm) of the corresponding 3Gd(III)aminobenzyl-DTPA analogues showed a significant decrease in the fluorescence intensity at 667 nm.

  3. Effects of exposure to gadolinium on the development of geographically and phylogenetically distant sea urchins species.

    PubMed

    Martino, Chiara; Bonaventura, Rosa; Byrne, Maria; Roccheri, Maria; Matranga, Valeria

    2017-07-01

    Gadolinium (Gd), a metal of the lanthanide series used as contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging, is released into the aquatic environment. We investigated the effects of Gd on the development of four sea urchin species: two from Europe, Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula, and two from Australia, Heliocidaris tuberculata and Centrostephanus rodgersii. Exposure to Gd from fertilization resulted in inhibition or alteration of skeleton growth in the plutei. The similar morphological response to Gd in the four species indicates a similar mechanism underlying abnormal skeletogenesis. Sensitivity to Gd greatly varied, with the EC50 ranging from 56 nM to 132 μM across the four species. These different sensitivities highlight the importance of testing toxicity in several species for risk assessment. The strong negative effects of Gd on calcification in plutei, together with the plethora of marine species that have calcifying larvae, indicates that Gd pollution is urgent issue that needs to be addressed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Liver acquisition with acceleration volume acquisition gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance combined with T2 sequences in the diagnosis of local recurrence of rectal cancer.

    PubMed

    Cao, Wuteng; Li, Fangqian; Gong, Jiaying; Liu, Dechao; Deng, Yanhong; Kang, Liang; Zhou, Zhiyang

    2016-11-22

    To investigate the efficacy of liver acquisition with acceleration volume acquisition (LAVA) gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) sequences and to assess its added accuracy in diagnosing local recurrence (LR) of rectal cancer with conventional T2-weighted fast spin echo (FSE) sequences. Pelvic MRI, including T2-weighted FSE sequences, gadolinium-enhanced sequences of LAVA and T1-weighted FSE with fat suppression, was performed on 225 patients with postoperative rectal cancer. Two readers evaluated the presence of LR according to "T2" (T2 sequences only), "T2 + LAVA-Gad" (LAVA and T2 imaging), and "T2 + T1-fs-Gad" (T1 fat suppression-enhanced sequence with T2 images). To evaluate diagnostic efficiency, imaging quality with LAVA and T1-fs-Gad by subjective scores and the signal intensity (SI) ratio. In the result, the SI ratio of LAVA was significantly higher than that of T1-fs-Gad (p = 0.0001). The diagnostic efficiency of "T2 + LAVA-Gad" was better than that of "T2 + T1-fs-Gad" (p = 0.0016 for Reader 1, p = 0.0001 for Reader 2) and T2 imaging only (p = 0.0001 for Reader 1; p = 0.0001 for Reader 2). Therefore, LAVA gadolinium-enhanced MR increases the accuracy of diagnosis of LR from rectal cancer and could replace conventional T1 gadolinium-enhanced sequences in the postoperative pelvic follow-up of rectal cancer.

  5. A smart magnetic resonance contrast agent for selective copper sensing.

    PubMed

    Que, Emily L; Chang, Christopher J

    2006-12-20

    We describe the synthesis and properties of Copper-Gad-1 (CG1), a new type of smart magnetic resonance (MR) sensor for selective detection of copper. CG1 is composed of a gadolinium contrast agent core tethered to copper-selective recognition motif. Cu2+-induced modulation of inner-sphere water access to the Gd3+ center provides a sensing mechanism for reporting Cu2+ levels by reading out changes in longitudinal proton relaxivity values. CG1 features good selectivity for Cu2+ over abundant biological cations and a 41% increase in relaxivity upon Cu2+ binding and is capable of detecting micromolar changes in Cu2+ concentrations in aqueous media.

  6. Preclinical animal acute toxicity studies of new developed MRI contrast agent based on gadolinium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nam, I. F.; Zhuk, V. V.

    2015-04-01

    Acute toxicity test of new developed MRI contrast agent based on disodium salt of gadopentetic acid complex were carried out on Mus musculus and Sprague Dawley rats according to guidelines of preclinical studies [1]. Groups of six animals each were selected for experiment. Death and clinical symptoms of animals were recorded during 14 days. As a result the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for female mice is 2.8 mM/kg of body weight, male mice - 1.4 mM/kg, female rats - 2.8 mM/kg, male rats - 5.6 mM/kg of body weight. No Observed Adverse Effect Dose (NOAEL) for female mice is 1.4 mM/kg, male mice - 0.7 mM/kg, male and female rats - 0.7 mM/kg. According to experimental data new developed MRI contrast agent based on Gd-DTPA complex is low-toxic.

  7. Suppression of Rabbit VX‐2 Subcutaneous Tumor Growth by Gadolinium Neutron Capture Therapy

    PubMed Central

    Tokita, Nobuhiko; Tokuuye, Koichi; Satoh, Michinao; Churei, Hisahiko; Pechoux, Cécile Le; Kobayashi, Tooru; Kanda, Keiji

    1993-01-01

    VX‐2 tumors growing in hind legs of New Zealand White rabbits (n=4) were exposed to thermal neutrons for 40 min (2.1 × 1012 neutrons cm−2) while one of two hind leg tumors of each rabbit was infused continuously with meglumine gadopentetate through a branch of the left femoral artery. The contralateral (uninfused) tumors served as controls. Although no differential distribution of gadolinium was achieved between the tumor and its adjacent normal tissue, the gadolinium concentration in the infused tumor was approximately 5–6 fold higher than that in the contralateral tumor. Growth of gadolinium‐infused tumors was significantly inhibited compared to that of control tumors (P<0.05) between the 16th and 23rd days after treatment. PMID:8407547

  8. A first principles kinetic Monte Carlo investigation of the adsorption and mobility of gadolinium on the (100) surface of tungsten

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Samin, Adib J.; Zhang, Jinsuo

    2017-05-01

    An accurate characterization of lanthanide adsorption and mobility on tungsten surfaces is important for pyroprocessing. In the present study, the adsorption and diffusion of gadolinium on the (100) surface of tungsten was investigated. It was found that the hollow sites were the most energetically favorable for the adsorption. It was further observed that a magnetic moment was induced following the adsorption of gadolinium on the tungsten surface and that the system with adsorbed hollow sites had the largest magnetization. A pathway for the surface diffusion of gadolinium was determined to occur by hopping between the nearest neighbor hollow sites via the bridge site and the activation energy for the hop was calculated to be 0.75 eV. The surface diffusion process was further assessed using two distinct kinetic Monte Carlo models; one that accounted for lateral adsorbate interactions up to the second nearest neighbor and one that did not account for such interatomic interactions in the adlayer. When the lateral interactions were included in the simulations, the diffusivity was observed to have a strong dependence on coverage (for the coverage values being studied). The effects of lateral interactions were further observed in a one-dimensional simulation of the diffusion equation where the asymmetry in the surface coverage profile upon its approach to a steady state distribution was clear in comparison with the simulations which did not account for those interactions.

  9. Synthesis and evaluation of novel polysaccharide-Gd-DTPA compounds as contrast agent for MRI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Guoying; Feng, Jianghua; Jing, Fengying; Pei, Fengkui; Liu, Maili

    2003-09-01

    Macromolecular conjugates of two kinds of natural polysaccharides, that from Panax quinquefolium linn (PQPS) and Ganoderma applanatum pat (GAPS), with gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid (Gd-DTPA) have been synthesized and characterized by means of FTIR, elementary analysis and ICP-AES. Their stability was investigated by competition study with Ca 2+, EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) and DTPA. Polysaccharide-bound complexes exhibit T1 relaxivities of 1.5-1.7 times that of Gd-DTPA in D 2O at 25°C and 9.4 T. MR imaging of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats showed remarkable enhancement in rat liver and kidney after i.v. injection of these two complexes: liver parenchyma 60.9±5.6%, 57.8±7.4% at 65-85 min; kidney 144.9±14.5%, 199.9±25.4% at 10-30 min for PQPS-Gd-DTPA, GAPS-Gd-DTPA at gadolinium dose of 0.083 and 0.082 mmol/kg, respectively. Our preliminary in vivo and in vitro study indicates that the two kinds of polysaccharide-bound complexes are potential tissue-specific contrast agents for MRI.

  10. Regional convection-enhanced delivery of gadolinium-labeled albumin in the rat hippocampus in vivo.

    PubMed

    Astary, Garrett W; Kantorovich, Svetlana; Carney, Paul R; Mareci, Thomas H; Sarntinoranont, Malisa

    2010-03-15

    Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) has emerged as a promising method of targeted drug delivery for treating central nervous system (CNS) disorders, but the influence of brain structure on infusate distribution is unclear. We have utilized this approach to study extracellular transport and distribution of a contrast agent in the hippocampus, a complex structure susceptible to CNS disorders. The magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agent diethylene triamene penta-acetic acid chelated gadolinium-labeled albumin (Gd-albumin), tagged with Evans blue dye, was directly infused (V(i)=5 microl) into the dorsal and ventral hippocampus of seven male Sprague-Dawley rats. The final distribution profile of the contrast agent, a product of CED and limited diffusion, was observed in vivo using high-resolution T1-weighted MR imaging at 11.1T. Dense cell layers, such as the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus and the pyramidal cell layer of CA1, appeared to be barriers to transport of the tracer. Three-dimensional distribution shape and volume (V(d)) differences, between the dorsal and ventral hippocampus infusions, were determined from the MR images using a semi-automatic segmentation routine (dorsal V(d)=23.4+/-1.8 microl, ventral V(d)=36.4+/-5.1 microl). Finer structural detail of the hippocampus was obtained using a combination of histological analysis and fluorescence imaging. This study demonstrates that CED has the potential to target all regions of the hippocampus and that tracer distribution is influenced by infusion site, underlying structure and circuitry, and extent of backflow. Therefore, CED, combined with high-resolution MR imaging, may be a useful strategy for delivering therapeutics for the treatment of CNS disorders affecting the hippocampus. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. Study of the Photon Strength Functions for Gadolinium Isotopes with the DANCE Array

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dashdorj, D.; Mitchell, G. E.; Baramsai, B.

    2009-03-10

    The gadolinium isotopes are interesting for reactor applications as well as for medicine and astrophysics. The gadolinium isotopes have some of the largest neutron capture cross sections. As a consequence they are used in the control rod in reactor fuel assembly. From the basic science point of view, there are seven stable isotopes of gadolinium with varying degrees of deformation. Therefore they provide a good testing ground for the study of deformation dependent structure such as the scissors mode. Decay gamma rays following neutron capture on Gd isotopes are detected by the DANCE array, which is located at flight pathmore » 14 at the Lujan Neutron Scattering Center at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The high segmentation and close packing of the detector array enable gamma-ray multiplicity measurements. The calorimetric properties of the DANCE array coupled with the neutron time-of-flight technique enables one to gate on a specific resonance of a specific isotope in the time-of-flight spectrum and obtain the summed energy spectrum for that isotope. The singles gamma-ray spectrum for each multiplicity can be separated by their DANCE cluster multiplicity. Various photon strength function models are used for comparison with experimentally measured DANCE data and provide insight for understanding the statistical decay properties of deformed nuclei.« less

  12. High performance magneto-fluorescent nanoparticles assembled from terbium and gadolinium 1,3-diketones

    PubMed Central

    Zairov, Rustem; Mustafina, Asiya; Shamsutdinova, Nataliya; Nizameev, Irek; Moreira, Beatriz; Sudakova, Svetlana; Podyachev, Sergey; Fattakhova, Alfia; Safina, Gulnara; Lundstrom, Ingemar; Gubaidullin, Aidar; Vomiero, Alberto

    2017-01-01

    Polyelectrolyte-coated nanoparticles consisting of terbium and gadolinium complexes with calix[4]arene tetra-diketone ligand were first synthesized. The antenna effect of the ligand on Tb(III) green luminescence and the presence of water molecules in the coordination sphere of Gd(III) bring strong luminescent and magnetic performance to the core-shell nanoparticles. The size and the core-shell morphology of the colloids were studied using transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The correlation between photophysical and magnetic properties of the nanoparticles and their core composition was highlighted. The core composition was optimized for the longitudinal relaxivity to be greater than that of the commercial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents together with high level of Tb(III)-centered luminescence. The tuning of both magnetic and luminescent output of nanoparticles is obtained via the simple variation of lanthanide chelates concentrations in the initial synthetic solution. The exposure of the pheochromocytoma 12 (PC 12) tumor cells and periphery human blood lymphocytes to nanoparticles results in negligible effect on cell viability, decreased platelet aggregation and bright coloring, indicating the nanoparticles as promising candidates for dual magneto-fluorescent bioimaging. PMID:28091590

  13. High performance magneto-fluorescent nanoparticles assembled from terbium and gadolinium 1,3-diketones

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zairov, Rustem; Mustafina, Asiya; Shamsutdinova, Nataliya; Nizameev, Irek; Moreira, Beatriz; Sudakova, Svetlana; Podyachev, Sergey; Fattakhova, Alfia; Safina, Gulnara; Lundstrom, Ingemar; Gubaidullin, Aidar; Vomiero, Alberto

    2017-01-01

    Polyelectrolyte-coated nanoparticles consisting of terbium and gadolinium complexes with calix[4]arene tetra-diketone ligand were first synthesized. The antenna effect of the ligand on Tb(III) green luminescence and the presence of water molecules in the coordination sphere of Gd(III) bring strong luminescent and magnetic performance to the core-shell nanoparticles. The size and the core-shell morphology of the colloids were studied using transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The correlation between photophysical and magnetic properties of the nanoparticles and their core composition was highlighted. The core composition was optimized for the longitudinal relaxivity to be greater than that of the commercial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents together with high level of Tb(III)-centered luminescence. The tuning of both magnetic and luminescent output of nanoparticles is obtained via the simple variation of lanthanide chelates concentrations in the initial synthetic solution. The exposure of the pheochromocytoma 12 (PC 12) tumor cells and periphery human blood lymphocytes to nanoparticles results in negligible effect on cell viability, decreased platelet aggregation and bright coloring, indicating the nanoparticles as promising candidates for dual magneto-fluorescent bioimaging.

  14. Kinetic characteristics of the luminescence decay for industrial yttrium-gadolinium-aluminium garnet based phosphors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lisitsyn, V. M.; Stepanov, S. A.; Valiev, D. T.; Vishnyakova, E. A.; Abdullin, H. A.; Marhabaeva, A. A.; Tulegenova, A. T.

    2016-02-01

    The spectral and decay kinetic characteristics of pulse cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence of phosphors based on yttrium-gadolinium-aluminum garnet were investigated using pulsed optical time resolved spectroscopy.

  15. Solute Transport of Negatively Charged Contrast Agents Across Articular Surface of Injured Cartilage.

    PubMed

    Kokkonen, H T; Chin, H C; Töyräs, J; Jurvelin, J S; Quinn, T M

    2017-04-01

    Solute transport through the extracellular matrix (ECM) is crucial to chondrocyte metabolism. Cartilage injury affects solute transport in cartilage due to alterations in ECM structure and solute-matrix interactions. Therefore, cartilage injury may be detected by using contrast agent-based clinical imaging. In the present study, effects of mechanical injury on transport of negatively charged contrast agents in cartilage were characterized. Using cartilage plugs injured by mechanical compression protocol, effective partition coefficients and diffusion fluxes of iodine- and gadolinium-based contrast agents were measured using high resolution microCT imaging. For all contrast agents studied, effective diffusion fluxes increased significantly, particularly at early times during the diffusion process (38 and 33% increase after 4 min, P < 0.05 for iodine and Gd-DTPA; and 76% increase after 10 min for diatrizoate, P < 0.05). Effective partition coefficients were unaffected in mechanically injured cartilage. Mechanical injury reduced PG content and collagen integrity in cartilage superficial zone. This study suggests that alterations in contrast agent diffusion flux, a non-equilibrium transport parameter, provides a more sensitive indicator for assessment of cartilage matrix integrity than partition coefficient and the equilibrium distribution of solute. These findings may help in developing clinical methods of contrast agent-based imaging to detect cartilage injury.

  16. Improved Peritoneal Cavity and Abdominal Organ Imaging Using a Biphasic Contrast Agent Protocol and Spectral Photon Counting Computed Tomography K-Edge Imaging.

    PubMed

    Si-Mohamed, Salim; Thivolet, Arnaud; Bonnot, Pierre-Emmanuel; Bar-Ness, Daniel; Képénékian, Vahan; Cormode, David P; Douek, Philippe; Rousset, Pascal

    2018-05-23

    To validate in vitro the capability of a high-spatial-resolution prototype spectral photon-counting computed tomography (SPCCT) scanner to differentiate between 2 contrast agents and to assess in vivo the image quality and the feasibility to image the peritoneal cavity in rats using the 2 contrast agents simultaneously within the vascular and peritoneal compartments. The authors performed SPCCT imaging (100 mAs, 120 kVp) with energy bin thresholds set to 30, 51, 64, 72, and 85 keV in vitro on a custom-made polyoxymethylene cylindrical phantom consisting of tubes with dilutions of both contrast agents and in vivo on 2 groups of adult rats using 2 injection protocols. Approval from the institutional animal ethics committee was obtained. One group received macrocylic gadolinium chelate intraperitoneal (IP) and iodine intravenous (IV) injections (protocol A, n = 3), whereas the second group received iodine IP and gadolinium IV (protocol B, n = 3). Helical scans were performed 35 minutes after IP injection and 20 seconds after IV injection. The SPCCT and contrast material images, that is, iodine and gadolinium maps, were reconstructed with a field of view of 160 mm, an isotropic voxel size of 250 μm, and a matrix size of 640 × 640 pixels using a soft reconstruction kernel. The SPCCT images were reconstructed with 2 different spatial resolutions to compare the image quality (sharpness, diagnostic quality, and organ visualization) of SPCCT (250 μm) with single-energy computed tomography (CT) (600 μm). Two radiologists evaluated the peritoneal opacification index in 13 regions (score = 0-3 per region) on each type of image. Concentrations of contrast agents were measured in the organs of interest. In vitro, the concentration measurements correlated well with the expected concentrations. The linear regressions both had R values of 0.99, slopes of 0.84 and 0.87, and offsets at -0.52 and -0.38 mg/mL for iodine and gadolinium, respectively. In vivo, the SPCCT images were

  17. Applying Amide Proton Transfer MR Imaging to Hybrid Brain PET/MR: Concordance with Gadolinium Enhancement and Added Value to [18F]FDG PET.

    PubMed

    Sun, Hongzan; Xin, Jun; Zhou, Jinyuan; Lu, Zaiming; Guo, Qiyong

    2018-06-01

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic concordance and metric correlations of amide proton transfer (APT) imaging with gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 2-deoxy-2-[ 18 F-]fluoro-D-glucose ([ 18 F]FDG) positron emission tomography (PET), using hybrid brain PET/MRI. Twenty-one subjects underwent brain gadolinium-enhanced [ 18 F]FDG PET/MRI prospectively. Imaging accuracy was compared between unenhanced MRI, MRI with enhancement, APT-weighted (APTW) images, and PET based on six diagnostic criteria. Among tumors, the McNemar test was further used for concordance assessment between gadolinium-enhanced imaging, APT imaging, and [ 18 F]FDG PET. As well, the relation of metrics between APT imaging and PET was analyzed by the Pearson correlation analysis. APT imaging and gadolinium-enhanced MRI showed superior and similar diagnostic accuracy. APTW signal intensity and gadolinium enhancement were concordant in 19 tumors (100 %), while high [ 18 F]FDG avidity was shown in only 12 (63.2 %). For the metrics from APT imaging and PET, there was significant correlation for 13 hypermetabolic tumors (P < 0.05) and no correlation for the remaining six [ 18 F]FDG-avid tumors. APT imaging can be used to increase diagnostic accuracy with no need to administer gadolinium chelates. APT imaging may provide an added value to [ 18 F]FDG PET in the evaluation of tumor metabolic activity during brain PET/MR studies.

  18. Biodegradable gadolinium-chelated cationic poly(urethane amide) copolymers for gene transfection and magnetic resonance imaging.

    PubMed

    Gao, Xiaolong; Wang, Gangmin; Shi, Ting; Shao, Zhihong; Zhao, Peng; Shi, Donglu; Ren, Jie; Lin, Chao; Wang, Peijun

    2016-08-01

    Theranostic nano-polyplexes containing gene and imaging agents hold a great promise for tumor diagnosis and therapy. In this work, we develop a group of new gadolinium (Gd)-chelated cationic poly(urethane amide)s for gene delivery and T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Cationic poly(urethane amide)s (denoted as CPUAs) having multiple disulfide bonds, urethane and amide linkages were synthesized by stepwise polycondensation reaction between 1,4-bis(3-aminopropyl)piperazine and a mixture of di(4-nitrophenyl)-2, 2'-dithiodiethanocarbonate (DTDE-PNC) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) dianhydride at varied molar ratios. Then, Gd-chelated CPUAs (denoted as GdCPUAs) were produced by chelating Gd(III) ions with DTPA residues of CPUAs. These GdCPUAs could condense gene into nanosized and positively-charged polyplexes in a physiological condition and, however, liberated gene in an intracellular reductive environment. In vitro transfection experiments revealed that the GdCPUA at a DTDE-PNC/DTPA residue molar ratio of 85/15 induced the highest transfection efficiency in different cancer cells. This efficiency was higher than that yielded with 25kDa branched polyethylenimine as a positive control. GdCPUAs and their polyplexes exhibited low cytotoxicity when an optimal transfection activity was detected. Moreover, GdCPUAs may serve as contrast agents for T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. The results of this work indicate that biodegradable Gd-chelated cationic poly(urethane amide) copolymers have high potential for tumor theranostics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Polythermal investigation of viscosity of solution of metal carboxylates in VIK-grade mixed carboxylic acids: Yttrium and gadolinium carboxylates

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mezhov, E.A.; Samatov, A.V.; Troyanovskii, L.V.

    Kinematic viscosities have been measured for solutions of yttrium and gadolinium carboxylates in grade VIK mixed carboxylic acids (MCA). It has been established that the optimal fluidity of these metal carboxylate solutions for application to articles is reached at 333 K. A regression model has been developed to describe the concentration and temperature dependences of the viscosity of yttrium- and gadolinium-containing MCA solutions. 2 refs., 3 tabs.

  20. Three-dimensional imaging of the aortic vessel wall using an elastin-specific magnetic resonance contrast agent.

    PubMed

    Makowski, Marcus R; Preissel, Anne; von Bary, Christian; Warley, Alice; Schachoff, Sylvia; Keithan, Alexandra; Cesati, Richard R; Onthank, David C; Schwaiger, Markus; Robinson, Simon P; Botnar, René M

    2012-07-01

    The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of high-resolution 3-dimensional aortic vessel wall imaging using a novel elastin-specific magnetic resonance contrast agent (ESMA) in a large animal model. The thoracic aortic vessel wall of 6 Landrace pigs was imaged using a novel ESMA and a nonspecific control agent. On day 1, imaging was performed before and after the administration of a nonspecific control agent, gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA; Bayer Schering AG, Berlin, Germany). On day 3, identical scans were repeated before and after the administration of a novel ESMA (Lantheus Medical Imaging, North Billerica, Massachusetts). Three-dimensional inversion recovery gradient echo delayed-enhancement imaging and magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of the thoracic aortic vessel wall were performed on a 1.5-T MR scanner (Achieva; Philips Medical Systems, the Netherlands). The signal-to-noise ratio and the contrast-to-noise ratio of arterial wall enhancement, including the time course of enhancement, were assessed for ESMA and Gd-DTPA. After the completion of imaging sessions, histology, electron microscopy, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy were performed to localize and quantify the gadolinium bound to the arterial vessel wall. Administration of ESMA resulted in a strong enhancement of the aortic vessel wall on delayed-enhancement imaging, whereas no significant enhancement could be measured with Gd-DTPA. Ninety to 100 minutes after the administration of ESMA, significantly higher signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio could be measured compared with the administration of Gd-DTPA (45.7 ± 9.6 vs 13.2 ± 3.5, P < 0.05 and 41.9 ± 9.1 vs 5.2 ± 2.0, P < 0.05). A significant correlation (0.96; P < 0.01) between area measurements derived from ESMA scans and aortic MR angiography scans could be found. Electron microscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy confirmed the colocalization of ESMA with

  1. The performance of hafnium and gadolinium self powered neutron detectors in the TREAT reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Imel, G. R.; Hart, P. R.

    1996-05-01

    The use of gadolinium and hafnium self powered neutron detectors in a transient reactor is described in this paper. The detectors were calibrated to the fission rate of U-235 using calibrated fission chambers; the calibration factors were tested in two reactors in steady state and found to be consistent. Calibration of the detectors in transient reactor conditions was done by using uranium wires that were analyzed by radiochemistry techniques to determine total fissions during the transient. This was correlated to the time-integrated current of the detectors during the transient. A temperature correction factor was derived to account for self-shielding effects in the hafnium and gadolinium detectors. The dynamic response of the detectors under transient conditions was studied, and found to be excellent.

  2. Ligand-directed nanobialys as theranostic agent for drug delivery and manganese-based magnetic resonance imaging of vascular targets.

    PubMed

    Pan, Dipanjan; Caruthers, Shelton D; Hu, Grace; Senpan, Angana; Scott, Mike J; Gaffney, Patrick J; Wickline, Samuel A; Lanza, Gregory M

    2008-07-23

    Although gadolinium has been the dominant paramagnetic metal for MR paramagnetic contrast agents, the recent association of this lanthanide with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, an untreatable disease, has spawned renewed interest in alternative metals for MR molecular imaging. We have developed a self-assembled, manganese(III)-labeled nanobialys (1), a toroidal-shaped MR theranostic nanoparticle. In this report, Mn(III) nanobialys are characterized as MR molecular imaging agents for targeted detection of fibrin, a major biochemical feature of thrombus. A complementary ability of nanobialys to incorporate chemotherapeutic compounds with greater than 98% efficiency and to retain more than 80% of these drugs after infinite sink dissolution, point to the theranostic potential of this platform technology.

  3. Use of Radiocontrast Agents in CKD and ESRD.

    PubMed

    Bahrainwala, Jehan Z; Leonberg-Yoo, Amanda K; Rudnick, Michael R

    2017-07-01

    Contrast exposure in a population with chronic kidney disease (CKD) requires additional consideration given the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) after exposure to iodinated contrast as well as systemic injury with exposure to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA). Strategies to avoid CIN, and manage patients after exposure, including extracorporeal removal of contrast media, may differ among an advanced CKD population as compared to a general population. There is strong evidence to support the use of isotonic volume expansion and the lowest dose of low-osmolar or iso-osmolar contrast media possible to decrease CIN. The current literature on other newer prophylactic strategies such as statins, remote ischemic preconditioning, discontinuation of renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) blockade, and RenalGuard is limited thus these strategies cannot currently be recommended as routine prophylaxis for CIN. The use of extracorporeal removal of contrast agents as prophylaxis to reduce CIN has been the subject of multiple studies; however, data do not support a beneficial effect in reduction in CIN. Immediate removal of contrast by dialysis in a maintenance dialysis population is also not recommended, unless an individual's cardiopulmonary status is dependent on strict volume management. In patients with reduced renal function, GCBA exposure increases the risk of NSF. In patients with AKI, CKD stage 3 or greater (eGFR <30 ml/minute/1.73 m 2 ), or patients on dialysis, we do not recommend the use of GBCA and alternative imaging modalities should be considered. If patients absolutely need magnetic resonance imaging with GBCA, we recommend the use of the lowest dose possible of the newer macrocylic, ionic agents (gadoterate meglumine) as well as immediate postprocedural HD in patients already on HD or peritoneal dialysis or with stage 5 CKD and with a functioning dialysis access already in place. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Breakthrough reactions of iodinated and gadolinium contrast media after oral steroid premedication protocol.

    PubMed

    Jingu, Akiko; Fukuda, Junya; Taketomi-Takahashi, Ayako; Tsushima, Yoshito

    2014-10-06

    Adverse reactions to iodinated and gadolinium contrast media are an important clinical issue. Although some guidelines have proposed oral steroid premedication protocols to prevent adverse reactions, some patients may have reactions to contrast media in spite of premedication (breakthrough reaction; BTR).The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency, type and severity of BTR when following an oral steroid premedication protocol. All iodinated and gadolinium contrast-enhanced radiologic examinations between August 2011 and February 2013 for which the premedication protocol was applied in our institution were assessed for BTRs. The protocol was applied to a total of 252 examinations (153 patients, ages 15-87 years; 63 males, 90 females). Of these, 152 were for prior acute adverse reactions to contrast media, 85 were for a history of bronchial asthma, and 15 were for other reasons. There were 198 contrast enhanced CTs and 54 contrast enhanced MRIs. There were nine BTR (4.5%) for iodinated contrast media, and only one BTR (1.9%) for gadolinium contrast media: eight were mild and one was moderate. No patient who had a mild index reaction (IR) had a severe BTR. Incidence of BTRs when following the premedication protocol was low. This study by no means proves the efficacy of premedication, but provides some support for following a premedication protocol to improve safety of contrast-enhanced examinations when prior adverse reactions are mild, or when there is a history of asthma.

  5. Breakthrough reactions of iodinated and gadolinium contrast media after oral steroid premedication protocol

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Adverse reactions to iodinated and gadolinium contrast media are an important clinical issue. Although some guidelines have proposed oral steroid premedication protocols to prevent adverse reactions, some patients may have reactions to contrast media in spite of premedication (breakthrough reaction; BTR). The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency, type and severity of BTR when following an oral steroid premedication protocol. Methods All iodinated and gadolinium contrast-enhanced radiologic examinations between August 2011 and February 2013 for which the premedication protocol was applied in our institution were assessed for BTRs. Results The protocol was applied to a total of 252 examinations (153 patients, ages 15–87 years; 63 males, 90 females). Of these, 152 were for prior acute adverse reactions to contrast media, 85 were for a history of bronchial asthma, and 15 were for other reasons. There were 198 contrast enhanced CTs and 54 contrast enhanced MRIs. There were nine BTR (4.5%) for iodinated contrast media, and only one BTR (1.9%) for gadolinium contrast media: eight were mild and one was moderate. No patient who had a mild index reaction (IR) had a severe BTR. Conclusion Incidence of BTRs when following the premedication protocol was low. This study by no means proves the efficacy of premedication, but provides some support for following a premedication protocol to improve safety of contrast-enhanced examinations when prior adverse reactions are mild, or when there is a history of asthma. PMID:25287952

  6. Hydrogels incorporating GdDOTA: towards highly efficient dual T1/T2 MRI contrast agents.

    PubMed

    Courant, Thomas; Roullin, Valérie Gaëlle; Cadiou, Cyril; Callewaert, Maïté; Andry, Marie Christine; Portefaix, Christophe; Hoeffel, Christine; de Goltstein, Marie Christine; Port, Marc; Laurent, Sophie; Elst, Luce Vander; Muller, Robert; Molinari, Michaël; Chuburu, Françoise

    2012-09-03

    Do not tumble dry: Gadolinium-DOTA encapsulated into polysaccharide nanoparticles (GdDOTA NPs) exhibited high relaxivity (r(1) =101.7 s(-1) mM(-1) per Gd(3+) ion at 37 °C and 20 MHz). This high relaxation rate is due to efficient Gd loading, reduced tumbling of the Gd complex, and the hydrogel nature of the nanoparticles. The efficacy of the nanoparticles as a T(1)/T(2) dual-mode contrast agent was studied in C6 cells. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Effect of Cu2+ substitution on the structural, magnetic and electrical properties of gadolinium orthoferrite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sai Vandana, C.; Hemalatha Rudramadevi, B.

    2018-04-01

    The pure and copper (Cu) substituted Gadolinium orthoferrites, GdFeO3, GdCu0.1Fe0.9O3, GdCu0.2Fe0.8O3 and GdCu0.3Fe0.7O3 were synthesized by conventional solid state method. The structural, morphological, dielectric, magnetic and impedance properties of Cu substituted Gadolinium orthoferrites have been investigated. The crystallographic phase as well as the substitution of Cu2+ ions in the lattice of GdFeO3 is confirmed from the x-ray diffraction patterns. The Fourier transform infrared spectra exhibit two prominent fundamental absorption peaks at ∼417 cm‑1 and 545 cm‑1. These bands are related to inherent stretching vibrations of metals at octahedral and tetrahedral sites respectively. The coercivity (Hc) and saturation magnetization (Ms) of the synthesized samples at different temperatures were determined from the hysteresis plots. Higher coercive values, 598 Oe and 600 Oe were achieved in GdCu0.1Fe0.9O3 ferrites compared to 527 Oe and 360 Oe in pure GdFeO3 at room temperature (300 K) and low temperature (20 k) respectively. Dielectric dispersion has been observed for gadolinium ferrite samples with Maxwell–Wagner type interfacial polarization. The decrease of dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent with an increase in frequency was observed. The conduction due to charge hopping between localized states was confirmed from AC conductivity measurements. The composition dependent cationic distributions estimated from XRD, magnetic and electrical studies are in good agreement with each other. The achieved results indicate that the substitution of Cu in gadolinium orthoferrite strongly influences the crystal structure, magnetic and electrical properties thereby making them suitable as multiple state memory devices, transducers, electronic field controlled ferromagnetic resonance devices and spintronic devices.

  8. Designing Tripodal and Triangular Gadolinium Oxide Nanoplates and Self-Assembled Nanofibrils as Potential Multimodal Bioimaging Probes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Paik, T; Gordon, TR; Prantner, AM

    2013-03-01

    Here, we report the shape-controlled synthesis of tripodal and triangular gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoplates. In the presence of lithium ions, the shape of the nanocrystals is readily controlled by tailoring reaction parameters such as temperature and time. We observe that the morphology transforms from an initial tripodal shape to a triangular shape with increasing reaction time or elevated temperatures. Highly uniform Gd2O3 nanoplates are self-assembled into nanofibril-like liquid-crystalline superlattices with long-range orientational and positional order. In addition, shape-directed self-assemblies are investigated by tailoring the aspect ratio of the arms of the Gd2O3 nanoplates. Due to a strong paramagnetic response, Gd2O3more » nanocrystals are excellent candidates for MRI contrast agents and also can be doped with rare-earth ions to form nanophosphors, pointing to their potential in multimodal imaging. In this work, we investigate the MR relaxometry at high magnetic fields (9,4 and 14.1 T) and the optical properties including near-IR to visible upconversion luminescence and X-ray excited optical luminescence of doped Gd2O3 nanoplates. The complex shape of Gd2O3 nanoplates, coupled with their magnetic properties and their ability to phosphoresce under NIR or X-ray excitation which penetrate deep into tissue, makes these nanoplates a promising platform for multimodal imaging in biomedical applications.« less

  9. Quantitative measurement of regional blood flow with gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate bolus track NMR imaging in cerebral infarcts in rats: validation with the iodo[14C]antipyrine technique.

    PubMed Central

    Wittlich, F; Kohno, K; Mies, G; Norris, D G; Hoehn-Berlage, M

    1995-01-01

    NMR bolus track measurements were correlated with autoradiographically determined regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). The NMR method is based on bolus infusion of the contrast agent gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate and high-speed T*2-sensitive NMR imaging. The first pass of the contrast agent through the image plane causes a transient decrease of the signal intensity. This time course of the signal intensity is transformed into relative concentrations of the contrast agent in each pixel. The mean transit time and relative blood flow and volume are calculated from such indicator dilution curves. We investigated whether this NMR technique correctly expresses the relative rCBF. The relative blood flow data, calculated from NMR bolus track experiments, and the absolute values of iodo[14C]antipyrine autoradiography were compared. A linear relationship was observed, indicating the proportionality of the transient NMR signal change with CBF. Excellent interindividual reproducibility of calibration constants is observed (r = 0.963). For a given NMR protocol, bolus track measurements calibrated with autoradiography after the experiment allow determination of absolute values for rCBF and regional blood volume. Images Fig. 2 Fig. 3 PMID:7892189

  10. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a potential contrast agent for brain tumors.

    PubMed

    Delgado-Goñi, T; Martín-Sitjar, J; Simões, R V; Acosta, M; Lope-Piedrafita, S; Arús, C

    2013-02-01

    Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is commonly used in preclinical studies of animal models of high-grade glioma as a solvent for chemotherapeutic agents. A strong DMSO signal was detected by single-voxel MRS in the brain of three C57BL/6 control mice during a pilot study of DMSO tolerance after intragastric administration. This led us to investigate the accumulation and wash-out kinetics of DMSO in both normal brain parenchyma (n=3 control mice) by single-voxel MRS, and in 12 GL261 glioblastomas (GBMs) by single-voxel MRS (n=3) and MRSI (n=9). DMSO accumulated differently in each tissue type, reaching its highest concentration in tumors: 6.18 ± 0.85 µmol/g water, 1.5-fold higher than in control mouse brain (p<0.05). A faster wash-out was detected in normal brain parenchyma with respect to GBM tissue: half-lives of 2.06 ± 0.58 and 4.57 ± 1.15 h, respectively. MRSI maps of time-course DMSO changes revealed clear hotspots of differential spatial accumulation in GL261 tumors. Additional MRSI studies with four mice bearing oligodendrogliomas (ODs) revealed similar results as in GBM tumors. The lack of T(1) contrast enhancement post-gadolinium (gadopentetate dimeglumine, Gd-DTPA) in control mouse brain and mice with ODs suggested that DMSO was fully able to cross the intact blood-brain barrier in both normal brain parenchyma and in low-grade tumors. Our results indicate a potential role for DMSO as a contrast agent for brain tumor detection, even in those tumors 'invisible' to standard gadolinium-enhanced MRI, and possibly for monitoring heterogeneities associated with progression or with therapeutic response. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  11. Proton Neutron Gamma-X Detection (PNGXD): An introduction to contrast agent detection during proton therapy via prompt gamma neutron activation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gräfe, James L.

    2017-09-01

    Proton therapy is an alternative external beam cancer treatment modality to the conventional linear accelerator-based X-ray radiotherapy. An inherent by-product of proton-nuclear interactions is the production of secondary neutrons. These neutrons have long been thought of as a secondary contaminant, nuisance, and source of secondary cancer risk. In this paper, a method is proposed to use these neutrons to identify and localize the presence of the tumor through neutron capture reactions with the gadolinium-based MRI contrast agent. This could provide better confidence in tumor targeting by acting as an additional quality assurance tool of tumor position during treatment. This effectively results in a neutron induced nuclear medicine scan. Gadolinium (Gd), is an ideal candidate for this novel nuclear contrast imaging procedure due to its unique nuclear properties and its widespread use as a contrast agent in MRI. Gd has one of the largest thermal neutron capture cross sections of all the stable nuclides, and the gadolinium-based contrast agents localize in leaky tissues and tumors. Initial characteristics of this novel concept were explored using the Monte Carlo code MCNP6. The number of neutron capture reactions per Gy of proton dose was found to be approximately 50,000 neutron captures/Gy, for a 8 cm3 tumor containing 300 ppm Gd at 8 cm depth with a simple simulation designed to represent the active delivery method. Using the passive method it is estimated that this number can be up to an order of magnitude higher. The thermal neutron distribution was found to not be localized within the spread out Bragg peak (SOBP) for this geometrical configuration and therefore would not allow for the identification of a geometric miss of the tumor by the proton SOBP. However, this potential method combined with nuclear medicine imaging and fused with online CBCT and prior MRI or CT imaging could help to identify tumor position during treatment. More computational and

  12. Kondo effect and enhanced magnetic properties in gadolinium functionalized carbon nanotube supramolecular complex.

    PubMed

    Ncube, S; Coleman, C; Strydom, A; Flahaut, E; de Sousa, A; Bhattacharyya, S

    2018-05-23

    We report on the enhancement of magnetic properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) functionalized with a gadolinium based supramolecular complex. By employing a newly developed synthesis technique we find that the functionalization method of the nanocomposite enhances the strength of magnetic interaction leading to a large effective moment of 15.79 µ B and non-superparamagnetic behaviour unlike what has been previously reported. Saturating resistance at low temperatures is fitted with the numerical renormalization group formula verifying the Kondo effect for magnetic impurities on a metallic electron system. Magnetoresistance shows devices fabricated from aligned gadolinium functionalized MWNTs (Gd-Fctn-MWNTs) exhibit spin-valve switching behaviour of up to 8%. This study highlights the possibility of enhancing magnetic interactions in carbon systems through chemical modification, moreover we demonstrate the rich physics that might be useful for developing spin based quantum computing elements based on one-dimensional (1D) channels.

  13. Imaging of cauda equina edema in lumbar canal stenosis by using gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging: experimental constriction injury.

    PubMed

    Kobayashi, S; Uchida, K; Takeno, K; Baba, H; Suzuki, Y; Hayakawa, K; Yoshizawa, H

    2006-02-01

    It has been reported that disturbance of blood flow arising from circumferential compression of the cauda equina by surrounding tissue plays a major role in the appearance of neurogenic intermittent claudication (NIC) associated with lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS). We created a model of LSCS to clarify the mechanism of enhancement within the cauda equina on gadolinium-enhanced MR images from patients with LSCS. In 20 dogs, a lumbar laminectomy was performed by applying circumferential constriction to the cauda equina by using a silicon tube, to produce 30% stenosis of the circumferential diameter of the dural tube. After 1 and 3 weeks, gadolinium and Evans blue albumin were injected intravenously at the same time. The sections were used to investigate the status of the blood-nerve barrier function under a fluorescence microscope and we compared gadolinium-enhanced MR images with Evans blue albumin distribution in the nerve. The other sections were used for light and transmission electron microscopic study. In this model, histologic examination showed congestion and dilation in many of the intraradicular veins, as well as inflammatory cell infiltration. The intraradicular edema caused by venous congestion and Wallerian degeneration can also occur at sites that are not subject to mechanical compression. Enhanced MR imaging showed enhancement of the cauda equina at the stenosed region, demonstrating the presence of edema. Gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging may be a useful tool for the diagnosis of microcirculatory disorders of the cauda equina associated with LSCS.

  14. Advancing pharmacovigilance through academic-legal collaboration: the case of gadolinium-based contrast agents and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis-a Research on Adverse Drug Events and Reports (RADAR) report.

    PubMed

    Edwards, B J; Laumann, A E; Nardone, B; Miller, F H; Restaino, J; Raisch, D W; McKoy, J M; Hammel, J A; Bhatt, K; Bauer, K; Samaras, A T; Fisher, M J; Bull, C; Saddleton, E; Belknap, S M; Thomsen, H S; Kanal, E; Cowper, S E; Abu Alfa, A K; West, D P

    2014-10-01

    To compare and contrast three databases, that is, The International Centre for Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis Registry (ICNSFR), the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and a legal data set, through pharmacovigilance and to evaluate international nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) safety efforts. The Research on Adverse Drug events And Reports methodology was used for assessment-the FAERS (through June 2009), ICNSFR and the legal data set (January 2002 to December 2010). Safety information was obtained from the European Medicines Agency, the Danish Medicine Agency and the Food and Drug Administration. The FAERS encompassed the largest number (n = 1395) of NSF reports. The ICNSFR contained the most complete (n = 335, 100%) histopathological data. A total of 382 individual biopsy-proven, product-specific NSF cases were analysed from the legal data set. 76.2% (291/382) identified exposure to gadodiamide, of which 67.7% (197/291) were unconfounded. Additionally, 40.1% (153/382) of cases involved gadopentetate dimeglumine, of which 48.4% (74/153) were unconfounded, while gadoversetamide was identified in 7.3% (28/382) of which 28.6% (8/28) were unconfounded. Some cases involved gadobenate dimeglumine or gadoteridol, 5.8% (22/382), all of which were confounded. The mean number of exposures to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) was gadodiamide (3), gadopentetate dimeglumine (5) and gadoversetamide (2). Of the 279 unconfounded cases, all involved a linear-structured GBCA. 205 (73.5%) were a non-ionic GBCA while 74 (26.5%) were an ionic GBCA. Clinical and legal databases exhibit unique characteristics that prove complementary in safety evaluations. Use of the legal data set allowed the identification of the most commonly implicated GBCA. This article is the first to demonstrate explicitly the utility of a legal data set to pharmacovigilance research.

  15. In vivo characterization of a smart MRI agent that displays an inverse response to calcium concentration.

    PubMed

    Mamedov, Ilgar; Canals, Santiago; Henig, Jörg; Beyerlein, Michael; Murayama, Yusuke; Mayer, Hermann A; Logothetis, Nikos K; Angelovski, Goran

    2010-12-15

    Contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that exhibit sensitivity toward specific ions or molecules represent a challenging but attractive direction of research. Here a Gd(3+) complex linked to an aminobis(methylenephosphonate) group for chelating Ca(2+) was synthesized and investigated. The longitudinal relaxivity (r(1)) of this complex decreases during the relaxometric titration with Ca(2+) from 5.76 to 3.57 mM(-1) s(-1) upon saturation. The r(1) is modulated by changes in the hydration number, which was confirmed by determination of the luminescence emission lifetimes of the analogous Eu(3+) complex. The initial in vivo characterization of this responsive contrast agent was performed by means of electrophysiology and MRI experiments. The investigated complex is fully biocompatible, having no observable effect on neuronal function after administration into the brain ventricles or parenchyma. Distribution studies demonstrated that the diffusivity of this agent is significantly lower compared with that of gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA).

  16. Causative Agents of Aspergillosis Including Cryptic Aspergillus Species and A. fumigatus.

    PubMed

    Toyotome, Takahito

    2016-01-01

    Aspergillosis is an important deep mycosis. The causative agents are Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus terreus, of which A. fumigatus is the most prevalent. Cryptic Aspergillus spp., which morphologically resemble representative species of each Aspergillus section, also cause aspergillosis. Most of the cryptic species reveal different susceptibility patterns and/or different secondary metabolite profiles, also called exometabolome in this manuscript, from those representative species. On the other hand, azole-resistant A. fumigatus strains in clinical specimens and in the environment have been reported. Therefore, it is imperative to precisely identify the species, including cryptic Aspergillus spp., and evaluate the susceptibility of isolates.In this manuscript, some of the causative cryptic Aspergillus spp. are briefly reviewed. In addition, the exometabolome of Aspergillus section Fumigati is described. Finally, azole resistance of A. fumigatus is also discussed, in reference to several studies from Japan.

  17. Impact of the Glymphatic System on the Kinetic and Distribution of Gadodiamide in the Rat Brain: Observations by Dynamic MRI and Effect of Circadian Rhythm on Tissue Gadolinium Concentrations.

    PubMed

    Taoka, Toshiaki; Jost, Gregor; Frenzel, Thomas; Naganawa, Shinji; Pietsch, Hubertus

    2018-04-12

    injection showed a significantly lower concentration than the late afternoon injection group. The lowest tissue gadolinium concentrations were found in the groups injected in the morning during long anesthesia. Instantaneous transition of gadodiamide from blood to cerebrospinal fluid was indicated by dynamic MRI. The gadodiamide distribution to the cerebral cortex and deep cerebellar nuclei seemed to depend on both blood flow and cerebrospinal fluid. This confirms previous studies indicating that the cerebrospinal fluid is one potential pathway of gadolinium-based contrast agent entry into the brain. For the distribution and clearance of the gadodiamide from brain tissue, involvement of the glymphatic system seemed to be indicated in terms of the influence of sleep and anesthesia.

  18. Serial nonenhancing magnetic resonance imaging scans of high grade glioblastoma multiforme.

    PubMed Central

    Moore-Stovall, J.; Venkatesh, R.

    1993-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from clinical experience has proven to be superior to all other diagnostic imaging modalities, including computed tomography (CT) in the detection of intracranial neoplasms. Although glioblastoma multiforme presents a challenge for all diagnostic imaging modalities including MRI, MRI is paramount to CT in detecting subtle abnormal water accumulation in brain tissue caused by tumor even before there is disruption of the blood brain barrier. Currently, clinical research and investigational trials on nonionic gadolinium contrast agents have proven that nonionic gadolinium HP-DO3A (ProHance) contrast agents have lower osmolality and greater stability, which make them superior compounds to gadolinium diethylenetriamine-pentacetic acid (Gd-DTPA). Therefore, the nonionic gadolinium contrasts have been safely administered more rapidly, in higher or multiple doses for contrast enhanced MRI without adverse side effects or changes in serum iron or total bilirubin, and the intensity of the area of enhancement and number of lesions detected were superior to that of Gd-DTPA (Magnevist) at the standard dose (0.1 mmol/Kg). Perhaps if the nonionic gadolinium contrast agent, ProHance, had been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when this MRI was performed in 1990 it would have aided in providing contrast enhancement and visualization of the tumor lesion to assist in patient diagnosis and management. Magnetic resonance imaging also provides unique multiplanar capabilities that allow for optimal visualization of the temporal and occipital lobes of the brain without bone interference.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9A Figure 9B Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13 PMID:8382751

  19. High-pressure high-temperature phase diagram of gadolinium studied using a boron-doped heater anvil

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Montgomery, J. M.; Samudrala, G. K.; Vohra, Y. K.

    A boron-doped designer heater anvil is used in conjunction with powder x-ray diffraction to collect structural information on a sample of quasi-hydrostatically loaded gadolinium metal up to pressures above 8 GPa and 600 K. The heater anvil consists of a natural diamond anvil that has been surface modified with a homoepitaxially grown chemical-vapor-deposited layer of conducting boron-doped diamond, and is used as a DC heating element. Internally insulating both diamond anvils with sapphire support seats allows for heating and cooling of the high-pressure area on the order of a few tens of seconds. This device is then used to scan the phasemore » diagram of the sample by oscillating the temperature while continuously increasing the externally applied pressure and collecting in situ time-resolved powder diffraction images. In the pressure-temperature range covered in this experiment, the gadolinium sample is observed in its hcp, αSm, and dhcp phases. Under this temperature cycling, the hcp → αSm transition proceeds in discontinuous steps at points along the expected phase boundary. From these measurements (representing only one hour of synchrotron x-ray collection time), a single-experiment equation of state and phase diagram of each phase of gadolinium is presented for the range of 0–10 GPa and 300–650 K.« less

  20. High-pressure high-temperature phase diagram of gadolinium studied using a boron-doped heater anvil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montgomery, J. M.; Samudrala, G. K.; Velisavljevic, N.; Vohra, Y. K.

    2016-04-01

    A boron-doped designer heater anvil is used in conjunction with powder x-ray diffraction to collect structural information on a sample of quasi-hydrostatically loaded gadolinium metal up to pressures above 8 GPa and 600 K. The heater anvil consists of a natural diamond anvil that has been surface modified with a homoepitaxially grown chemical-vapor-deposited layer of conducting boron-doped diamond, and is used as a DC heating element. Internally insulating both diamond anvils with sapphire support seats allows for heating and cooling of the high-pressure area on the order of a few tens of seconds. This device is then used to scan the phase diagram of the sample by oscillating the temperature while continuously increasing the externally applied pressure and collecting in situ time-resolved powder diffraction images. In the pressure-temperature range covered in this experiment, the gadolinium sample is observed in its hcp, αSm, and dhcp phases. Under this temperature cycling, the hcp → αSm transition proceeds in discontinuous steps at points along the expected phase boundary. From these measurements (representing only one hour of synchrotron x-ray collection time), a single-experiment equation of state and phase diagram of each phase of gadolinium is presented for the range of 0-10 GPa and 300-650 K.

  1. Disparate ultrafast dynamics of itinerant and localized magnetic moments in gadolinium metal

    PubMed Central

    Frietsch, B.; Bowlan, J.; Carley, R.; Teichmann, M.; Wienholdt, S.; Hinzke, D.; Nowak, U.; Carva, K.; Oppeneer, P. M.; Weinelt, M.

    2015-01-01

    The Heisenberg–Dirac intra-atomic exchange coupling is responsible for the formation of the atomic spin moment and thus the strongest interaction in magnetism. Therefore, it is generally assumed that intra-atomic exchange leads to a quasi-instantaneous aligning process in the magnetic moment dynamics of spins in separate, on-site atomic orbitals. Following ultrashort optical excitation of gadolinium metal, we concurrently record in photoemission the 4f magnetic linear dichroism and 5d exchange splitting. Their dynamics differ by one order of magnitude, with decay constants of 14 versus 0.8 ps, respectively. Spin dynamics simulations based on an orbital-resolved Heisenberg Hamiltonian combined with first-principles calculations explain the particular dynamics of 5d and 4f spin moments well, and corroborate that the 5d exchange splitting traces closely the 5d spin-moment dynamics. Thus gadolinium shows disparate dynamics of the localized 4f and the itinerant 5d spin moments, demonstrating a breakdown of their intra-atomic exchange alignment on a picosecond timescale. PMID:26355196

  2. K3 Li3 Gd7 (BO3 )9 : A New Gadolinium-Rich Orthoborate for Cryogenic Magnetic Cooling.

    PubMed

    Xia, Mingjun; Shen, Shipeng; Lu, Jun; Sun, Young; Li, Rukang

    2018-03-02

    Magnetic cooling technology based on magnetocaloric effect (MCE) has attracted great interest in obtaining extremely low temperatures, for example, for space exploration. Here, we grew a new gadolinium-rich orthoborate K 3 Li 3 Gd 7 (BO 3 ) 9 (1) as a promising cryogenic magnetic coolant. It exhibits a complicated three dimensional framework constructed from BO 3 groups and gadolinium-oxygen chains. The Gd-O chain consists of two types of clusters of Gd 3 O 20 and Gd 3 O 19 interconnection by Gd(4)O 8 polyhydron. Due to its high gadolinium concentration, a large -ΔS m of 56.6 J kg -1  K -1 for 1 was obtained at 2 K and ΔH=7 T, much larger than that of the commercial benchmark Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 (GGG) crystal (38.4 J kg -1  K -1 ), suggesting it to be an excellent MCE material. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Gadolinium-loaded gel scintillators for neutron and antineutrino detection

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Riddle, Catherine Lynn; Akers, Douglas William; Demmer, Ricky Lynn

    A gadolinium (Gd) loaded scintillation gel (Gd-ScintGel) compound allows for neutron and gamma-ray detection. The unique gel scintillator encompasses some of the best features of both liquid and solid scintillators, yet without many of the disadvantages associated therewith. Preferably, the gel scintillator is a water soluble Gd-DTPA compound and water soluble fluorophores such as: CdSe/ZnS (or ZnS) quantum dot (Q-dot) nanoparticles, coumarin derivatives 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin, 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin-3-acetic acid, 7-hydroxycoumarin-3-carboxylic acid, and Alexa Fluor 350 as well as a carbostyril compound, carbostyril 124 in a stable water-based gel, such as methylcellulose or polyacrylamide polymers. The Gd-loaded ScintGel allows for a homogenious distribution ofmore » the Gd-DTPA and the fluorophores, and yields clean fluorescent emission peaks. A moderator, such as deuterium or a water-based clear polymer, can be incorporated in the Gd-ScintGel. The gel scintillators can be used in compact detectors, including neutron and antineutrino detectors.« less

  4. Monte Carlo simulation of energy absorbed in phenolic ESR dosimeters added with gadolinium exposed to thermal, epithermal and fast neutrons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Longo, A.; Collura, G.; Gallo, S.; Bartolotta, A.; Marrale, M.

    2017-11-01

    In this work analyses of the energy released per unit mass in phenolic compound exposed to neutron beams were performed with the aim of predicting the increase in dose achievable by addition of gadolinium (Gd) inside the pellets. In particular, Monte Carlo (MC) simulations were carried out for IRGANOX® 1076 phenolic compound irradiated with neutron beams with different energy spectra at various depths inside a water phantom. The addition of gadolinium increases sensitivity of phenolic ESR (electron spin resonance) dosimeters to neutrons thanks to the high gadolinium cross section for neutron capture and to the large number of secondary particles (mainly Auger and internal conversion electrons) which are able to release energy inside the sensitive material layers. For small depths in water phantom and low energy neutron spectra the increase in dose due to gadolinium is large (more than a factor 50). The enhancement is smaller in case of epithermal neutron beam, whereas the increase in dose for fast neutrons is less than 50%. In order to have a comparison with other ESR dosimeters the energy released per unit mass in phenolic compound was compared with that calculated in alanine pellets. For thermal neutron beams the energy released in phenolic compound with gadolinium is comparable to that released in alanine for small depths in phantom, whereas it is larger than in alanine for large depths. In case of epithermal and fast neutron beams the energy released in phenolic compound is larger than in alanine samples because the elastic scattering with hydrogen nuclei is more probable for high neutron energies and this phenolic compound is characterized by an higher number of 1H nuclei than alanine. All results here found suggest that these phenolic pellets could be fruitfully used for dosimetric applications in Neutron Capture Therapy.

  5. Gd-labeled glycol chitosan as a pH-responsive magnetic resonance imaging agent for detecting acidic tumor microenvironments.

    PubMed

    Nwe, Kido; Huang, Ching-Hui; Tsourkas, Andrew

    2013-10-24

    Neoplastic lesions can create a hostile tumor microenvironment with low extracellular pH. It is commonly believed that these conditions can contribute to tumor progression as well as resistance to therapy. We report the development and characterization of a pH-responsive magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent for imaging the acidic tumor microenvironment. The preparation included the conjugation of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid 1-(2,5-dioxo-1-pyrrolidinyl) ester (DOTA-NHS) to the surface of a water-soluble glycol chitosan (GC) polymer, which contains pH-titrable primary amines, followed by gadolinium complexation (GC-NH2-GdDOTA). GC-NH2-GdDOTA had a chelate-to-polymer ratio of approximately1:24 and a molar relaxivity of 9.1 mM(-1) s(-1). GC-NH2-GdDOTA demonstrated pH-dependent cellular association in vitro compared to the control. It also generated a 2.4-fold enhancement in signal in tumor-bearing mice 2 h postinjection. These findings suggest that glycol chitosan coupled with contrast agents can provide important diagnostic information about the tumor microenvironment.

  6. Synthesis and evaluation of nanoglobular macrocyclic Mn(II) chelate conjugates as non-gadolinium(III) MRI contrast agents.

    PubMed

    Tan, Mingqian; Ye, Zhen; Jeong, Eun-Kee; Wu, Xueming; Parker, Dennis L; Lu, Zheng-Rong

    2011-05-18

    Because of the recent observation of the toxic side effects of Gd(III) based MRI contrast agents in patients with impaired renal function, there is strong interest on developing alternative contrast agents for MRI. In this study, macrocyclic Mn(II) chelates were conjugated to nanoglobular carriers, lysine dendrimers with a silsesquioxane core, to synthesize non-Gd(III) based MRI contrast agents. A generation 3 nanoglobular conjugate of Mn(II)-1,4,7-triaazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetate-GA amide (G3-NOTA-Mn) was also synthesized and evaluated. The per ion T(1) and T(2) relaxivities of G2, G3, G4 nanoglobular Mn(II)-DOTA monoamide conjugates decreased with increasing generation of the carriers. The T(1) relaxivities of G2, G3, and G4 nanoglobular Mn(II)-DOTA conjugates were 3.3, 2.8, and 2.4 mM(-1) s(-1) per Mn(II) chelate at 3 T, respectively. The T(1) relaxivity of G3-NOTA-Mn was 3.80 mM(-1) s(-1) per Mn(II) chelate at 3 T. The nanoglobular macrocyclic Mn(II) chelate conjugates showed good in vivo stability and were readily excreted via renal filtration. The conjugates resulted in much less nonspecific liver enhancement than MnCl(2) and were effective for contrast-enhanced tumor imaging in nude mice bearing MDA-MB-231 breast tumor xenografts at a dose of 0.03 mmol Mn/kg. The nanoglobular macrocyclic Mn(II) chelate conjugates are promising nongadolinium based MRI contrast agents.

  7. A Pictorial Review of Hepatobiliary Magnetic Resonance Imaging With Hepatocyte-Specific Contrast Agents: Uses, Findings, and Pitfalls of Gadoxetate Disodium and Gadobenate Dimeglumine.

    PubMed

    Scali, Elena P; Walshe, Triona; Tiwari, Hina Arif; Harris, Alison C; Chang, Silvia D

    2017-08-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has a well-established role as a highly specific and accurate modality for characterizing benign and malignant focal liver lesions. In particular, contrast-enhanced MRI using hepatocyte-specific contrast agents (HSCAs) improves lesion detection and characterization compared to other imaging modalities and MRI techniques. In this pictorial review, the mechanism of action of gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents, with a focus on HSCAs, is described. The clinical indications, protocols, and emerging uses of the 2 commercially available combined contrast agents available in the United States, gadoxetate disodium and gadobenate dimeglumine, are discussed. The MRI features of these agents are compared with examples of focal hepatic masses, many of which have been obtained within the same patient therefore allowing direct lesion comparison. Finally, the pitfalls in the use of combined contrast agents in liver MRI are highlighted. Copyright © 2016 Canadian Association of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Changes in Signal Intensity of the Dentate Nucleus and Globus Pallidus in Pediatric Patients: Impact of Brain Irradiation and Presence of Primary Brain Tumors Independent of Linear Gadolinium-based Contrast Agent Administration.

    PubMed

    Tamrazi, Benita; Nguyen, Binh; Liu, Chia-Shang J; Azen, Colleen G; Nelson, Mary B; Dhall, Girish; Nelson, Marvin D

    2018-05-01

    Purpose To determine whether whole-brain irradiation, chemotherapy, and primary brain pathologic conditions affect magnetic resonance (MR) imaging signal changes in pediatric patients independent of the administration of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). Materials and Methods This institutional review board-approved, HIPAA-compliant study included 144 pediatric patients who underwent intravenous GBCA-enhanced MR imaging examinations (55 patients with primary brain tumors and whole-brain irradiation, 19 with primary brain tumors and chemotherapy only, 52 with primary brain tumors without any treatment, and 18 with neuroblastoma without brain metastatic disease). The signal intensities (SIs) in the globus pallidus (GP), thalamus (T), dentate nucleus (DN), and pons (P) were measured on unenhanced T1-weighted images. GP:T and DN:P SI ratios were compared between groups by using the analysis of variance and were analyzed relative to group, total cumulative number of doses of GBCA, age, and sex by using multivariable linear models. Results DN:P ratio for the radiation therapy group was greater than that for the other groups except for the group of brain tumors treated with chemotherapy (P < .05). The number of GBCA doses was correlated with the DN:P ratio for the nontreated brain tumor group (P < .0001). The radiation therapy-treated brain tumor group demonstrated higher DN:P ratios than the nontreated brain tumor group for number of doses less than or equal to 10 (P < .0001), whereas ratios in the nontreated brain tumor group were higher than those in the radiation therapy-treated brain tumor group for doses greater than 20 (P = .05). The GP:T ratios for the brain tumor groups were greater than that for the neuroblastoma group (P = .01). Conclusion Changes in SI of the DN and GP that are independent of the administration of GBCA occur in patients with brain tumors undergoing brain irradiation, as well as in patients with untreated primary brain tumors. © RSNA

  9. Renal function, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis and other adverse reactions associated with gadolinium-based contrast media.

    PubMed

    Canga, Ana; Kislikova, Maria; Martínez-Gálvez, María; Arias, Mercedes; Fraga-Rivas, Patricia; Poyatos, Cecilio; de Francisco, Angel L M

    2014-01-01

    Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis is a fibrosing disorder that affects patients with impaired renal function and is associated with the administration of gadolinium-based contrast media used in MRI. Despite being in a group of drugs that were considered safe, report about this potentially serious adverse reaction was a turning point in the administration guidelines of these contrast media. There has been an attempt to establish safety parameters to identify patients with risk factors of renal failure. The close pharmacovigilance and strict observation of current regulations, with special attention being paid to the value of glomerular filtration, have reduced the published cases involving the use of gadolinium-based contrast media. In a meeting between radiologists and nephrologists we reviewed the most relevant aspects currently and recommendations for its prevention.

  10. Contrast agent enhanced pQCT of articular cartilage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kallioniemi, A. S.; Jurvelin, J. S.; Nieminen, M. T.; Lammi, M. J.; Töyräs, J.

    2007-02-01

    The delayed gadolinium enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) technique is the only non-invasive means to estimate proteoglycan (PG) content in articular cartilage. In dGEMRIC, the anionic paramagnetic contrast agent gadopentetate distributes in inverse relation to negatively charged PGs, leading to a linear relation between T1,Gd and spatial PG content in tissue. In the present study, for the first time, contrast agent enhanced peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) was applied, analogously to dGEMRIC, for the quantitative detection of spatial PG content in cartilage. The suitability of two anionic radiographic contrast agents, gadopentetate and ioxaglate, to detect enzymatically induced PG depletion in articular cartilage was investigated. First, the interrelationships of x-ray absorption, as measured with pQCT, and the contrast agent solution concentration were investigated. Optimal contrast agent concentrations for the following experiments were selected. Second, diffusion rates for both contrast agents were investigated in intact (n = 3) and trypsin-degraded (n = 3) bovine patellar cartilage. The contrast agent concentration of the cartilaginous layer was measured prior to and 2-27 h after immersion. Optimal immersion time for the further experiments was selected. Third, the suitability of gadopentetate and ioxaglate enhanced pQCT to detect the enzymatically induced specific PG depletion was investigated by determining the contrast agent concentrations and uronic acid and water contents in digested and intact osteochondral samples (n = 16). After trypsin-induced PG loss (-70%, p < 0.05) the penetration of gadopentetate and ioxaglate increased (p < 0.05) by 34% and 48%, respectively. Gadopentetate and ioxaglate concentrations both showed strong correlation (r = -0.95, r = -0.94, p < 0.01, respectively) with the uronic acid content. To conclude, contrast agent enhanced pQCT provides a technique to quantify PG content in normal and experimentally

  11. Hypophosphatemia is Associated with the Serial Administration of Triple-Dose Gadolinium to Patients for Brain MRI.

    PubMed

    Wolansky, Leo J; Cadavid, Diego; Punia, Vineet; Kim, Soyeon; Cheriyan, Jojy; Haghighi, Mershad; Cook, Stuart D

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to report a metabolic abnormality associated with frequent, triple-dose Gadolinium (TdGd) use in MS patients during BECOME trial. Potential clinical adverse events and lab abnormalities were monitored at each monthly MRI visit. Hypophosphatemia was defined as phosphate <2.5 mg/dL. Statistical analysis included McNemar's test for pairwise comparisons across visits and generalized estimating equations (GEE) to fit models over time. Eight hundred seventy seven phosphate values were analyzed from the first 12 months. Compared with 4% of subjects at screening, an average of 15.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 11.4%-19.7%) of patients had hypophosphatemia at visits from months 1 to 12, during which subjects received serial TdGd. Forty four of seventy five (59%) patients developed hypophosphatemia at least once. We also found a significant increasing trend in hypophosphatemia by visit when treatment groups were evaluated together or separately (p < .001). There was a statistically significant decrease in frequency to 9.8% (95% CI: 4.6-19.8%) by month 24 (p = .005) coinciding with a period of less frequent gadolinium administration. Serial TdGd in MS patients, unrelated to immunomodulatory treatment, was associated with increased frequency of hypophosphatemia that progressed with cumulative triple-dose and markedly decreased in second year, with less frequent triple-dose administration. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

  12. Effect of Renal Function on Gadolinium-Related Signal Increases on Unenhanced T1-Weighted Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

    PubMed

    Cao, Yan; Zhang, Yang; Shih, George; Zhang, Yan; Bohmart, Andrew; Hecht, Elizabeth M; Prince, Martin R

    2016-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine if renal function affects signal changes in the deep brain nuclei on unenhanced T1-weighted images after administration of linear gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). An electronic medical records search of 2 large medical centers identified 25 patients who received linear GBCA while on hemodialysis and had unenhanced T1-weighted images of the brain before and after. The dentate-to-cerebellar peduncle (DCP) ratio, globus pallidus-to-mid thalamus (GPT) ratio, and choroid plexus-to-nearby white matter ratio were measured and compared with 25 age/sex/GBCA exposure-matched control patients with normal or near-normal renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate >60 mL/min per 1.73 m). Two additional control groups included 13 patients on hemodialysis without GBCA exposure and 13 age/sex-matched patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate greater than 60 mL/min per 1.73 m. Hemodialysis patients (n = 25) with an average of 1.8 linear GBCA administrations had a 4.9% mean increase (1.00 ± 0.04 vs 1.05 ± 0.05; P < 0.001) in DCP, which was greater than the 1.6% change (0.99 ± 0.04 vs 1.00 ± 0.05; P = 0.08) observed in matched controls (P = 0.01). There was no significant signal change in the DCP ratio in the 13 hemodialysis patients (0.99 ± 0.04 vs 0.99 ± 0.04; P = 0.78) and 13 age/sex-matched patients (0.99 ± 0.02 vs 0.99 ± 0.03; P = 0.78) who did not receive GBCA. The hemodialysis patients had a baseline GPT that was higher than nondialysis patients (P < 0.001). However, the GPT change after GBCA administration was not significantly different from controls. Increased signal in the choroid plexus on unenhanced T1-weighted images after GBCA administration was noted in hemodialysis patients (0.72 ± 0.20 vs 0.86 ± 0.23; P = 0.006); however, a multivariate analysis showed this to be primarily related to hemodialysis (P = 0.003) with only a trend toward relating to GBCA exposure (P = 0.07). Hemodialysis

  13. High-pressure high-temperature phase diagram of gadolinium studied using a boron-doped heater anvil

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Montgomery, J. M.; Samudrala, G. K.; Velisavljevic, N.

    A boron-doped designer heater anvil is used in conjunction with powder x-ray diffraction to collect structural information on a sample of quasi-hydrostatically loaded gadolinium metal up to pressures above 8 GPa and 600 K. The heater anvil consists of a natural diamond anvil that has been surface modified with a homoepitaxially-grown chemical-vapor-deposited layer of conducting boron-doped diamond, and is used as a DC heating element. Internally insulating both diamond anvils with sapphire support seats allows for heating and cooling of the high pressure area on the order of a few tens of seconds. This device is then used to scanmore » the phase diagram of the sample by oscillating the temperature while continuously increasing the externally applied pressure and collecting in situ time-resolved powder diffraction images. In the pressure-temperature range covered in the experiment the gadolinium sample is observed in its hcp, αSm, and dhcp phases. Under this temperature cycling, the hcp→αSm transition proceeds in discontinuous steps at points along the expected phase boundary. Additionally, the unit cell volumes of each phase deviate from the expected thermal expansion behavior just before each transition is observed from the diffraction data. From these measurements (representing only one hour of synchrotron x-ray collection time), a single-experiment equation of state and phase diagram of each phase of gadolinium is presented for the range of 0 - 10 GPa and 300 - 650 K.« less

  14. Quantitative assessment of the rheumatoid synovial microvascular bed by gadolinium-DTPA enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

    PubMed Central

    Gaffney, K.; Cookson, J.; Blades, S.; Coumbe, A.; Blake, D.

    1998-01-01

    OBJECTIVE—To examine the relation between rate of synovial membrane enhancement, intra-articular pressure (IAP), and histologically determined synovial vascularity in rheumatoid arthritis, using gadolinium-DTPA enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
METHODS—Dynamic gadolinium-DTPA enhanced MRI was performed in 31 patients with knee synovitis (10 patients IAP study, 21 patients vascular morphometry study). Rate of synovial membrane enhancement was quantified by line profile analysis using the image processing package ANALYZE. IAP was measured using an intra-compartmental pressure monitor system. Multiple synovial biopsy specimens were obtained by a blind biopsy technique. Blood vessels were identified immunohistochemically using the endothelial cell marker QBend30 and quantified (blood vessel numerical density and fractional area).
RESULTS—Median blood vessel numerical density and fractional area were 77.5/mm2 (IQR; 69.3-110.7) and 5.6% (IQR; 3.4-8.5) respectively. The rate of synovial membrane enhancement (median 2.74 signal intensity units/s, IQR 2.0-3.8) correlated with both blood vessel numerical density (r = 0.46, p < 0.05) and blood vessel fractional area (r = 0.55, p < 0.02). IAP did not influence the rate of enhancement.
CONCLUSIONS—Gadolinium-DTPA enhanced MRI may prove to be a valuable technique for evaluating drugs that influence angiogenesis.

 Keywords: magnetic resonance imaging; rheumatoid arthritis; synovitis; vascularity PMID:9640130

  15. High-pressure high-temperature phase diagram of gadolinium studied using a boron-doped heater anvil

    DOE PAGES

    Montgomery, J. M.; Samudrala, G. K.; Velisavljevic, N.; ...

    2016-04-07

    A boron-doped designer heater anvil is used in conjunction with powder x-ray diffraction to collect structural information on a sample of quasi-hydrostatically loaded gadolinium metal up to pressures above 8 GPa and 600 K. The heater anvil consists of a natural diamond anvil that has been surface modified with a homoepitaxially-grown chemical-vapor-deposited layer of conducting boron-doped diamond, and is used as a DC heating element. Internally insulating both diamond anvils with sapphire support seats allows for heating and cooling of the high pressure area on the order of a few tens of seconds. This device is then used to scanmore » the phase diagram of the sample by oscillating the temperature while continuously increasing the externally applied pressure and collecting in situ time-resolved powder diffraction images. In the pressure-temperature range covered in the experiment the gadolinium sample is observed in its hcp, αSm, and dhcp phases. Under this temperature cycling, the hcp→αSm transition proceeds in discontinuous steps at points along the expected phase boundary. Additionally, the unit cell volumes of each phase deviate from the expected thermal expansion behavior just before each transition is observed from the diffraction data. From these measurements (representing only one hour of synchrotron x-ray collection time), a single-experiment equation of state and phase diagram of each phase of gadolinium is presented for the range of 0 - 10 GPa and 300 - 650 K.« less

  16. Pharmacokinetic and in vivo evaluation of a self-assembled gadolinium(III)-iron(II) contrast agent with high relaxivity.

    PubMed

    Parac-Vogt, Tatjana N; Vander Elst, Luce; Kimpe, Kristof; Laurent, Sophie; Burtéa, Carmen; Chen, Feng; Van Deun, Rik; Ni, Yicheng; Muller, Robert N; Binnemans, Koen

    2006-01-01

    A high-molecular weight tetrametallic supramolecular complex [(Ln-DTPA-phen)3Fe]- (Ln = Gd, Eu, La) has been obtained upon self-assembly around one iron(II) ion of three 1,10-phenantroline-based molecules substituted in 5'-position with the polyaminocarboxylate diethylenetriamine-N,N,N',N',N'-pentaacetate, DTPA-phen(4-). The ICP-MS measurements indicated that the lanthanide:iron ratio is 3:1. Photoluminescence spectra of [Eu-DTPA-phen](-) and of [(Eu-DTPA-phen)3Fe]- are nearly identical, implying that the first coordination sphere of the lanthanide(III) ion has not been changed upon coordination of phenantroline unit to iron(II) ion. NMRD measurements revealed that at 20 MHz and 310 K the relaxivity of the [(Gd-DTPA-phen)3Fe]- is equal to 9.5 +/- 0.3 s(-1) mM(-1) of Gd (28.5 s(-1) per millimole per liter of complex) which is significantly higher than that for Gd-DTPA (3.9 s(-1) mM(-1)). The pharmacokinetic parameters of [(Gd-DTPA-phen)3Fe]- in rats indicate that the elimination of [(Gd-DTPA-phen)3Fe]- is significantly slower than that of Gd-DTPA and is correlated with a reduced volume of distribution. The low volume of distribution and the longer elimination time (T(e1/2)) suggest that the agent is confined to the blood compartment, so it could have an important potential as a blood pool contrast agent. The biodistribution profile of [(Gd-DTPA-phen)3Fe]- 2 h after injection indicates significantly higher concentrations of [(Gd-DTPA-phen)3Fe]- as compared with Gd-DTPA in kidney, liver, lungs, heart and spleen. The images obtained on rats by MR angiography show the enhancement of the abdominal blood vessels. The signal intensity reaches a maximum of 55% at 7 min post-contrast and remains around 25% after 90 min. MRI-histomorphological correlation studies of [Gd-DTPA-phen]- and [(Gd-DTPA-phen)3Fe]- showed that both agents displayed potent contrast enhancement in organs including the liver. The necrosis avidity tests indicated that, in contrast to the [Gd

  17. 21 CFR 700.13 - Use of mercury compounds in cosmetics including use as skinbleaching agents in cosmetic...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 7 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true Use of mercury compounds in cosmetics including use as skinbleaching agents in cosmetic preparations also regarded as drugs. 700.13 Section 700.13 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) COSMETICS...

  18. 21 CFR 700.13 - Use of mercury compounds in cosmetics including use as skinbleaching agents in cosmetic...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 7 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Use of mercury compounds in cosmetics including use as skinbleaching agents in cosmetic preparations also regarded as drugs. 700.13 Section 700.13...) COSMETICS GENERAL Requirements for Specific Cosmetic Products § 700.13 Use of mercury compounds in cosmetics...

  19. 21 CFR 700.13 - Use of mercury compounds in cosmetics including use as skinbleaching agents in cosmetic...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 7 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Use of mercury compounds in cosmetics including use as skinbleaching agents in cosmetic preparations also regarded as drugs. 700.13 Section 700.13...) COSMETICS GENERAL Requirements for Specific Cosmetic Products § 700.13 Use of mercury compounds in cosmetics...

  20. 21 CFR 700.13 - Use of mercury compounds in cosmetics including use as skinbleaching agents in cosmetic...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 7 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Use of mercury compounds in cosmetics including use as skinbleaching agents in cosmetic preparations also regarded as drugs. 700.13 Section 700.13...) COSMETICS GENERAL Requirements for Specific Cosmetic Products § 700.13 Use of mercury compounds in cosmetics...

  1. Immediate Adverse Reactions to Gadolinium-Based MR Contrast Media: A Retrospective Analysis on 10,608 Examinations.

    PubMed

    Granata, Vincenza; Cascella, Marco; Fusco, Roberta; dell'Aprovitola, Nicoletta; Catalano, Orlando; Filice, Salvatore; Schiavone, Vincenzo; Izzo, Francesco; Cuomo, Arturo; Petrillo, Antonella

    2016-01-01

    Background and Purpose. Contrast media (CM) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may determine the development of acute adverse reactions. Objective was to retrospectively assess the frequency and severity of adverse reactions associated with gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) injection in patients who underwent MRI. Material and Methods. At our center 10608 MRI examinations with CM were performed using five different GBCAs: Gd-BOPTA (MultiHance), Gd-DTPA (Magnevist), Gd-EOBDTPA (Primovist), Gd-DOTA (Dotarem), and Gd-BTDO3A (Gadovist). Results. 32 acute adverse reactions occurred, accounting for 0.3% of all administration. Twelve reactions were associated with Gd-DOTA injection (0.11%), 9 with Gd-BOPTA injection (0.08%), 6 with Gd-BTDO3A (0.056%), 3 with Gd-EOB-DTPA (0.028%), and 2 with Gd-DTPA (0.018%). Twenty-four reactions (75.0%) were mild, four (12.5%) moderate, and four (12.5%) severe. The most severe reactions were seen associated with use of Gd-BOPTA, with 3 severe reactions in 32 total reactions. Conclusion. Acute adverse reactions are generally rare with the overall adverse reaction rate of 0.3%. The most common adverse reactions were not severe, consisting in skin rash and hives.

  2. Neuroprotective effect of gadolinium: a stretch-activated calcium channel blocker in mouse model of ischemia-reperfusion injury.

    PubMed

    Gulati, Puja; Muthuraman, Arunachalam; Jaggi, Amteshwar S; Singh, Nirmal

    2013-03-01

    The present study was designed to investigate the potential of gadolinium, a stretch-activated calcium channel blocker in ischemic reperfusion (I/R)-induced brain injury in mice. Bilateral carotid artery occlusion of 12 min followed by reperfusion for 24 h was given to induce cerebral injury in male Swiss mice. Cerebral infarct size was measured using triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Memory was assessed using Morris water maze test and motor incoordination was evaluated using rota-rod, lateral push, and inclined beam walking tests. In addition, total calcium, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), reduced glutathione (GSH), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were also estimated in brain tissue. I/R injury produced a significant increase in cerebral infarct size. A significant loss of memory along with impairment of motor performance was also noted. Furthermore, I/R injury also produced a significant increase in levels of TBARS, total calcium, AChE activity, and a decrease in GSH levels. Pretreatment of gadolinium significantly attenuated I/R-induced infarct size, behavioral and biochemical changes. On the basis of the present findings, we can suggest that opening of stretch-activated calcium channel may play a critical role in ischemic reperfusion-induced brain injury and that gadolinium has neuroprotective potential in I/R-induced injury.

  3. Diffusion properties of conventional and calcium-sensitive MRI contrast agents in the rat cerebral cortex.

    PubMed

    Hagberg, Gisela E; Mamedov, Ilgar; Power, Anthony; Beyerlein, Michael; Merkle, Hellmut; Kiselev, Valerij G; Dhingra, Kirti; Kubìček, Vojtĕch; Angelovski, Goran; Logothetis, Nikos K

    2014-01-01

    Calcium-sensitive MRI contrast agents can only yield quantitative results if the agent concentration in the tissue is known. The agent concentration could be determined by diffusion modeling, if relevant parameters were available. We have established an MRI-based method capable of determining diffusion properties of conventional and calcium-sensitive agents. Simulations and experiments demonstrate that the method is applicable both for conventional contrast agents with a fixed relaxivity value and for calcium-sensitive contrast agents. The full pharmacokinetic time-course of gadolinium concentration estimates was observed by MRI before, during and after intracerebral administration of the agent, and the effective diffusion coefficient D* was determined by voxel-wise fitting of the solution to the diffusion equation. The method yielded whole brain coverage with a high spatial and temporal sampling. The use of two types of MRI sequences for sampling of the diffusion time courses was investigated: Look-Locker-based quantitative T(1) mapping, and T(1) -weighted MRI. The observation times of the proposed MRI method is long (up to 20 h) and consequently the diffusion distances covered are also long (2-4 mm). Despite this difference, the D* values in vivo were in agreement with previous findings using optical measurement techniques, based on observation times of a few minutes. The effective diffusion coefficient determined for the calcium-sensitive contrast agents may be used to determine local tissue concentrations and to design infusion protocols that maintain the agent concentration at a steady state, thereby enabling quantitative sensing of the local calcium concentration. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Layered gadolinium hydroxides for simultaneous drug delivery and imaging.

    PubMed

    Xu, Yadong; Goyanes, Alvaro; Wang, Yuwei; Weston, Andrew J; So, Po-Wah; Geraldes, Carlos F G C; Fogg, Andrew M; Basit, Abdul W; Williams, Gareth R

    2018-02-27

    The potential of the layered gadolinium hydroxide (LGdH) [Gd 2 (OH) 5 ]Cl·yH 2 O (LGdH-Cl) for simultaneous drug delivery and magnetic resonance imaging was explored in this work. Three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (diclofenac [dic], ibuprofen [ibu], and naproxen [nap]) were intercalated into LGdH-Cl for the first time, using three different routes (ion exchange intercalation, coprecipitation, and exfoliation-self-assembly). X-ray diffraction, elemental microanalysis and IR spectroscopy confirmed successful incorporation of the drug into the interlayer spaces of the LGdH in all cases. From a comparison of the guest anion sizes and interlayer spacings, the active ingredients are believed to adopt intertwined bilayer configurations between the LGdH layers. The materials prepared by coprecipitation in general have noticeably higher drug loadings than those produced by ion exchange or self-assembly, as a result of the incorporation of some neutral drug into the composites. The LGdH-drug intercalates are stable at neutral pH, but rapidly degrade in acidic conditions to free Gd 3+ into solution. While LGdH-nap releases its drug loading into solution very rapidly (within ca. 1.5 h) at pH 7.4, LGdH-dic shows sustained release over 4 h, and LGdH-ibu extends this to 24 h. The latter composites therefore can be incorporated into enteric-coated tablets to provide sustained release in the small intestine. The drug intercalates are highly biocompatible and retain the proton relaxivity properties of the parent LGdH-Cl, with the materials most promising for use as negative contrast agents in MRI. Overall, the LGdH-drug intercalation compounds appear to have great potential for use in theranostic applications.

  5. Superparamagnetic And Paramagnetic MRI Contrast Agents: Application Of Rapid Magnetic Resonance Imaging To Assess Renal Function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carvlin, Mark J.; Renshaw, Perry F.; Arger, Peter; Kundel, Harold L.; Dougherty, Larry; Axel, Leon; Kassab, Eleanor; Moore, Bethanne

    1988-06-01

    The paramagnetic chelate complex, gadolinium-diethylene-triamine-pentaacetic acid, Gd-DTPA, and superparamagnetic particles, such as those composed of dextran coated magnetite, function as magnetic resonance contrast agents by changing the relaxation rates, 1/T1 and 1/T2. The effects that these agents have upon MR signal intensity are determined by: the inherent biophysical properties of the tissue being imaged, the concentration of the contrast agent and the data acquisition scheme (pulse sequence parameters) employed. Following the time course of MR signal change in the first minutes after the injection of contrast agent(s) allows a dynamic assessment of organ functions in a manner analogous to certain nuclear medicine studies. In order to study renal function, sequential MR fast scan images, gradient echo (TR=35/TE=7 msec, flip angle=25 degrees), were acquired, one every 12 seconds, after intravenous injection of Gd-DTPA and/or dextran-magnetite. Gd-DTPA, which is freely filtered at the glomerulus and is neither secreted nor reabsorbed, provides information concerning renal perfusion, glomerular filtration and tubular concentrating ability. Dextran-magnetite (200 A diameter), which is primarily contained within the intravascular space shortly after injection, provides information on blood flow to and distribution within the kidney. The MR signal change observed after administration of contrast agents varied dramatically depending upon the agents injected and the imaging parameters used. Hence a broad range of physiolgic processes may be described using these techniques, i.e. contrast agent enhanced functional MR examinations.

  6. Stability of Gadolinium-Doped Liquid Organic Scintillators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gromov, M. B.; Kuznetsov, D. S.; Murchenko, A. E.; Novikova, G. Ya.; Obinyakov, B. A.; Oralbaev, A. Yu.; Plakitina, K. V.; Skorokhvatov, M. D.; Sukhotin, S. V.; Chepurnov, A. S.; Etenko, A. V.

    2018-03-01

    The technology of preparing a linear-alkylbenzene-based gadolinium-doped liquid organic scintillator (Gd-LOS) as a target material in reactor antineutrino detectors has been developed. Results of longterm measurements of the light yield of Gd-LOS in contact with acryl and stainless steel are presented, which confirm the compatibility of Gd-LOS with these materials. The measurements were performed for two otherwise identical LOS detectors only differing in wall materials of the sensitive volume: acryl versus stainless steel. The results of measurements over about one year showed almost the same, relatively small decreases in the light yield of both detectors. It is concluded that both structural materials can be used in detector parts contacting with Gd-doped scintillator. Such a long-term parallel comparative test was carried out for the first time.

  7. Analysis of Blood Gadolinium in an Isotope Geochemist Following Contrast MRI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wasylenki, L. E.

    2011-12-01

    Normal brain tissue does not have blood flowing throughout it; instead oxygen diffuses across a blood-brain barrier in order to oxygenate brain cells. Brain tumors, however, do grow blood supplies, so an abnormal distribution of blood in the brain is a key indicator of abnormal cell growth. But how is the distribution of blood in inside the brain observed? The lanthanide ion gadolinium(III) has unpaired 5f-shell electrons and is thus paramagnetic. As such, the presence of Gd causes the nuclei of nearby atoms to relax more quickly when excited to high-energy spin states by pulses of radio-frequency energy than they would without Gd nearby. The signal in magnetic resonance imaging correlates with this nuclear spin relaxation time, so gadolinium's presence in certain body tissues makes those tissues appear as bright areas on MRI images. Gadolinium is therefore commonly injected intravenously just prior to MRI imaging, so that the distribution of blood in and around the brain can be mapped. Gadolinium as a free ion is toxic, so it is injected in a relatively inert form, often as gadoversetamide, in which Gd is tightly bound in nine-fold coordination with N, C, and O. This compound is removed from the blood by the kidneys at a rate that is fast compared to the rate of breakdown of this compound in the blood, thus preventing release of toxic Gd in the bloodstream. But how quickly can the kidneys of an isotope geochemist remove Gd from blood? In this experiment, a single isotope geochemist's wristwatch was synchronized with that of the MRI technician and then left in a dressing room with all other magnetically susceptible objects until after the MRI. The time of intravenous injection of gadoversetamide into the isotopist was recorded by the technician and later transmitted verbally to the isotopist. Following the MRI session, blood samples were collected by self-fingerprick, in a Class 100 trace metal clean lab, from 47 to 281 minutes after intravenous injection. For each

  8. Safe Use of Contrast Media: What the Radiologist Needs to Know.

    PubMed

    Beckett, Katrina R; Moriarity, Andrew K; Langer, Jessica M

    2015-10-01

    Iodinated and gadolinium-based contrast media are used on a daily basis in most radiology practices. These agents often are essential to providing accurate diagnoses, and are nearly always safe and effective when administered correctly. However, reactions to contrast media do occur and can be life threatening. Therefore, it is critical for faculty and staff to know how reactions to contrast agents manifest and how to treat them promptly. The decline in renal function seen occasionally after intravenous administration of iodinated contrast agents is poorly understood and likely multifactorial, and its association with the contrast medium may be overemphasized. However, it is important that radiologists be aware of current understanding and strategies to decrease the incidence of renal dysfunction. Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, a skin disease, is an adverse reaction related to use of some gadolinium-based contrast agents in patients with chronic renal failure. The types of gadolinium most often associated with this condition and the indications for withholding gadolinium are important and are discussed in this article. The use of enteric contrast agents and contrast agents during pregnancy and nursing are reviewed briefly. Current knowledge for safe use of contrast media and key concepts that all radiologists should know are summarized in this review. © RSNA, 2015.

  9. Dramatic impact of the giant local magnetic fields on spin-dependent recombination processes in gadolinium based garnets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Romanov, N. G., E-mail: nikolai.romanov@mail.ioffe.ru; Tolmachev, D. O.; Gurin, A. S.

    2015-06-29

    A giant magnetic field effect on spin-dependent recombination of the radiation-induced defects has been found in cerium doped gadolinium based garnet crystals and ceramics, promising materials for scintillator applications. A sharp and strong increase in the afterglow intensity stimulated by external magnetic field and an evidence of the magnetic field memory have been discovered. The effect was ascribed to huge Gd-induced internal magnetic fields, which suppress the recombination, and cross-relaxation with Gd{sup 3+} ions leading to reorientation of the spins of the electron and hole centers. Thus, the spin system of radiation-induced defects in gadolinium garnet based scintillator materials wasmore » shown to accumulate significant energy which can be released in external magnetic fields.« less

  10. Design and development of a Gadolinium-doped water Cherenkov detector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poudyal, Nabin

    This thesis describes a research and development project for neutron capture and detection in Gadolinium doped water. The Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) is exploring rare event physics, such as neutrinoless double beta decay (MAJORANA Project) and dark-matter detection (LUX experiment). The success of these experiments requires a careful study and understanding of background radiation, including flux and energy spectrum. The background radiation from surface contamination, radioactive decays of U-238, Th-232, Rn-222 in the surrounding rocks and muon induced neutrons have a large impact on the success of rare-event physics. The main objective of this R&D project is to measure the neutron flux contributing to ongoing experiments at SURF and suppress it by identification and capture method. For this purpose, we first modeled and designed a detector with Geant4 software. The approximate dimension of the detector is determined. The neutron capture percentage of the detector is estimated using Monte Carlo. The energy response of the detector is simulated. Next, we constructed the experimental detector, an acrylic rectangular tank (60cm x 30cm x 30cm), filled with Gadolinium-doped deionized water. The tank is coated with high efficient reflector and then taped with black electrical tape to make it opaque. The voltage dividers attached to PMTs are covered with mu-metal. Two 5-inch Hamamatsu Photomultiplier tubes were attached on both sides facing the tank to collect the Cherenkov light produced in the water. The detector utilizes the principle of Cherenkov light emission by a charged particle moving through a water at a speed higher than the speed of light in the water, hence it has an inherent energy threshold of Cherenkov photon production. This property reduces the lower energy backgrounds. Event data are obtained using the Data Acquisition hardware, Flash Analog to digital converter, along with Multi Instance Data Acquisition software. Post

  11. Anomalous Hall effect in calcium-doped lanthanum cobaltite and gadolinium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baily, Scott Alan

    The physical origin of the anomalous (proportional to magnetization) Hall effect is not very well understood. While many theories account for a Hall effect proportional to the magnetization of a material, these theories often predict effects significantly smaller than those found in ferromagnetic materials. An even more significant deficiency of the conventional theories is that they predict an anomalous Hall resistivity that is proportional to a power of the resistivity, and in the absence of a metal insulator transition cannot account for the anomalous Hall effect that peaks near TC. Recent models based on a geometric, or Berry, phase have had a great deal of success describing the anomalous Hall effect in double-exchange systems (e.g., lanthanum manganite and chromium dioxide). In gadolinium, as in double-exchange magnets, the exchange interaction is mediated by the conduction electrons and the anomalous Hall effect may therefore resemble that of CrO2 and other metallic double-exchange ferromagnets. Lanthanum cobaltite is similar to manganite in many ways, but a strong double-exchange interaction is not present. Calcium-doped lanthanum cobaltite films were found to have the largest anomalous Hall effect of any ferromagnetic metal. The primary purpose of this study is to gain insight into the origin of the anomalous Hall effect with the hope that these theories can be extended to account for the effect in other materials. The Hall resistivity, magnetoresistance, and magnetization of a Gadolinium single crystal were measured in fields up to 30 T. Cobaltite films were grown via laser ablation and characterized by a variety of techniques. Hall resistivity, magnetoresistance, magnetization, and magnetothermopower of L 1-xCaxCoO3 samples with 0.15 < x < 0.4 were measured in fields up to 7 T. The Gd results suggest that Berry's phase contributes partially to the Hall effect near TC. Berry's phase theories hold promise for explaining the large anomalous Hall effect in

  12. Gadolinium enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance in Anderson-Fabry disease. Evidence for a disease specific abnormality of the myocardial interstitium.

    PubMed

    Moon, James C C; Sachdev, Bhavesh; Elkington, Andrew G; McKenna, William J; Mehta, Atul; Pennell, Dudley J; Leed, Philip J; Elliott, Perry M

    2003-12-01

    Anderson-Fabry Disease (AFD), an X-linked disorder of sphingolipid metabolism, is a cause of idiopathic left ventricular hypertrophy but the mechanism of hypertrophy is poorly understood. Gadolinium enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance can detect focal myocardial fibrosis. We hypothesised that hyperenhancement would be present in AFD. Eighteen males (mean 43+/-14 years) and eight female heterozygotes (mean 48+/-12 years) with AFD underwent cine and late gadolinium cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Nine male (50%) had myocardial hyperenhancement ranging from 3.4% to 20.6% (mean 7.7+/-5.7%) of total myocardium; in males, percentage hyperenhancement related to LV mass index (r=0.78, P=0.0002) but not to ejection fraction or left ventricular volumes. Lesser hyperenhancement was also found in four (50%) heterozygous females (mean 4.6%). In 12 (92%) patients with abnormal gadolinium uptake, hyperenhancement occurred in the basal infero-lateral wall where, unlike myocardial infarction, it was not sub-endocardial. In two male patients with severe LVH (left ventricular hypertrophy) and systolic impairment there was additional hyperenhancement in other myocardial segments. These observations suggests that myocardial fibrosis occurs in AFD and may contribute to the hypertrophy and the natural history of the disease.

  13. A Manganese Alternative to Gadolinium for MRI Contrast

    PubMed Central

    Gale, Eric M.; Atanasova, Iliyana P.; Blasi, Francesco; Ay, Ilknur; Caravan, Peter

    2016-01-01

    Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are routinely used to diagnose soft tissue and vascular abnormalities. However safety concerns limit the use of iodinated and gadolinium- (Gd) based CT and MRI contrast media in renally compromised patients. With an estimated 14% of the US population suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD), contrast media compatible with renal impairment is sorely needed. We present the new manganese(II) complex [Mn(PyC3A)(H2O)]- as a Gd alternative. [Mn(PyC3A)(H2O)]- is amongst the most stable Mn(II) complexes at pH 7.4 (log KML = 11.40). In the presence of 25 mol equiv. Zn at pH 6.0, 37 °C, [Mn(PyC3A)(H2O)]- is 20-fold more resistant to dissociation than [Gd(DTPA)(H2O)]2-. Relaxivity of [Mn(PyC3A)(H2O)]- in blood plasma is comparable to commercial Gd contrast agents. Biodistribution analysis confirms that [Mn(PyC3A)(H2O)]- clears via a mixed renal/ hepatobiliary pathway with >99% elimination by 24h. [Mn(PyC3A)(H2O)]- was modified to form a bifunctional chelator and 4 chelates were conjugated to a fibrin-specific peptide to give Mn-FBP. Mn-FBP binds the soluble fibrin fragment DD(E) with Kd = 110 nM. Per Mn relaxivity of Mn-FBP is 4-fold greater than [Mn(PyC3A)(H2O)]- and increases 60% in the presence of fibrin, consistent with binding. Mn-FBP provided equivalent thrombus enhancement to the state of the art Gd analog, EP-2104R, in a rat model of arterial thrombosis. Mn metabolite analysis reveals no evidence of dechelation and the probe was >99% eliminated after 24 hr. [Mn(PyC3A)(H2O)]- is a lead development candidate for an imaging probe that is compatible with renally compromised patients. PMID:26588204

  14. Electrical and Structural Substrate of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy Determined Using Noninvasive Electrocardiographic Imaging and Late Gadolinium Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

    PubMed

    Andrews, Christopher M; Srinivasan, Neil T; Rosmini, Stefania; Bulluck, Heerajnarain; Orini, Michele; Jenkins, Sharon; Pantazis, Antonis; McKenna, William J; Moon, James C; Lambiase, Pier D; Rudy, Yoram

    2017-07-01

    Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a significant cause of sudden cardiac death in the young. Improved noninvasive assessment of ARVC and better understanding of the disease substrate are important for improving patient outcomes. We studied 20 genotyped ARVC patients with a broad spectrum of disease using electrocardiographic imaging (a method for noninvasive cardiac electrophysiology mapping) and advanced late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance scar imaging. Compared with 20 healthy controls, ARVC patients had longer ventricular activation duration (median, 52 versus 42 ms; P =0.007) and prolonged mean epicardial activation-recovery intervals (a surrogate for local action potential duration; median, 275 versus 241 ms; P =0.014). In these patients, we observed abnormal and varied epicardial activation breakthrough locations and regions of nonuniform conduction and fractionated electrograms. Nonuniform conduction and fractionated electrograms were present in the early concealed phase of ARVC. Electrophysiological abnormalities colocalized with late gadolinium enhancement scar, indicating a relationship with structural disease. Premature ventricular contractions were common in ARVC patients with variable initiation sites in both ventricles. Premature ventricular contraction rate increased with exercise, and within anatomic segments, it correlated with prolonged repolarization, electric markers of scar, and late gadolinium enhancement (all P <0.001). Electrocardiographic imaging reveals electrophysiological substrate properties that differ in ARVC patients compared with healthy controls. A novel mechanistic finding is the presence of repolarization abnormalities in regions where ventricular ectopy originates. The results suggest a potential role for electrocardiographic imaging and late gadolinium enhancement in early diagnosis and noninvasive follow-up of ARVC patients. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  15. Silica nanoparticle-based dual imaging colloidal hybrids: cancer cell imaging and biodistribution

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Haisung; Sung, Dongkyung; Kim, Jinhoon; Kim, Byung-Tae; Wang, Tuntun; An, Seong Soo A; Seo, Soo-Won; Yi, Dong Kee

    2015-01-01

    In this study, fluorescent dye-conjugated magnetic resonance (MR) imaging agents were investigated in T mode. Gadolinium-conjugated silica nanoparticles were successfully synthesized for both MR imaging and fluorescence diagnostics. Polyamine and polycarboxyl functional groups were modified chemically on the surface of the silica nanoparticles for efficient conjugation of gadolinium ions. The derived gadolinium-conjugated silica nanoparticles were investigated by zeta potential analysis, transmission electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. MR equipment was used to investigate their use as contrast-enhancing agents in T1 mode under a 9.4 T magnetic field. In addition, we tracked the distribution of the gadolinium-conjugated nanoparticles in both lung cancer cells and organs in mice. PMID:26357472

  16. Switching of the polarization of ferroelectric-ferroelastic gadolinium molybdate in a magnetic field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yakushkin, E. D.

    2017-10-01

    A change in the character of the electric switching of polydomain ferroelectric-ferroelastic gadolinium molybdate in an external magnetic field has been detected. This change has been attributed to a magnetically stimulated increase in the pinning of domain walls. Under certain conditions, the loop of switchable polarization is degenerated into an ellipse characteristic of a linear insulator with leakage current.

  17. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging of atherosclerotic lesions with a newly developed Evans blue-DTPA-gadolinium contrast medium in apolipoprotein-E-deficient mice.

    PubMed

    Yasuda, Satoshi; Ikuta, Kenjiro; Uwatoku, Toyokazu; Oi, Keiji; Abe, Kohtaro; Hyodo, Fuminori; Yoshimitsu, Kengo; Sugimura, Kohtaro; Utsumi, Hideo; Katayama, Yoshiki; Shimokawa, Hiroaki

    2008-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents that specifically detect atherosclerotic plaque may be useful for the noninvasive detection of the plaque. We have recently developed a new contrast agent, Evans blue-DTPA-gadolinium (EB-DTPA-Gd), which selectively accumulates vascular lesions with endothelial removal. In this study, we examined whether EB-DTPA-Gd is also useful for in vivo imaging of atherosclerotic plaques. We used male apolipoprotein-E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice of different ages (3, 6 and 12 months old) and age-matched male wild-type mice. After a single intravenous administration of EB-DTPA-Gd (160 microM/kg body weight), MRI T(1) signal was obtained in vivo. Increased signal intensity in the aortic wall was noted within 10-20 min after intravenous injection of EB-DTPA-Gd and was maintained for 30 min. The MRI enhancement in the aorta of ApoE-/- mice was increased in accordance with age, whereas no such enhancement was noted in wild-type mice. Histological examination demonstrated that there was a topological correlation between the site of MRI enhancement and that of atherosclerotic plaque. These results indicate that EB-DTPA-Gd is a useful MRI contrast medium for the in vivo detection of atherosclerotic plaques. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  18. Improved tumor-targeting MRI contrast agents: Gd(DOTA) conjugates of a cycloalkane-based RGD peptide

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Park, Ji-Ae, E-mail: jpark@kirams.re.kr; Lee, Yong Jin; Ko, In Ok

    2014-12-12

    Highlights: • Development of improved tumor-targeting MRI contrast agents. • To increase the targeting ability of RGD, we developed cycloalkane-based RGD peptides. • Gd(DOTA) conjugates of cycloalkane-based RGD peptide show improved tumor signal enhancement in vivo MR images. - Abstract: Two new MRI contrast agents, Gd-DOTA-c(RGD-ACP-K) (1) and Gd-DOTA-c(RGD-ACH-K) (2), which were designed by incorporating aminocyclopentane (ACP)- or aminocyclohexane (ACH)-carboxylic acid into Gd-DOTA (gadolinium-tetraazacyclo dodecanetetraacetic acid) and cyclic RGDK peptides, were synthesized and evaluated for tumor-targeting ability in vitro and in vivo. Binding affinity studies showed that both 1 and 2 exhibited higher affinity for integrin receptors than cyclic RGDyKmore » peptides, which were used as a reference. These complexes showed high relaxivity and good stability in human serum and have the potential to improve target-specific signal enhancement in vivo MR images.« less

  19. Neurosarcoidosis--demonstration of meningeal disease by gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

    PubMed Central

    Khaw, K T; Manji, H; Britton, J; Schon, F

    1991-01-01

    Arriving at a firm diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis continues to pose serious problems, particularly when evidence of granulomatous disease outside the nervous system is lacking. The commonest mode of presentation of neurosarcoidosis is with cranial nerve palsies. Two cases of presumed neurosarcoidosis with cranial nerve palsies showed clear evidence of focal meningeal disease on gadolinium-DTPA enhanced MRI brain scans. Although not specific for sarcoidosis, this technique may be very useful in aiding the diagnosis in suspected cases. Images PMID:1880510

  20. Right ventricular stress-induced perfusion defects and late gadolinium enhancement in coronary artery disease.

    PubMed

    Milks, Michael Wesley; Upadhya, Bharathi; Hall, Michael E; Vasu, Sujethra; Hundley, William Gregory; Stacey, Richard Brandon

    2015-01-01

    The assessment of right ventricular (RV) perfusion defects has remained challenging during vasodilator stress perfusion with cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). The significance of RV signal abnormalities during vasodilator stress perfusion and late gadolinium-enhanced CMR is yet uncertain. Among 61 individuals who underwent adenosine CMR stress testing before cardiac catheterization, we assessed the severity of coronary artery stenoses, mortality, the presence of stress and rest perfusion defects, as well as the presence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Right ventricular stress-induced perfusion defects were positively associated with left anterior descending artery and proximal right coronary artery stenoses but were negatively associated with left circumflex artery stenoses. The presence of RVLGE was associated with mortality, but 77% of those with RVLGE also had left ventricular LGE. Proximal right coronary artery and left anterior descending artery stenoses are positively associated, whereas left circumflex artery stenoses are negatively associated with RV stress-induced perfusion defects. Right ventricular LGE was associated with mortality, but further study is needed to determine whether this is independent of left ventricular LGE.

  1. Effect of solid-phase amorphization on the spectral characteristics of europium-doped gadolinium molybdate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shmurak, S. Z.; Kiselev, A. P.; Kurmasheva, D. M.; Red'Kin, B. S.; Sinitsyn, V. V.

    2010-05-01

    A method is proposed for detecting spectral characteristics of optically inactive molybdates of rare-earth elements by their doping with rare-earth ions whose luminescence lies in the transparency region of all structural modifications of the sample. Gadolinium molybdate is chosen as the object of investigations, while europium ions are used as an optically active and structurally sensitive admixture. It is shown that after the action of a high pressure under which gadolinium molybdate passes to the amorphous state, the spectral characteristics of Gd1.99Eu0.01(MoO4)3 (GMO:Eu) change radically; namely, considerable line broadening is observed in the luminescence spectra and the luminescence excitation spectra, while the long-wave threshold of optical absorption is shifted considerably (by approximately 1.1 eV) towards lower energies. It is found that by changing the structural state of GMO:Eu by solid-state amorphization followed by annealing, the spectral characteristics of the sample can be purposefully changed. This is extremely important for solving the urgent problem of designing high-efficiency light-emitting diodes producing “white” light.

  2. Separation of Gd-humic complexes and Gd-based magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent in river water with QAE-Sephadex A-25 for the fractionation analysis.

    PubMed

    Matsumiya, Hiroaki; Inoue, Hiroto; Hiraide, Masataka

    2014-10-01

    Gadolinium complexed with naturally occurring, negatively charged humic substances (humic and fulvic acids) was collected from 500 mL of sample solution onto a column packed with 150 mg of a strongly basic anion-exchanger (QAE-Sephadex A-25). A Gd-based magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent (diethylenetriamine-N,N,N',N″,N″-pentaacetato aquo gadolinium(III), Gd-DTPA(2-)) was simultaneously collected on the same column. The Gd-DTPA complex was desorbed by anion-exchange with 50mM tetramethylammonium sulfate, leaving the Gd-humic complexes on the column. The Gd-humic complexes were subsequently dissociated with 1M nitric acid to desorb the humic fraction of Gd. The two-step desorption with small volumes of the eluting agents allowed the 100-fold preconcentration for the fractionation analysis of Gd at low ng L(-1) levels by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). On the other hand, Gd(III) neither complexed with humic substances nor DTPA, i.e., free species, was not sorbed on the column. The free Gd in the effluent was preconcentrated 100-fold by a conventional solid-phase extraction with an iminodiacetic acid-type chelating resin and determined by ICP-MS. The proposed analytical fractionation method was applied to river water samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Monte Carlo calculations of thermal neutron capture in gadolinium: a comparison of GEANT4 and MCNP with measurements.

    PubMed

    Enger, Shirin A; Munck af Rosenschöld, Per; Rezaei, Arash; Lundqvist, Hans

    2006-02-01

    GEANT4 is a Monte Carlo code originally implemented for high-energy physics applications and is well known for particle transport at high energies. The capacity of GEANT4 to simulate neutron transport in the thermal energy region is not equally well known. The aim of this article is to compare MCNP, a code commonly used in low energy neutron transport calculations and GEANT4 with experimental results and select the suitable code for gadolinium neutron capture applications. To account for the thermal neutron scattering from chemically bound atoms [S(alpha,beta)] in biological materials a comparison of thermal neutron fluence in tissue-like poly(methylmethacrylate) phantom is made with MCNP4B, GEANT4 6.0 patch1, and measurements from the neutron capture therapy (NCT) facility at the Studsvik, Sweden. The fluence measurements agreed with MCNP calculated results considering S(alpha,beta). The location of the thermal neutron peak calculated with MCNP without S(alpha,beta) and GEANT4 is shifted by about 0.5 cm towards a shallower depth and is 25%-30% lower in amplitude. Dose distribution from the gadolinium neutron capture reaction is then simulated by MCNP and compared with measured data. The simulations made by MCNP agree well with experimental results. As long as thermal neutron scattering from chemically bound atoms are not included in GEANT4 it is not suitable for NCT applications.

  4. A comparison of the COG and MCNP codes in computational neutron capture therapy modeling, Part II: gadolinium neutron capture therapy models and therapeutic effects.

    PubMed

    Wangerin, K; Culbertson, C N; Jevremovic, T

    2005-08-01

    The goal of this study was to evaluate the COG Monte Carlo radiation transport code, developed and tested by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, for gadolinium neutron capture therapy (GdNCT) related modeling. The validity of COG NCT model has been established for this model, and here the calculation was extended to analyze the effect of various gadolinium concentrations on dose distribution and cell-kill effect of the GdNCT modality and to determine the optimum therapeutic conditions for treating brain cancers. The computational results were compared with the widely used MCNP code. The differences between the COG and MCNP predictions were generally small and suggest that the COG code can be applied to similar research problems in NCT. Results for this study also showed that a concentration of 100 ppm gadolinium in the tumor was most beneficial when using an epithermal neutron beam.

  5. [Studies of three-dimensional cardiac late gadolinium enhancement MRI at 3.0 Tesla].

    PubMed

    Ishimoto, Takeshi; Ishihara, Masaru; Ikeda, Takayuki; Kawakami, Momoe

    2008-12-20

    Cardiac late Gadolinium enhancement MR imaging has been shown to allow assessment of myocardial viability in patients with ischemic heart disease. The current standard approach is a 3D inversion recovery sequence at 1.5 Tesla. The aims of this study were to evaluate the technique feasibility and clinical utility of MR viability imaging at 3.0 Tesla in patients with myocardial infarction and cardiomyopathy. In phantom and volunteer studies, the inversion time required to suppress the signal of interests and tissues was prolonged at 3.0 Tesla. In the clinical study, the average inversion time to suppress the signal of myocardium at 3.0 Tesla with respect to MR viability imaging at 1.5 Tesla was at 15 min after the administration of contrast agent (304.0+/-29.2 at 3.0 Tesla vs. 283.9+/-20.9 at 1.5 Tesla). The contrast between infarction and viable myocardium was equal at both field strengths (4.06+/-1.30 at 3.0 Tesla vs. 4.42+/-1.85 at 1.5 Tesla). Even at this early stage, MR viability imaging at 3.0 Tesla provides high quality images in patients with myocardial infarction. The inversion time is significantly prolonged at 3.0 Tesla. The contrast between infarction and viable myocardium at 3.0 Tesla are equal to 1.5 Tesla. Further investigation is needed for this technical improvement, for clinical evaluation, and for limitations.

  6. Ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxides (USPIOs): a future alternative magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agent for patients at risk for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF)?

    PubMed Central

    Neuwelt, Edward A.; Hamilton, Bronwyn E.; Varallyay, Csanad G.; Rooney, William R.; Edelman, Robert D.; Jacobs, Paula M.; Watnick, Suzanne G.

    2008-01-01

    Gadolinium (Gd) based contrast agents (GBCAs) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used in daily clinical practice and appear safe in most patients; however, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is a recently recognized severe complication associated with GBCAs. It affects primarily patients with renal disease, such as stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD; glomerular filtration rate <30 ml/min per 1.73 m2), acute kidney injury, or kidney and liver transplant recipients with kidney dysfunction. Contrast-enhanced MRI and computed tomography (CT) scans provide important clinical information and influence patient management. An alternative contrast agent is needed to obtain adequate imaging results while avoiding the risk of NSF in this vulnerable patient group. One potential alternative is ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) nanoparticles, which provide enhancement characteristics similar to GBCAs. We review our experience in approximately 150 patients on the potential benefits of the USPIOs ferumoxtran-10 and ferumoxytol. We focus on central nervous system (CNS) MRI but also review imaging of other vascular beds. Safety studies, including USPIO administration (ferumoxytol) as iron supplement therapy in CKD patients on and not on dialysis, suggest that decreased kidney function does not alter the safety profile. We conclude that for both CNS MR imaging and MR angiography, USPIO agents like ferumoxytol are a viable option for patients at risk for NSF. PMID:18843256

  7. Chelating DTPA amphiphiles: ion-tunable self-assembly structures and gadolinium complexes.

    PubMed

    Moghaddam, Minoo J; de Campo, Liliana; Kirby, Nigel; Drummond, Calum J

    2012-10-05

    A series of chelating amphiphiles and their gadolinium (Gd(III)) metal complexes have been synthesized and studied with respect to their neat and lyotropic liquid crystalline phase behavior. These amphiphiles have the ability to form ion-tunable self-assembly nanostructures and their associated Gd(III) complexes have potential as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast enhancement agents. The amphiphiles are composed of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) chelates conjugated to one or two oleyl chain(s) (DTPA-MO and DTPA-BO), or isoprenoid-type chain(s) of phytanyl (DTPA-MP and DTPA-BP). The thermal phase behavior of the neat amphiphiles was examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and cross polarizing optical microscopy (POM). Self-assembly of neat amphiphiles and their associated Gd complexes, as well as their lyotropic phase behavior in water and sodium acetate solutions of different ionic strengths, were examined by POM and small and wide angle X-ray scattering (SWAXS). All neat amphiphiles exhibited lamellar structures. The non-complexed amphiphiles showed a variety of lyotropic phases depending on the number and nature of the hydrophobic chain in addition to the ionic state of the hydration. Upon hydration with increased Na-acetate concentration and the subtle changes in the effective headgroup size, the interfacial curvature of the amphiphile increased, altering the lyotropic liquid crystalline structures towards higher order mesophases such as the gyroid (Ia3d) bicontinuous cubic phase. The chelation of Gd with the DTPA amphiphiles resulted in lamellar crystalline structures for all the neat amphiphiles. Upon hydration with water, the Gd-complexed mono-conjugates formed micellar or vesicular self-assemblies, whilst the bis-conjugates transformed only partially into lyotropic liquid crystalline mesophases.

  8. SWI enhances vein detection using gadolinium in multiple sclerosis

    PubMed Central

    Mazzoni, Lorenzo N; Moretti, Marco; Grammatico, Matteo; Chiti, Stefano; Massacesi, Luca

    2015-01-01

    Susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) combined with the FLAIR sequence provides the ability to depict in vivo the perivenous location of inflammatory demyelinating lesions – one of the most specific pathologic features of multiple sclerosis (MS). In addition, in MS white matter (WM) lesions, gadolinium-based contrast media (CM) can increase vein signal loss on SWI. This report focuses on two cases of WM inflammatory lesions enhancing on SWI images after CM injection. In these lesions in fact the CM increased the contrast between the parenchyma and the central vein allowing as well, in one of the two cases, the detection of a vein not visible on the same SWI sequence acquired before CM injection. PMID:25815209

  9. Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome after the Use of Gadolinium Contrast Media.

    PubMed

    Park, Jihye; Byun, Il Hwan; Park, Kyung Hee; Lee, Jae-Hyun; Nam, Eun Ji; Park, Jung-Won

    2015-07-01

    Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a medical emergency that threatens life. To this day, ARDS is very rarely reported by iodine contrast media, and there is no reported case of ARDS induced by gadolinium contrast media. Here, we present a case with ARDS after the use of gadobutrol (Gadovist) as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast medium. A 26 years old female without any medical history, including allergic diseases and without current use of drugs, visited the emergency room for abdominal pain. Her abdominopelvic computed tomography with iodine contrast media showed a right ovarian cyst and possible infective colitis. Eighty-three hours later, she underwent pelvis MRI after injection of 7.5 mL (0.1 mL/kg body weight) of gadobutrol (Gadovist) to evaluate the ovarian cyst. She soon presented respiratory difficulty, edema of the lips, nausea, and vomiting, and we could hear wheezing upon auscultation. She was treated with dexamethasone, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. Her chest X-ray showed bilateral central bat-wing consolidative appearance. Managed with mechanical ventilation, she was extubated 3 days later and discharged without complications.

  10. The structural response of gadolinium phosphate to pressure

    DOE PAGES

    Heffernan, Karina M.; Ross, Nancy L.; Spencer, Elinor C.; ...

    2016-06-16

    In this study, accurate elastic constants for gadolinium phosphate (GdPO 4) have been measured by single-crystal high-pressure diffraction methods. The bulk modulus of GdPO 4 determined under hydrostatic conditions, 128.1(8) GPa (K'=5.8(2)), is markedly different from that obtained with GdPO 4 under non-hydrostatic conditions (160(2) GPa), which indicates the importance of shear stresses on the elastic response of this phosphate. Finally, high pressure Raman and diffraction analysis indicate that the PO 4 tetrahedra behave as rigid units in response to pressure and that contraction of the GdPO 4 structure is facilitated by bending/twisting of the Gd–O–P links that result inmore » increased distortion in the GdO 9 polyhedra.« less

  11. An open source, 3D printed preclinical MRI phantom for repeated measures of contrast agents and reference standards.

    PubMed

    Cox, B L; Ludwig, K D; Adamson, E B; Eliceiri, K W; Fain, S B

    2018-03-01

    In medical imaging, clinicians, researchers and technicians have begun to use 3D printing to create specialized phantoms to replace commercial ones due to their customizable and iterative nature. Presented here is the design of a 3D printed open source, reusable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) phantom, capable of flood-filling, with removable samples for measurements of contrast agent solutions and reference standards, and for use in evaluating acquisition techniques and image reconstruction performance. The phantom was designed using SolidWorks, a computer-aided design software package. The phantom consists of custom and off-the-shelf parts and incorporates an air hole and Luer Lock system to aid in flood filling, a marker for orientation of samples in the filled mode and bolt and tube holes for assembly. The cost of construction for all materials is under $90. All design files are open-source and available for download. To demonstrate utility, B 0 field mapping was performed using a series of gadolinium concentrations in both the unfilled and flood-filled mode. An excellent linear agreement (R 2 >0.998) was observed between measured relaxation rates (R 1 /R 2 ) and gadolinium concentration. The phantom provides a reliable setup to test data acquisition and reconstruction methods and verify physical alignment in alternative nuclei MRI techniques (e.g. carbon-13 and fluorine-19 MRI). A cost-effective, open-source MRI phantom design for repeated quantitative measurement of contrast agents and reference standards in preclinical research is presented. Specifically, the work is an example of how the emerging technology of 3D printing improves flexibility and access for custom phantom design.

  12. Dielectric properties and activation behavior of gadolinium doped nanocrystalline yttrium chromite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sinha, R.; Basu, S.; Meikap, A. K.

    2018-04-01

    Gadolinium doped Yttrium Chromite nanoparticles are synthesized following sol-gel method. The formation of the nanoparticles are confirmed by XRD and TEM measurements. Dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss are estimated within the temperature range 298K to 523K and in the frequency range 20 Hz to 1 MHz. Dielectric permittivity follows the power law ɛ'(f) ∝ Tm. It is observed that the temperature exponent m increases with the decreasing frequency. The temperature variation of resistivity shows that the samples have semiconducting behavior. The activation energy is also measured.

  13. A New Approach in the Preparation of Dendrimer-Based Bifunctional Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic Acid MR Contrast Agent Derivatives

    PubMed Central

    Nwe, Kido; Xu, Heng; Regino, Celeste Aida S.; Bernardo, Marcelino; Ileva, Lilia; Riffle, Lisa; Wong, Karen J.; Brechbiel, Martin W.

    2009-01-01

    In this paper we report a new method to prepare and characterize a contrast agent based on a fourth-generation (G4) polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer conjugated to the gadolinium complex of the bifunctional diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid derivative (1B4M-DTPA). The method involves pre-forming the metal-ligand chelate in alcohol prior to conjugation to the dendrimer. The dendrimer-based agent was purified by a Sephadex® G-25 column and characterized by elemental analysis. The analysis and SEHPLC data gave a chelate to dendrimer ratio of 30:1 suggesting conjugation at approximately every other amine terminal on the dendrimer. Molar relaxivity of the agent measured at pH 7.4 displayed a higher value than that of the analogous G4 dendrimer based agent prepared by the post-metal incorporation method (r1 = 26.9 vs. 13.9 mM-1s-1 at 3T and 22°C). This is hypothesized to be due to the higher hydrophobicity of this conjugate, and the lack of available charged carboxylate groups from non-complexed free ligands that might coordinate to the metal and thus also reduce water exchange sites. Additionally, the distribution populations of compounds that result from the post-metal incorporation route are eliminated from the current product simplifying characterization as quality control issues pertaining to the production of such agents for clinical use as MR contrast agents. In vivo imaging in mice showed a reasonably fast clearance (t1/2 = 24 min) suggesting a viable agent for use in clinical application. PMID:19555072

  14. A new approach in the preparation of dendrimer-based bifunctional diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid MR contrast agent derivatives.

    PubMed

    Nwe, Kido; Xu, Heng; Regino, Celeste Aida S; Bernardo, Marcelino; Ileva, Lilia; Riffle, Lisa; Wong, Karen J; Brechbiel, Martin W

    2009-07-01

    In this paper, we report a new method to prepare and characterize a contrast agent based on a fourth-generation (G4) polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer conjugated to the gadolinium complex of the bifunctional diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid derivative (1B4M-DTPA). The method involves preforming the metal-ligand chelate in alcohol prior to conjugation to the dendrimer. The dendrimer-based agent was purified by a Sephadex G-25 column and characterized by elemental analysis. The analysis and SE-HPLC data gave a chelate to dendrimer ratio of 30:1 suggesting conjugation at approximately every other amine terminal on the dendrimer. Molar relaxivity of the agent measured at pH 7.4 displayed a higher value than that of the analogous G4 dendrimer based agent prepared by the postmetal incorporation method (r(1) = 26.9 vs 13.9 mM(-1) s(-1) at 3 T and 22 degrees C). This is hypothesized to be due to the higher hydrophobicity of this conjugate and the lack of available charged carboxylate groups from noncomplexed free ligands that might coordinate to the metal and thus also reduce water exchange sites. Additionally, the distribution populations of compounds that result from the postmetal incorporation route are eliminated from the current product simplifying characterization as quality control issues pertaining to the production of such agents for clinical use as MR contrast agents. In vivo imaging in mice showed a reasonably fast clearance (t(1/2) = 24 min) suggesting a viable agent for use in clinical application.

  15. Preparation of 152Gd targets from a small quantity of gadolinium oxide in a pyrochemical reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lipski, A. R.

    1995-02-01

    A simple method utilizing small amounts (< 5 mg) of isotopically enriched material for the production of gadolinium targets is discussed. An electrostatically focused e-gun is used in the procedure in which 152Gd 2O 3 powder undergoes reduction-distillation and deposition onto an Fe foil.

  16. Extremely Small Pseudoparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticle as a Novel Blood Pool T1 Magnetic Resonance Contrast Agent for 3 T Whole-Heart Coronary Angiography in Canines: Comparison With Gadoterate Meglumine.

    PubMed

    Park, Eun-Ah; Lee, Whal; So, Young Ho; Lee, Yun-Sang; Jeon, Bong-Sik; Choi, Kyu Sung; Kim, Eung-Gyu; Myeong, Wan-Jae

    2017-02-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate an extremely small pseudoparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (ESPIO), KEG3, as a potential blood pool agent in 3 T coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in canine models and compare its efficacy to that of a gadolinium-based contrast agent. Nine mongrel dogs were subjected to whole-heart coronary MRA in 2 separate sessions at 7-day intervals with a 3 T scanner using the FLASH sequence with either gadoterate meglumine (Gd-DOTA) or the ESPIO (KEG3). Coronary MRA was performed twice at each MR examination: the first scan during the administration of the contrast agent and the subsequent second scan at 15 minutes after contrast injection. Objective measurements of the Gd-DOTA and ESPIO images, including the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for the coronary arteries and cardiac veins, contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) between the vessels and fat (CNRfat) and the vessels and the myocardium (CNRmyocardium), and subjective image quality scores on a 4-point scale were evaluated and compared. The mean SNRs and CNRs of all vascular regions in the ESPIO images were similar to those of the corresponding regions in the Gd-DOTA images in the first scan (98.1 ± 32.5 vs 79.1 ± 38.4 for SNR of coronary arteries, P = 0.3; 74.2 ± 30.1 vs 61.4 ± 38.5 for CNR, P = 0.7) and more than 2 times higher than the latter in the second scan (95.2 ± 31.3 vs 32.1 ± 8.1 for SNR of coronary arteries, P = 0.008; 76.1 ± 35.8 vs 17.6 ± 19.2 for CNR, P 0.008). Similarly, the mean values of the subjective measurements of the ESPIO images were similar to those of the Gd-DOTA images (3.9 ± 0.3 vs 3.3 ± 0.8 for coronary arteries, P = 0.1) in the first scan and significantly better than the latter in the second scan (3.9 ± 0.2 vs 2.1 ± 0.6 for coronary arteries, P = 0.007). The experimental blood pool agent KEG3 offers equivalent image quality for whole-heart coronary MRA at 3 T upon contrast administration and persistent better quality in the subsequent

  17. Corrosion resistance of 0Kh18N10T steel in gadolinium nitrate solutions in the liquid regulation of the reactivity of nuclear reactors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ganzha, V.D.; Konoplev, K.A.; Mashchetov, V.P.

    1986-03-01

    This study was carried out in connection with the preparation of the design for the PIK research reactor. The corrosion resistance of 0Kh18N10T steel in gadolinium nitrate solutions was tested in laboratory, ampule, and loop corrosion tests. At all stages of the tests, the authors investigated the effect produced on the corrosion processes by factors related to the technology of preparation of the equipment (mechanical working of the surfaces, welding, sensitizing, annealing, stressed state of the material, cracks, etc.). Ampule tests were conducted in order to determine the effect produced by reactor radiation and shutdown regimes on the corrosion resistancemore » of the steel. Special ampules made of 0Kh18N10T steel were filled with gadolinium nitrate solutions of various concentrations, sealed, and irradiated for a long period in the core of the VVR-M reactor at a temperature of 20-50 degrees C. The results of the tests are shown. The investigations showed that the corrosion of 0Kh18N10T steel in solutions of gadolinium nitrate is uniform, regardless of the state of the surface, the concentration of gadolinium nitrate, the duration of the tests, the action of the reactor radiation under static and dynamic conditions, and the presence of mechanical stresses.« less

  18. A novel cryogenic magnetic refrigerant metal-organic framework based on 1D gadolinium(III) chain

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tang, Qun; Li, Peng-Fei; Zou, Zhi-Ming, E-mail: 2014005@glut.edu.cn

    2017-02-15

    A metal-organic framework (MOF) based on gadolinium ion (Gd{sup 3+}) and tricarboxylate ligand, [Gd(BTPCA)(H{sub 2}O)]·2DMF·3H{sub 2}O (Gd-BTPCA) (H{sub 3}BTPCA =1,1′,1′-(benzene-1,3,5-triyl)tripiperidine-4-carboxylic acid; DMF=dimethylformamide), was synthesized and structurally characterized. The adjacent Gd{sup 3+} ions are intraconnected by the carboxylate groups of the BTPCA{sup 3-} ligands to form a 1D Gd{sup 3+} ion chain. The 1D Gd{sup 3+} ion chains are interconnected by the BTPCA{sup 3-} ligands, giving rise to a 3D framework with 1D open channel. The magnetic studies indicate that Gd-BTPCA exhibits weak ferromagnetic interactions, and acts as a cryogenic magnetic refrigerant having the magnetic entropy change (−ΔS{sub m}) of 20.40more » J kg{sup −1} K{sup −1} for ΔH =7 T at 3 K. - Graphical abstract: A 1D gadolinium(III) chains-based metal-organic framework performed ferromagnetic coupling on the magnetic property. Magnetic investigation reveals that Gd-BTPCA exhibits the entropy change (−ΔS{sub m}) of 20.40 J kg{sup −1} K{sup −1} for ΔH =7 T at 3 K. - Highlights: • The MOF based on gadolinium ion and tricarboxylate ligand was synthesized. • This MOF is connected with 1D Gd{sup 3+} ions chain and the carboxylate groups of BTPCA{sup 3-} ligands. • The magnetic studies indicate that the MOF exhibits the weak ferromagnetic interactions. • Magnetic investigation reveals that the MOF exhibits the high entropy change.« less

  19. Synthesis and in vivo magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of biocompatible branched copolymer nanocontrast agents.

    PubMed

    Jackson, Alexander W; Chandrasekharan, Prashant; Shi, Jian; Rannard, Steven P; Liu, Quan; Yang, Chang-Tong; He, Tao

    2015-01-01

    Branched copolymer nanoparticles (D(h) =20-35 nm) possessing 1,4,7, 10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N″,N‴-tetraacetic acid macrocycles within their cores have been synthesized and applied as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) nanosized contrast agents in vivo. These nanoparticles have been generated from novel functional monomers via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The process is very robust and synthetically straightforward. Chelation with gadolinium and preliminary in vivo experiments have demonstrated promising characteristics as MRI contrast agents with prolonged blood retention time, good biocompatibility, and an intravascular distribution. The ability of these nanoparticles to perfuse and passively target tumor cells through the enhanced permeability and retention effect is also demonstrated. These novel highly functional nanoparticle platforms have succinimidyl ester-activated benzoate functionalities within their corona, which make them suitable for future peptide conjugation and subsequent active cell-targeted MRI or the conjugation of fluorophores for bimodal imaging. We have also demonstrated that these branched copolymer nanoparticles are able to noncovalently encapsulate hydrophobic guest molecules, which could allow simultaneous bioimaging and drug delivery.

  20. Synthesis of samarium doped gadolinium oxide nanorods, its spectroscopic and physical properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boopathi, G.; Gokul Raj, S.; Ramesh Kumar, G.; Mohan, R.; Mohan, S.

    2018-06-01

    One-dimensional samarium doped gadolinium oxide [Sm:Gd2O3] nanorods have been synthesized successfully through co-precipitation technique in aqueous solution. The as-synthesized and calcined products were characterized by using powder X-ray diffraction pattern, Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Ultraviolet-Visible spectrometry, photoluminescence spectrophotometer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. The obtained results are discussed in detailed manner.

  1. Investigation of suspected Guillain-Barre syndrome in childhood: what is the role for gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the spine?

    PubMed

    Smith, Nicholas; Pereira, John; Grattan-Smith, Padraic

    2014-10-01

    To review the role of gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the spine in the diagnosis of paediatric Guillain-Barre syndrome and compare it with nerve conduction studies and cerebrospinal fluid analysis. A retrospective review of investigations undertaken in children admitted to our institution with acute Guillain-Barre syndrome over a 10-year period was performed. Seven of eight children (88%) displayed post-gadolinium nerve root enhancement consistent with Guillain-Barre syndrome. This compared with supportive nerve conduction studies in 21/24 children (88%) and cerebrospinal fluid protein analysis consistent with the diagnosis in 16/20 children (80%). Nerve conduction studies are the recognised 'gold standard' technique for confirming a clinical diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome. In this study, a high positive rate was demonstrated. While more experience is necessary, this study and the literature support gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the spine as a valuable, although not necessarily superior, investigation in the diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome. It may be of particular benefit when specialist neurophysiology expertise is unavailable. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

  2. Gadolinium-based compounds induce NLRP3-dependent IL-1β production and peritoneal inflammation.

    PubMed

    Schmidt-Lauber, Christian; Bossaller, Lukas; Abujudeh, Hani H; Vladimer, Gregory I; Christ, Anette; Fitzgerald, Katherine A; Latz, Eicke; Gravallese, Ellen M; Marshak-Rothstein, Ann; Kay, Jonathan

    2015-11-01

    Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is a progressive fibrosing disorder that may develop in patients with chronic kidney disease after administration of gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents (GBCAs). In the setting of impaired renal clearance of GBCAs, Gd deposits in various tissues and fibrosis subsequently develops. However, the precise mechanism by which fibrosis occurs in NSF is incompletely understood. Because other profibrotic agents, such as silica or asbestos, activate the nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and initiate interleukin (IL)-1β release with the subsequent development of fibrosis, we evaluated the effects of GBCAs on inflammasome activation. Bone marrow derived macrophages from C57BL/6, Nlrp3(-/-) and Asc(-/-) mice were incubated with three Gd-containing compounds and IL-1β activation and secretion was detected by ELISA and western blot analysis. Inflammasome activation and regulation was investigated in IL-4- and interferon (IFN)γ-polarised macrophages by ELISA, quantitative real time (qRT)-PCR and NanoString nCounter analysis. Furthermore, C57BL/6 and Nlrp3(-/-)mice were intraperitoneally injected with GBCA and recruitment of inflammatory cells to the peritoneum was analysed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Free Gd and GBCAs activate the NLRP3 inflammasome and induce IL-1β secretion in vitro. Gd-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid also induces the recruitment of neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes to the peritoneum in vivo. Gd activated IL-4-polarised macrophages more effectively than IFNγ-polarised macrophages, which preferentially expressed genes known to downregulate inflammasome activity. These data suggest that Gd released from GBCAs triggers a NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent inflammatory response that leads to fibrosis in an appropriate clinical setting. The preferential activation of IL-4-differentiated macrophages is consistent with the predominantly fibrotic

  3. Impact of agglomeration on the relaxometric properties of paramagnetic ultra-small gadolinium oxide nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faucher, Luc; Gossuin, Yves; Hocq, Aline; Fortin, Marc-André

    2011-07-01

    Ultra-small gadolinium oxide nanoparticles (US-Gd2O3) are used to provide 'positive' contrast effects in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and are being considered for molecular and cellular imaging applications. However, these nanoparticles can aggregate over time in aqueous medium, as well as when internalized into cells. This study is aimed at measuring in vitro, in aqueous medium, the impact of aggregation on the relaxometric properties of paramagnetic US-Gd2O3 particles. First, the nanoparticle core size as well as aggregation behaviour was assessed by HRTEM. DLS (hydrodynamic diameter) was used to measure the hydrodynamic diameter of nanoparticles and nanoaggregates. The relaxometric properties were measured by NMRD profiling, as well as with 1H NMR relaxometers. Then, the positive contrast enhancement effect was assessed by using magnetic resonance scanners (at 1.5 and 7 T). At every magnetic field, the longitudinal relaxivity (r1) decreased upon agglomeration, while remaining high enough to provide positive contrast. On the other hand, the transverse relaxivity (r2) slightly decreased at 0.47 and 1.41 T, but it was enhanced at higher fields (7 and 11.7 T) upon agglomeration. All NMRD profiles revealed a characteristic relaxivity peak in the range 60-100 MHz, suggesting the possibility to use US-Gd2O3 as an efficient 'positive-T1' contrast agent at clinical magnetic fields (1-3 T), in spite of aggregation.

  4. Avidin-dendrimer-(1B4M-Gd)(254): a tumor-targeting therapeutic agent for gadolinium neutron capture therapy of intraperitoneal disseminated tumor which can be monitored by MRI.

    PubMed

    Kobayashi, H; Kawamoto, S; Saga, T; Sato, N; Ishimori, T; Konishi, J; Ono, K; Togashi, K; Brechbiel, M W

    2001-01-01

    Peritoneal carcinomatosis is a late stage in cancer progress, for which no effective therapeutic modality exists. Targeting therapeutic agents to disseminated lesions may be a promising modality for treating peritoneal carcinomatosis. Gadolinium ((157,155)Gd) is known to generate Auger and internal conversion electrons efficiently by irradiation with a neutron beam. Auger electrons from neutron-activated Gd(III) are strongly cytotoxic, but only when Gd(III) atoms have been internalized into the cells. In the present investigation, we have developed a quickly internalizing tumor-targeting system to deliver large quantities of Gd(III) atoms into tumor cells to generate the Auger emission with an external neutron beam. Simultaneously, one would be able to image its biodistribution by MRI with a shortened T1 relaxation time. Avidin-G6-(1B4M-Gd)(254) (Av-G6Gd) was synthesized from generation-6 polyamidoamine dendrimer, biotin, avidin, and 2-(p-isothiocyanatobenzyl)-6-methyl-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (1B4M). The Av-G6Gd was radiolabeled with Gd(III) doped with (153)Gd. All of the 1B4M's on the conjugate were fully saturated with Gd(III) atoms. An in vitro internalization study showed that Av-G6Gd accumulated and was internalized into SHIN3 cells (a human ovarian cancer) 50- and 3.5-fold greater than Gd-DTPA (Magnevist) and G6-(1B4M-Gd)(256) (G6Gd). In addition, accumulation of Gd(III) in the cells was detected by the increased signal on T1-weighted MRI. A biodistribution study was performed in nude mice bearing intraperitoneally disseminated SHIN3 tumors. Av-G6Gd showed specific accumulation in the SHIN3 tumor (103% ID/g) 366- and 3.4-fold greater than Gd-DTPA (0.28% ID/g, p < 0.001) and G6Gd (30% ID/g, p < 0.001) 1 day after i.p. injection. Seventy-eight percent of the tumor-related radioactivity of Av-G6Gd in the SHIN3 tumor was located inside the cells. The SHIN3 tumor-to-normal tissue ratio was greater than 17:1 in all organs and increased up to 638:1 at 1

  5. Evaluation of Novel 64Cu-Labeled Theranostic Gadolinium-Based Nanoprobes in HepG2 Tumor-Bearing Nude Mice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Pengcheng; Cheng, Dengfeng; Huang, Tao; Banizs, Anna B.; Xiao, Jie; Liu, Guobing; Chen, Quan; Wang, Yuenan; He, Jiang; Shi, Hongcheng

    2017-09-01

    Radiation therapy of liver cancer is limited by low tolerance of the liver to radiation. Radiosensitizers can effectively reduce the required radiation dose. AGuIX nanoparticles are small, multifunctional gadolinium-based nanoparticles that can carry radioisotopes or fluorescent markers for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), fluorescence imaging, and even multimodality imaging. In addition, due to the high atomic number of gadolinium, it can also serve as a tumor radiation sensitizer. It is critical to define the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of these gadolinium-based nanoparticles to quantitate the magnitude and duration of their retention within the tumor microenvironment during radiotherapy. Therefore, in this study, we successfully labeled AGuIX with 64Cu through the convenient built-in chelator. The biodistribution studies indicated that the radiotracer 64Cu-AGuIX accumulates to high levels in the HepG2 xenograft of nude mice, suggesting that it would be a potential theranostic nanoprobe for image-guided radiotherapy in HCC. We also used a transmission electron microscope to confirm AGuIX uptake in the HepG2 cells. In radiation therapy studies, a decrease in 18F-FDG uptake was observed in the xenografts of the nude mice irradiated with AGuIX, which was injected 1 h before. These results provide proof-of-concept that AGuIX can be used as a theranostic radiosensitizer for PET imaging to guide radiotherapy for liver cancer.

  6. Evaluation of Novel 64Cu-Labeled Theranostic Gadolinium-Based Nanoprobes in HepG2 Tumor-Bearing Nude Mice.

    PubMed

    Hu, Pengcheng; Cheng, Dengfeng; Huang, Tao; Banizs, Anna B; Xiao, Jie; Liu, Guobing; Chen, Quan; Wang, Yuenan; He, Jiang; Shi, Hongcheng

    2017-09-06

    Radiation therapy of liver cancer is limited by low tolerance of the liver to radiation. Radiosensitizers can effectively reduce the required radiation dose. AGuIX nanoparticles are small, multifunctional gadolinium-based nanoparticles that can carry radioisotopes or fluorescent markers for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), fluorescence imaging, and even multimodality imaging. In addition, due to the high atomic number of gadolinium, it can also serve as a tumor radiation sensitizer. It is critical to define the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of these gadolinium-based nanoparticles to quantitate the magnitude and duration of their retention within the tumor microenvironment during radiotherapy. Therefore, in this study, we successfully labeled AGuIX with 64 Cu through the convenient built-in chelator. The biodistribution studies indicated that the radiotracer 64 Cu-AGuIX accumulates to high levels in the HepG2 xenograft of nude mice, suggesting that it would be a potential theranostic nanoprobe for image-guided radiotherapy in HCC. We also used a transmission electron microscope to confirm AGuIX uptake in the HepG2 cells. In radiation therapy studies, a decrease in 18 F-FDG uptake was observed in the xenografts of the nude mice irradiated with AGuIX, which was injected 1 h before. These results provide proof-of-concept that AGuIX can be used as a theranostic radiosensitizer for PET imaging to guide radiotherapy for liver cancer.

  7. Thermophysical Property Measurements of Liquid Gadolinium by Containerless Methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ishikawa, T.; Okada, J. T.; Paradis, P.-F.; Watanabe, Y.

    2010-02-01

    Thermophysical properties of liquid gadolinium were measured using non-contact diagnostic techniques with an electrostatic levitator. Over the 1585 K to 1920 K temperature range, the density can be expressed as ρ( T) = 7.41 × 103 - 0.46 ( T - T m) (kg · m-3) where T m = 1585 K, yielding a volume expansion coefficient of 6.2 × 10-5 K-1. In addition, the surface tension data can be fitted as γ( T) = 8.22 × 102 - 0.097( T - T m)(10-3 N · m-1) over the 1613 K to 1803 K span and the viscosity as η( T) = 1.7exp[1.4 × 104/( RT)](10-3 Pa · s) over the same temperature range.

  8. Quantitative structure-property relationship (correlation analysis) of phosphonic acid-based chelates in design of MRI contrast agent.

    PubMed

    Tiwari, Anjani K; Ojha, Himanshu; Kaul, Ankur; Dutta, Anupama; Srivastava, Pooja; Shukla, Gauri; Srivastava, Rakesh; Mishra, Anil K

    2009-07-01

    Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging is a very useful tool in modern medical diagnostics, especially when gadolinium (III)-based contrast agents are administered to the patient with the aim of increasing the image contrast between normal and diseased tissues. With the use of soft modelling techniques such as quantitative structure-activity relationship/quantitative structure-property relationship after a suitable description of their molecular structure, we have studied a series of phosphonic acid for designing new MRI contrast agent. Quantitative structure-property relationship studies with multiple linear regression analysis were applied to find correlation between different calculated molecular descriptors of the phosphonic acid-based chelating agent and their stability constants. The final quantitative structure-property relationship mathematical models were found as--quantitative structure-property relationship Model for phosphonic acid series (Model 1)--log K(ML) = {5.00243(+/-0.7102)}- MR {0.0263(+/-0.540)}n = 12 l r l = 0.942 s = 0.183 F = 99.165 quantitative structure-property relationship Model for phosphonic acid series (Model 2)--log K(ML) = {5.06280(+/-0.3418)}- MR {0.0252(+/- .198)}n = 12 l r l = 0.956 s = 0.186 F = 99.256.

  9. Magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium arthrography to assess acetabular cartilage delamination.

    PubMed

    Zaragoza, Edward; Lattanzio, Pierre-Jean; Beaule, Paul E

    2009-01-01

    Recent reports have demonstrated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a promising technique in detecting articular cartilage lesions of the hip joint. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of MRI with gadolinium arthrography in detecting acetabular cartilage delamination in patients with pre-arthritic hip pain. 46 patients (48 hips) underwent surgical dislocation of the hip. Mean age was 38.8 (range 17-56). There were 26 males and 20 females. All patients had Magnetic Resonance Imaging with gadolinium arthrography (MRA) before undergoing open hip surgery where the acetabular cartilage was inspected. Acetabular cartilage delamination on MRA was seen on sagittal images as a linear intra-articular filling defect of low signal intensity >1mm in thickness on T1 weighted images and surrounded by contrast. On MRA all hips had a labral tear confirmed at surgery. At surgery 30 hips had evidence of acetabular cartilage delamination, 4 hips had ulceration and 14 had no articular cartilage damage. The majority of labral tears and cartilage damage were located in the antero-superior quadrant. The sensitivity and specificity of MRA detection of cartilage delamination confirmed at surgery were 97% and 84%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values of the MRA finding were 90% and 94%, respectively. The presence of the acetabular cartilage delamination represents an early stage of articular cartilage degeneration. When evaluating a young adult with hip pain, labral tears in association with cartilage delamination should be considered. MRA represents an effective diagnostic tool.

  10. Examining multi-component DNA-templated nanostructures as imaging agents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaganathan, Hamsa

    2011-12-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the leading non-invasive tool for disease imaging and diagnosis. Although MRI exhibits high spatial resolution for anatomical features, the contrast resolution is low. Imaging agents serve as an aid to distinguish different types of tissues within images. Gadolinium chelates, which are considered first generation designs, can be toxic to health, while ultra-small, superparamagnetic nanoparticles (NPs) have low tissue-targeting efficiency and rapid bio-distribution, resulting to an inadequate detection of the MRI signal and enhancement of image contrast. In order to improve the utility of MRI agents, the challenge in composition and structure needs to be addressed. One-dimensional (1D), superparamagnetic nanostructures have been reported to enhance magnetic and in vivo properties and therefore has a potential to improve contrast enhancement in MRI images. In this dissertation, the structure of 1D, multi-component NP chains, scaffolded on DNA, were pre-clinically examined as potential MRI agents. First, research was focused on characterizing and understanding the mechanism of proton relaxation for DNA-templated NP chains using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry. Proton relaxation and transverse relaxivity were higher in multi-component NP chains compared to disperse NPs, indicating the arrangement of NPs on a 1D structure improved proton relaxation sensitivity. Second, in vitro evaluation for potential issues in toxicity and contrast efficiency in tissue environments using a 3 Tesla clinical MRI scanner was performed. Cell uptake of DNA-templated NP chains was enhanced after encapsulating the nanostructure with layers of polyelectrolytes and targeting ligands. Compared to dispersed NPs, DNA-templated NP chains improved MRI contrast in both the epithelial basement membrane and colon cancer tumors scaffolds. The last part of the project was focused on developing a novel MRI agent that detects changes in DNA methylation

  11. Aqueous stability of gadolinium in surface waters receiving sewage treatment plant effluent, Boulder Creek, Colorado.

    PubMed

    Verplanck, Philip L; Taylor, Howard E; Nordstrom, D Kirk; Barber, Larry B

    2005-09-15

    In many surface waters, sewage treatment plant (STP) effluent is a substantial source of both regulated and unregulated contaminants, including a suite of complex organic compounds derived from household chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and industrial and medical byproducts. In addition, STP effluents in some urban areas have also been shown to have a positive gadolinium (Gd) anomaly in the rare earth element (REE) pattern, with the Gd derived from its use in medical facilities. REE concentrations are relatively easy to measure compared to many organic wastewater compounds and may provide a more widely utilized tracer of STP effluents. To evaluate whether sewage treatment plant-associated Gd is a useful tracer of treatment plant effluent, an investigation of the occurrence, fate, and transport of rare earth elements was undertaken. The rare earth element patterns of four of five STP effluents sampled display positive Gd anomalies. The one site that did not have a Gd anomaly serves a small community, population 1200, with no medical facilities. Biosolids from a large metropolitan STP are not enriched in Gd even though the effluent is, suggesting that a substantial fraction of Gd remains in the aqueous phase through routine treatment plant operation. To evaluate whether STP-derived Gd persists in the fluvial environment, a 14-km study reach downstream of an STP was sampled. Gadolinium anomalies were present at all five downstream sites, but the magnitude of the anomaly decreased. Effluent from STPs is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic constituents, and to better understand the chemical interactions and their effect on REEs, the aqueous speciation was modeled using comprehensive chemical analyses of water samples collected downstream of STP input. These calculations suggest that the REEs will likely remain dissolved because phosphate and carbonate complexes dominate over free REE ions. This study supports the application of Gd anomalies as a useful tracer of urban

  12. Aqueous stability of gadolinium in surface waters receiving sewage treatment plant effluent Boulder Creek, Colorado

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Verplanck, P.L.; Taylor, Howard E.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Barber, L.B.

    2005-01-01

    In many surface waters, sewage treatment plant (STP) effluent is a substantial source of both regulated and unregulated contaminants, including a suite of complex organic compounds derived from household chemicals, pharmaceutical, and industrial and medical byproducts. In addition, STP effluents in some urban areas have also been shown to have a positive gadolinium (Gd) anomaly in the rare earth element (REE) pattern, with the Gd derived from its use in medical facilities. REE concentrations are relatively easy to measure compared to many organic wastewater compounds and may provide a more widely utilized tracer of STP effluents. To evaluate whether sewage treatment plant-associated Gd is a useful tracer of treatment plant effluent, an investigation of the occurrence, fate, and transport of rare earth elements was undertaken. The rare earth element patterns of four of five STP effluents sampled display positive Gd anomalies. The one site that did not have a Gd anomaly serves a small community, population 1200, with no medical facilities. Biosolids from a large metropolitan STP are not enriched in Gd even though the effluent is, suggesting that a substantial fraction of Gd remains in the aqueous phase through routine treatment plant operation. To evaluate whether STP-derived Gd persists in the fluvial environment, a 14-km study reach downstream of an STP was sampled. Gadolinium anomalies were present at all five downstream sites, but the magnitude of the anomaly decreased. Effluent from STPs is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic constituents, and to better understand the chemical interactions and their effect on REEs, the aqueous speciation was modeled using comprehensive chemical analyses of water samples collected downstream of STP input. These calculations suggest that the REEs will likely remain dissolved because phosphate and carbonate complexes dominate over free REE ions. This study supports the application of Gd anomalies as a useful tracer of urban

  13. Preparation and Evaluation of Multiple Nanoemulsions Containing Gadolinium (III) Chelate as a Potential Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Contrast Agent.

    PubMed

    Sigward, Estelle; Corvis, Yohann; Doan, Bich-Thuy; Kindsiko, Kadri; Seguin, Johanne; Scherman, Daniel; Brossard, Denis; Mignet, Nathalie; Espeau, Philippe; Crauste-Manciet, Sylvie

    2015-09-01

    The objective was to develop, characterize and assess the potentiality of W1/O/W2 self-emulsifying multiple nanoemulsions to enhance signal/noise ratio for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). For this purpose, a new formulation, was designed for encapsulation efficiency and stability. Various methods were used to characterize encapsulation efficiency ,in particular calorimetric methods (Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry analysis) and ultrafiltration. MRI in vitro relaxivities were assessed on loaded DTPA-Gd multiple nanoemulsions. Characterization of the formulation, in particular of encapsulation efficiency was a challenge due to interactions found with ultrafiltration method. Thanks to the specifically developed DSC protocol, we were able to confirm the formation of multiple nanoemulsions, differentiate loaded from unloaded nanoemulsions and measure the encapsulation efficiency which was found to be quite high with a 68% of drug loaded. Relaxivity studies showed that the self-emulsifying W/O/W nanoemulsions were positive contrast agents, exhibiting higher relaxivities than those of the DTPA-Gd solution taken as a reference. New self-emulsifying multiple nanoemulsions that were able to load satisfactory amounts of contrasting agent were successfully developed as potential MRI contrasting agents. A specific DSC protocol was needed to be developed to characterize these complex systems as it would be useful to develop these self-formation formulations.

  14. Comparison of cell uptake, biodistribution and tumor retention of folate-coated and PEG-coated gadolinium nanoparticles in tumor-bearing mice.

    PubMed

    Oyewumi, Moses O; Yokel, Robert A; Jay, Michael; Coakley, Tricia; Mumper, Russell J

    2004-03-24

    The purpose of these studies was to compare the cell uptake, biodistribution and tumor retention of folate-coated and PEG-coated gadolinium (Gd) nanoparticles. Gd is a potential agent for neutron capture therapy (NCT) of tumors. Gd nanoparticles were engineered from oil-in-water microemulsion templates. To obtain folate-coated nanoparticles, a folate ligand [folic acid chemically linked to distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DSPE) via a PEG spacer MW 3350] was included in nanoparticle preparations. Similarly, control nanoparticles were coated with DSPE-PEG-MW 3350 (PEG-coated). Nanoparticles were characterized based on size, size distribution, morphology, biocompatibility and tumor cell uptake. In vivo studies were carried out in KB (human nasopharyngeal carcinoma) tumor-bearing athymic mice. Biodistribution and tumor retention studies were carried out at pre-determined time intervals after injection of nanoparticles (10 mg/kg). Gd nanoparticles did not aggregate platelets or activate neutrophils. The retention of nanoparticles in the blood 8, 16 and 24 h post-injection was 60%, 13% and 11% of the injected dose (ID), respectively. A maximum Gd tumor localization of 33+/-7 microg Gd/g was achieved. Both folate-coated and PEG-coated nanoparticles had comparable tumor accumulation. However, the cell uptake and tumor retention of folate-coated nanoparticles was significantly enhanced over PEG-coated nanoparticles. Thus, the benefits of folate ligand coating were to facilitate tumor cell internalization and retention of Gd-nanoparticles in the tumor tissue. The engineered nanoparticles may have potential in tumor-targeted delivery of Gd thereby enhancing the therapeutic success of NCT.

  15. A novel blood-pooling MR contrast agent: Carboxymethyl-diethylaminoethyl dextran magnetite.

    PubMed

    Sonoda, Akinaga; Nitta, Norihisa; Tsuchiya, Keiko; Nitta-Seko, Ayumi; Ohta, Shinichi; Otani, Hideji; Murata, Kiyoshi

    2016-12-01

    Gadofosveset trisodium is available as a prolonged pooling vascular contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging. As gadolinium (Gd)-based agents may increase the risk for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in patients with severe renal insufficiency, the present study synthesized carboxymethyl-diethylaminoethyl dextran magnetite (CMEADM) particles as a blood-pooling, non-Gd‑based contrast agent. CMEADM particles carry a negative or positive charge due to the binding of amino and carboxyl groups to the hydroxyl group of dextran. The present study evaluated whether the degree of charge alters the blood‑pooling time. The evaluation was performed by injecting four groups of three Japanese white rabbits each with CMEADM‑, CMEADM2‑, CMEADM+ (surface charges: ‑10.4, ‑41.0 and +9.6 mV, respectively) or with ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO; ‑11.5 mV). The relative signal intensity (SIrel) of each was calculated using the following formula: SIrel = (SI post‑contrast ‑ SI pre‑contrast / SI pre‑contrast) x 100. Following injection with the CMEADMs, but not with USPIO, the in vivo pooling time was prolonged to >300 min. No significant differences were attributable to the electric charge among the CMEADM‑, CMEADM2‑ or and CMEADM+ particles when analyzed with analysis of variance and Tukey's HSD test. Taken together, all three differently‑charged CMEADM2 particles exhibited prolonged vascular enhancing effects, compared with the USPIO. The degree of charge of the contrast agents used in the present study did not result in alteration of the prolonged blood pooling time.

  16. Bi-atrial fibrosis detected using three-dimensional late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging in a patient with cardiac sarcoidosis.

    PubMed

    Spence, Stewart; Pena, Elena; Thornhill, Rebecca E; Nery, Pablo B; Birnie, David H

    2018-05-01

    Presented is the case of a 62-year old male with a history of sarcoidosis and sinus node dysfunction, who underwent late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging, which demonstrated left ventricular hyperenhancement and bi-atrial fibrosis.

  17. Constructing experimental devices for half-ton synthesis of gadolinium-loaded liquid scintillator and its performance.

    PubMed

    Park, Young Seo; Jang, Yeong Min; Joo, Kyung Kwang

    2018-04-01

    This paper describes in brief features of various experimental devices constructed for half-ton synthesis of gadolinium(Gd)-loaded liquid scintillator (GdLS) and also includes the performances and detailed chemical and physical results of a 0.5% high-concentration GdLS. Various feasibility studies on useful apparatus used for loading Gd into solvents have been carried out. The transmittance, Gd concentration, density, light yield, and moisture content were measured for quality control. We show that with the help of adequate automated experimental devices and tools, it is possible to perform ton scale synthesis of GdLS at moderate laboratory scale without difficulty. The synthesized GdLS was satisfactory to meet chemical, optical, and physical properties and various safety requirements. These synthesizing devices can be expanded into massive scale next-generation neutrino experiments of several hundred tons.

  18. Constructing experimental devices for half-ton synthesis of gadolinium-loaded liquid scintillator and its performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Young Seo; Jang, Yeong Min; Joo, Kyung Kwang

    2018-04-01

    This paper describes in brief features of various experimental devices constructed for half-ton synthesis of gadolinium(Gd)-loaded liquid scintillator (GdLS) and also includes the performances and detailed chemical and physical results of a 0.5% high-concentration GdLS. Various feasibility studies on useful apparatus used for loading Gd into solvents have been carried out. The transmittance, Gd concentration, density, light yield, and moisture content were measured for quality control. We show that with the help of adequate automated experimental devices and tools, it is possible to perform ton scale synthesis of GdLS at moderate laboratory scale without difficulty. The synthesized GdLS was satisfactory to meet chemical, optical, and physical properties and various safety requirements. These synthesizing devices can be expanded into massive scale next-generation neutrino experiments of several hundred tons.

  19. Comparison between nonspecific and necrosis-avid gadolinium contrast agents in vascular disrupting agent-induced necrosis of rodent tumors at 3.0T.

    PubMed

    Wang, Huaijun; Miranda Cona, Marlein; Chen, Feng; Li, Junjie; Yu, Jie; Feng, Yuanbo; Peeters, Ronald; De Keyzer, Frederik; Marchal, Guy; Ni, Yicheng

    2011-09-01

    : To compare a commercial contrast agent (CA) Dotarem and a necrosis-avid CA (NACA) for their ability to evaluate the therapeutic necrosis with a vascular disrupting agent (VDA) on magnetic resonance imaging in rodent liver tumors to determine which could better correlate with the histopathologic outcome. : After the VDA treatment, 16 rats with 32 liver rhabdomyosarcomas were randomized into Dotarem and NACA groups (n = 8 per group) for both interindividual and intraindividual comparisons. T2-weighted imaging, T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (CE-T1WI), and diffusion-weighted imaging were performed at baseline, after VDA treatment and CA injections. The enhancing efficacy of CAs at immediate and delayed enhancement on CE-T1WI in viable tumor and necrosis was compared. Tumor necrosis ratios calculated from NACA and Dotarem were compared and correlated with gold-standard histopathology. : On the immediate CE-T1WI, viable tumor was enhanced by either CA. On the delayed CE-T1WI at 30 minutes, both CAs failed to demarcate viable tumor from necrosis. At 24 hours post-NACA, the necrosis was clearly distinguished from viable tumor and thus derived necrosis ratio matched that from histopathology (P = 0.99); necrosis ratio from Dotarem was significantly lower than that from NACA and histopathology (P < 0.05, both), with a higher correlation of NACA than that of Dotarem with histopathology (r = 0.99 vs. r = 0.82). : NACA better evaluated VDA-induced tumor necrosis than nonspecific CA on T1WI in tumor models of rat liver. NACA showed a closer correlation with histopathology than nonspecific CA for the delineation of true necrosis. Delayed enhancement on T1WI with nonspecific CA is not suitable for the assessment of VDA-induced tumor necrosis.

  20. [Combined use of contrast media containing iodine and gadolinium for imaging and intervention : A hitherto widely ignored topic in radiological practice].

    PubMed

    Golder, W

    2012-02-01

    The synchronous use of chemically different contrast media in the same body compartment is a challenge for the radiologist, whether it is scheduled or unexpected. However, to inject contrast media containing iodine and gadolinium at the same time can be a prerequisite for the examination of several organs or organ systems. Unlike other topics of contrast-enhanced imaging procedures, the difficulties encountered with double contrast injections have been widely ignored in the literature. In the absence of reliable data from experimental and clinical studies the radiologist is dependent on case reports, information provided by the contrast media manufacturers, personal communications, mostly scanty personal experiences and a skilful time management, in order to overcome the situation. Only the combination of X-ray, computed tomography and magnetic resonance arthrography can be performed without another thought. However, the more or less synchronous vascular application of contrast media containing iodine and gadolinium requires vigilance. The more seriously ill the patient is, the more caution is advised even if the decision on the combined administration has to be reached urgently. The following overview gives a description of the properties of contrast media containing iodine and gadolinium as far as interactions following simultaneous administration are concerned. Subsequently, the clinically relevant situations and constellations are outlined and analyzed.

  1. Rapid colorimetric sensing of gadolinium by EGCG-derived AgNPs: the development of a nanohybrid bioimaging probe.

    PubMed

    Singh, Rohit Kumar; Mishra, Sourav; Jena, Satyapriya; Panigrahi, Bijayananda; Das, Bhaskar; Jayabalan, Rasu; Parhi, Pankaj Kumar; Mandal, Dindyal

    2018-04-17

    Polyphenol functionalized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been developed and demonstrated as colorimetric sensors for the selective detection of gadolinium. The newly obtained AgNP-Gd3+ conjugates exhibit high aqueous dispersibility and excitation dependent fluorescence emission. The conjugates offer multicolor bioimaging potential owing to their excellent luminescence properties.

  2. Agent oriented programming

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shoham, Yoav

    1994-01-01

    The goal of our research is a methodology for creating robust software in distributed and dynamic environments. The approach taken is to endow software objects with explicit information about one another, to have them interact through a commitment mechanism, and to equip them with a speech-acty communication language. System-level applications include software interoperation and compositionality. A government application of specific interest is an infrastructure for coordination among multiple planners. Daily activity applications include personal software assistants, such as programmable email, scheduling, and new group agents. Research topics include definition of mental state of agents, design of agent languages as well as interpreters for those languages, and mechanisms for coordination within agent societies such as artificial social laws and conventions.

  3. Multimodal targeted high relaxivity thermosensitive liposome for in vivo imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuijten, Maayke M. P.; Hannah Degeling, M.; Chen, John W.; Wojtkiewicz, Gregory; Waterman, Peter; Weissleder, Ralph; Azzi, Jamil; Nicolay, Klaas; Tannous, Bakhos A.

    2015-11-01

    Liposomes are spherical, self-closed structures formed by lipid bilayers that can encapsulate drugs and/or imaging agents in their hydrophilic core or within their membrane moiety, making them suitable delivery vehicles. We have synthesized a new liposome containing gadolinium-DOTA lipid bilayer, as a targeting multimodal molecular imaging agent for magnetic resonance and optical imaging. We showed that this liposome has a much higher molar relaxivities r1 and r2 compared to a more conventional liposome containing gadolinium-DTPA-BSA lipid. By incorporating both gadolinium and rhodamine in the lipid bilayer as well as biotin on its surface, we used this agent for multimodal imaging and targeting of tumors through the strong biotin-streptavidin interaction. Since this new liposome is thermosensitive, it can be used for ultrasound-mediated drug delivery at specific sites, such as tumors, and can be guided by magnetic resonance imaging.

  4. Gadolinium embedded iron oxide nanoclusters as T1-T2 dual-modal MRI-visible vectors for safe and efficient siRNA delivery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Xiaoyong; Zhou, Zijian; Wang, Zhiyong; Xue, Yunxin; Zeng, Yun; Gao, Jinhao; Zhu, Lei; Zhang, Xianzhong; Liu, Gang; Chen, Xiaoyuan

    2013-08-01

    This report illustrates a new strategy of designing a T1-T2 dual-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-visible vector for siRNA delivery and MRI. Hydrophobic gadolinium embedded iron oxide (GdIO) nanocrystals are self-assembled into nanoclusters in the water phase with the help of stearic acid modified low molecular weight polyethylenimine (stPEI). The resulting water-dispersible GdIO-stPEI nanoclusters possess good stability, monodispersity with narrow size distribution and competitive T1-T2 dual-modal MR imaging properties. The nanocomposite system is capable of binding and delivering siRNA for knockdown of a gene of interest while maintaining its magnetic properties and biocompatibility. This new gadolinium embedded iron oxide nanocluster provides an important platform for safe and efficient gene delivery with non-invasive T1-T2 dual-modal MRI monitoring capability.This report illustrates a new strategy of designing a T1-T2 dual-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-visible vector for siRNA delivery and MRI. Hydrophobic gadolinium embedded iron oxide (GdIO) nanocrystals are self-assembled into nanoclusters in the water phase with the help of stearic acid modified low molecular weight polyethylenimine (stPEI). The resulting water-dispersible GdIO-stPEI nanoclusters possess good stability, monodispersity with narrow size distribution and competitive T1-T2 dual-modal MR imaging properties. The nanocomposite system is capable of binding and delivering siRNA for knockdown of a gene of interest while maintaining its magnetic properties and biocompatibility. This new gadolinium embedded iron oxide nanocluster provides an important platform for safe and efficient gene delivery with non-invasive T1-T2 dual-modal MRI monitoring capability. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr02797j

  5. The effect of boron and gadolinium burnable poisons on the hot-to-cold reactivity swing of a pressurized water reactor assembly

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Galperin, A.; Segev, M.; Radkowsky, A.

    1986-11-01

    Control requirements for advanced pressurized water reactor designs must be met with heavy loadings of burnable poison rods, the required reactivity hold-down typically amounting to 30% or more in a poisoned subassembly. Two apparent choices for poisons are natural boron rods and natural gadolinium rods. Studied and analyzed is the effect of these two poisons on the hot-to-cold reactivity upswing. Compared with an upswing of 2.9% in a nonpoisoned assembly, the upswing in the gadolinium-poisoned assembly is 3.0%, and the upswing in the boron-poisoned assembly is 8.8%. Thus the hot-to-cold control penalty is almost nil for the choice of gadoliniummore » and is considerable for the choice of boron.« less

  6. Diuretic-enhanced gadolinium excretory MR urography: comparison of conventional gradient-echo sequences and echo-planar imaging.

    PubMed

    Nolte-Ernsting, C C; Tacke, J; Adam, G B; Haage, P; Jung, P; Jakse, G; Günther, R W

    2001-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of different gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted gradient-echo techniques in excretory MR urography. In 74 urologic patients, excretory MR urography was performed using various T1-weighted gradient-echo (GRE) sequences after injection of gadolinium-DTPA and low-dose furosemide. The examinations included conventional GRE sequences and echo-planar imaging (GRE EPI), both obtained with 3D data sets and 2D projection images. Breath-hold acquisition was used primarily. In 20 of 74 examinations, we compared breath-hold imaging with respiratory gating. Breath-hold imaging was significantly superior to respiratory gating for the visualization of pelvicaliceal systems, but not for the ureters. Complete MR urograms were obtained within 14-20 s using 3D GRE EPI sequences and in 20-30 s with conventional 3D GRE sequences. Ghost artefacts caused by ureteral peristalsis often occurred with conventional 3D GRE imaging and were almost completely suppressed in EPI sequences (p < 0.0001). Susceptibility effects were more pronounced on GRE EPI MR urograms and calculi measured 0.8-21.7% greater in diameter compared with conventional GRE sequences. Increased spatial resolution degraded the image quality only in GRE-EPI urograms. In projection MR urography, the entire pelvicaliceal system was imaged by acquisition of a fast single-slice sequence and the conventional 2D GRE technique provided superior morphological accuracy than 2D GRE EPI projection images (p < 0.0003). Fast 3D GRE EPI sequences improve the clinical practicability of excretory MR urography especially in old or critically ill patients unable to suspend breathing for more than 20 s. Conventional GRE sequences are superior to EPI in high-resolution detail MR urograms and in projection imaging.

  7. Usefulness of the advanced neuroimaging protocol based on plain and gadolinium-enhanced constructive interference in steady state images for gamma knife radiosurgery and planning microsurgical procedures for skull base tumors.

    PubMed

    Hayashi, Motohiro; Chernov, Mikhail F; Tamura, Noriko; Yomo, Shoji; Tamura, Manabu; Horiba, Ayako; Izawa, Masahiro; Muragaki, Yoshihiro; Iseki, Hiroshi; Okada, Yoshikazu; Ivanov, Pavel; Régis, Jean; Takakura, Kintomo

    2013-01-01

    Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKS) is currently performed with 0.1 mm preciseness, which can be designated microradiosurgery. It requires advanced methods for visualizing the target, which can be effectively attained by a neuroimaging protocol based on plain and gadolinium-enhanced constructive interference in steady state (CISS) images. Since 2003, the following thin-sliced images are routinely obtained before GKS of skull base lesions in our practice: axial CISS, gadolinium-enhanced axial CISS, gadolinium-enhanced axial modified time-of-flight (TOF), and axial computed tomography (CT). Fusion of "bone window" CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and detailed three-dimensional (3D) delineation of the anatomical structures are performed with the Leksell GammaPlan (Elekta Instruments AB). Recently, a similar technique has been also applied to evaluate neuroanatomy before open microsurgical procedures. Plain CISS images permit clear visualization of the cranial nerves in the subarachnoid space. Gadolinium-enhanced CISS images make the tumor "lucid" but do not affect the signal intensity of the cranial nerves, so they can be clearly delineated in the vicinity to the lesion. Gadolinium-enhanced TOF images are useful for 3D evaluation of the interrelations between the neoplasm and adjacent vessels. Fusion of "bone window" CT and MRI scans permits simultaneous assessment of both soft tissue and bone structures and allows 3D estimation and correction of MRI distortion artifacts. Detailed understanding of the neuroanatomy based on application of the advanced neuroimaging protocol permits performance of highly conformal and selective radiosurgical treatment. It also allows precise planning of the microsurgical procedures for skull base tumors.

  8. Investigation of Plutonium and Uranium Precipitation Behavior with Gadolinium as a Neutron Poison

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Visser, A.E.

    2003-10-17

    The caustic precipitation of plutonium (Pu)-containing solutions has been investigated to determine whether the presence of 3:1 uranium (U):Pu in solutions stored in the H-Canyon Facility at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) would adversely impact the use of gadolinium nitrate (Gd(NO3)3) as a neutron poison. In the past, this disposition strategy has been successfully used to discard solutions containing approximately 100 kg of Pu to the SRS high level waste (HLW) system. In the current experiments, gadolinium (as Gd(NO3)3) was added to samples of a 3:1 U:Pu solution, a surrogate 3 g/L U solution, andmore » a surrogate 3 g/L U with 1 g/L Pu solution. A series of experiments was then performed to observe and characterize the precipitate at selected pH values. Solids formed at pH 4.5 and were found to contain at least 50 percent of the U and 94 percent of the Pu, but only 6 percent of the Gd. As the pH of the solution increased (e.g., pH greater than 14 with 1.2 or 3.6 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) excess), the precipitate contained greater than 99 percent of the Pu, U, and Gd. After the pH greater than 14 systems were undisturbed for one week, no significant changes were found in the composition of the solid or supernate for each sample. The solids were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) which found sodium diuranate (Na2U2O7) and gadolinium hydroxide (Gd(OH)3) at pH 14. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated sufficient water molecules were present in the solids to thermalize the neutrons, a requirement for the use of Gd as a neutron poison. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was also performed and the accompanying back-scattering electron analysis (BSE) found Pu, U, and Gd compounds in all pH greater than 14 precipitate samples. The rheological properties of the slurries at pH greater than 14 were also investigated by performing precipitate settling rate studies and measuring the viscosity and density of the materials. Based

  9. Comparative theoretical study of the structures and stabilities of four typical gadolinium carboxylates in different scintillator solvents.

    PubMed

    Huang, Pin-Wen

    2016-03-01

    The structural properties and stabilities of four typical gadolinium carboxylates (Gd-CBX) in toluene, linear alkyl benzene (LAB), and phenyl xylyl ethane (PXE) solvents were theoretically studied using density functional theory (DFT/B3LYP with the basis sets 6-311G(d) and MWB54) and the polarizable continuum model (PCM). The average Gd-ligand interaction energies (E int, corrected for dispersion) and the values of the energy gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (ΔHL) for the gadolinium complexes were calculated to compare the relative stabilities of the four Gd-CBX molecules in the three liquid scintillator solvents. According to the calculations, the values of E int and ΔHL for Gd-CBX in LAB are larger than the corresponding values in PXE and toluene. Gd-CBX may therefore be more compatible with LAB than with PXE and toluene. It was also found that, in the three scintillator solvents, the stabilities of the four Gd-CBX molecules increase in the order Gd-2EHA < Gd-2MVA < Gd-pivalate < Gd-TMHA.

  10. Self-assembled polymeric nanoparticles as new, smart contrast agents for cancer early detection using magnetic resonance imaging.

    PubMed

    Mouffouk, Fouzi; Simão, Teresa; Dornelles, Daniel F; Lopes, André D; Sau, Pablo; Martins, Jorge; Abu-Salah, Khalid M; Alrokayan, Salman A; Rosa da Costa, Ana M; dos Santos, Nuno R

    2015-01-01

    Early cancer detection is a major factor in the reduction of mortality and cancer management cost. Here we developed a smart and targeted micelle-based contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), able to turn on its imaging capability in the presence of acidic cancer tissues. This smart contrast agent consists of pH-sensitive polymeric micelles formed by self-assembly of a diblock copolymer (poly(ethyleneglycol-b-trimethylsilyl methacrylate)), loaded with a gadolinium hydrophobic complex ((t)BuBipyGd) and exploits the acidic pH in cancer tissues. In vitro MRI experiments showed that (t)BuBipyGd-loaded micelles were pH-sensitive, as they turned on their imaging capability only in an acidic microenvironment. The micelle-targeting ability toward cancer cells was enhanced by conjugation with an antibody against the MUC1 protein. The ability of our antibody-decorated micelles to be switched on in acidic microenvironments and to target cancer cells expressing specific antigens, together with its high Gd(III) content and its small size (35-40 nm) reveals their potential use for early cancer detection by MRI.

  11. Enhanced conjugation stability and blood circulation time of macromolecular gadolinium-DTPA contrast agent.

    PubMed

    Jenjob, Ratchapol; Kun, Na; Ghee, Jung Yeon; Shen, Zheyu; Wu, Xiaoxia; Cho, Steve K; Lee, Don Haeng; Yang, Su-Geun

    2016-04-01

    In this study, we prepared macromolecular MR T1 contrast agent: pullulan-conjugated Gd diethylene triamine pentaacetate (Gd-DTPA-Pullulan) and estimated residual free Gd(3+), chelation stability in competition with metal ions, plasma and tissue pharmacokinetics, and abdominal MR contrast on rats. Residual free Gd(3+) in Gd-DTPA-Pullulan was measured using colorimetric spectroscopy. The transmetalation of Gd(3+) incubated with Ca(2+) was performed by using a dialysis membrane (MWCO 100-500 Da) and investigated by ICP-OES. The plasma concentration profiles of Gd-DTPA-Pullulan were estimated after intravenous injection at a dose 0.1 mmol/kg of Gd. The coronal-plane abdominal images of normal rats were observed by MR imaging. The content of free Gd(3+), the toxic residual form, was less than 0.01%. Chelation stability of Gd-DTPA-Pullulan was estimated, and only 0.2% and 0.00045% of Gd(3+) were released from Gd-DTPA-Pullulan after 2h incubation with Ca(2+) and Fe(2+), respectively. Gd-DTPA-Pullulan displayed the extended plasma half-life (t1/2,α=0.43 h, t1/2,β=2.32 h), much longer than 0.11h and 0.79 h of Gd-EOB-DTPA. Abdominal MR imaging showed Gd-DTPA-Pullulan maintained initial MR contrast for 30 min. The extended plasma half-life of Gd-DTPA-Pullulan probably allows the prolonged MR acquisition time in clinic with enhanced MR contrast. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Microstructural Anisotropy of Magnetocaloric Gadolinium Cylinders: Effect on the Mechanical Properties of the Material

    PubMed Central

    Petrovič, Darja Steiner; Šturm, Roman; Naglič, Iztok; Markoli, Boštjan; Pepelnjak, Tomaž

    2016-01-01

    The development of advanced materials and technologies based on magnetocaloric Gd and its compounds requires an understanding of the dependency of mechanical properties on their underlying microstructure. Therefore, the aim of the study was to characterize microstructural inhomogeneities in the gadolinium that can be used in magnetocaloric refrigeration systems. Microstructures of magnetocaloric gadolinium cylinders were investigated by light microscopy and FE-SEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy), EDS (Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy), and BSE (Back-scattered Electrons) in both the extrusion and the extrusion-transversal directions. XRD (X-ray Diffraction) analyses were performed to reveal the presence of calcium- and fluorine-based compounds. Metallographic characterization showed an oxidized and inhomogeneous microstructure of the cross-sections. The edges and the outer parts of the cylinders were oxidized more intensively on the surfaces directly exposed to the processing tools. Moreover, a significant morphological anisotropy of the non-metallic inclusions was observed. CaF inclusions act as active nucleation sites for internal oxidation. The non-metallic, Ca- and F-containing inclusions can be classified as complex calciumoxyfluorides. The solubility of Er and Yb in the CaF was negligible compared to the Gd matrix and/or the oxide phase. Lower mechanical properties of the material are a consequence of the lower structural integrity due to selective oxidation of surfaces and interfaces. PMID:28773502

  13. Modulation of channel activity and gadolinium block of MscL by static magnetic fields.

    PubMed

    Petrov, Evgeny; Martinac, Boris

    2007-02-01

    The magnetic field of the Earth has for long been known to influence the behaviour and orientation of a variety of living organisms. Experimental studies of the magnetic sense have, however, been impaired by the lack of a plausible cellular and/or molecular mechanism providing meaningful explanation for detection of magnetic fields by these organisms. Recently, mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels have been implied to play a role in magnetoreception. In this study we have investigated the effect of static magnetic fields (SMFs) of moderate intensity on the activity and gadolinium block of MscL, the bacterial MS channel of large conductance, which has served as a model channel to study the basic physical principles of mechanosensory transduction in living cells. In addition to showing that direct application of the magnetic field decreased the activity of the MscL channel, our study demonstrates for the first time that SMFs can reverse the effect of gadolinium, a well-known blocker of MS channels. The results of our study are consistent with a notion that (1) the effects of SMFs on the MscL channels may result from changes in physical properties of the lipid bilayer due to diamagnetic anisotropy of phospholipid molecules and consequently (2) cooperative superdiamagnetism of phospholipid molecules under influence of SMFs could cause displacement of Gd(3+) ions from the membrane bilayer and thus remove the MscL channel block.

  14. Physical characteristics of lanthanide complexes that act as magnetization transfer (MT) contrast agents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Shanrong; Sherry, A. Dean

    2003-02-01

    Rapid water exchange is normally considered a prerequisite for efficient Gd3+-based MRI contrast agents. Yet recent measures of exchange rates in some Gd3+ complexes have shown that water exchange can become limiting when such complexes are attached to larger macromolecular structures. A new class of lanthanide complexes that display unusually slow water exchange (bound water lifetimes (τM298) > 10 μs) has recently been reported. This apparent disadvantage may be taken advantage of by switching the metal ion from gadolinium(III) to a lanthanide that shifts the bound water resonance substantially away from bulk water. Given appropriate water exchange kinetics, one can then alter the intensity of the bulk water signal by selective presaturation of this highly shifted, Ln3+-bound water resonance. This provides the basis of a new method to alter MR image contrast in tissue. We have synthesized a variety of DOTA-tetra(amide) ligands to evaluate as potential magnetization transfer (MT) contrast agents and found that the bound water lifetimes in these complexes are sensitive to both ligand structure (a series of Eu3+ complexes have τM298 values that range from 1 to 1300 μs) and the identity of the paramagnetic Ln3+ cation (from 3 to 800 μs for a single ligand). This demonstrates that it may be possible either to fine-tune the ligand structure or to select proper lanthanide cation to create an optimal MT agent for any clinical imaging field.

  15. Gadolinium(III)-sensitized fluorescence of europium in its mixed-metal compounds with trifluroacetate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalinovskaya, I. V.; Zadorozhnaya, A. N.

    2017-04-01

    The fluorescence properties of mixed-metal compounds of Eu(III) and Gd(III) with trifluoroacetic acid, Eu1-хGdx(С2F3O2)3·yD·zH2O, where D - 1,10-phenanthroline, 2,2-dipyridil, diphenylguanidine, x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, or 0.7, were studied. Luminescence spectroscopic evidence and the examination of excitation spectra indicate the occurrence of efficient energy transfer from the gadolinium to the europium ion. The greatest promotion of Eu3+ photoluminescence at 615 nm is observed when Eu:Gd = 1:1.

  16. Modification of the crystal structure of gadolinium gallium garnet by helium ion irradiation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ostafiychuk, B. K.; Yaremiy, I. P., E-mail: yaremiy@rambler.ru; Yaremiy, S. I.

    2013-12-15

    The structure of gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) single crystals before and after implantation by He{sup +} ions has been investigated using high-resolution X-ray diffraction methods and the generalized dynamic theory of X-ray scattering. The main types of growth defects in GGG single crystals and radiation-induced defects in the ion-implanted layer have been determined. It is established that the concentration of dislocation loops in the GGG surface layer modified by ion implantation increases and their radius decreases with an increase in the implantation dose.

  17. Gadolinium for neutron detection in current nuclear instrumentation research: A review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dumazert, J.; Coulon, R.; Lecomte, Q.; Bertrand, G. H. V.; Hamel, M.

    2018-02-01

    Natural gadolinium displays a number of remarkable physical properties: it is a rare earth element, composed of seven stable or quasi-stable isotopes, with an exceptionally high magnetization and a Curie point near room temperature. Its use in the field of nuclear instrumentation historically relates to its efficiency as a neutron poison in power reactors. Gadolinium is indeed the naturally occurring element with the highest interaction probability with neutrons at thermal energy, shared between Gd-157 (15.65%, 254000 b cross section) and Gd-155 (14.8%, 60900 b) isotopes. Considering that neutron capture results in an isotopic change, followed by a radiative rearrangement of nuclear and atomic structures, Gd may be embodied not merely as a neutron poison but as a neutron converter into a prompt photon and an electron source term. Depending on the nature and energy of the reaction products (from a few-keV Auger electrons up to 8 MeV gamma rays) that the detector aims at isolating as an indirect neutron signature, a variety of sensor media and counting methods have been introduced during the last decades. This review first draws a theoretical description of the radiative cascade following Gd(n , γ) capture. The cascade may be subdivided into regions of interest, each corresponding to dedicated detection designs and optimizations whose current status is detailed. This inventory has allowed the authors to extract and benchmark key figures of merit for the definition of a detection scheme: neutron attenuation, neutron sensitivity (cps/nv), gamma rejection, neutron detection limit in a mixed field, intrinsic or extrinsic moderation, and transportability. On this basis, the authors have identified promising paths for Gd-based neutron detection in contemporary instrumentation.

  18. Rural-urban migration including formal and informal workers in the urban sector: an agent-based numerical simulation study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Branco, Nilton; Oliveira, Tharnier; Silveira, Jaylson

    2012-02-01

    The goal of this work is to study rural-urban migration in the early stages of industrialization. We use an agent-based model and take into account the existence of informal and formal workers on the urban sector and possible migration movements, dependent on the agents' social and private utilities. Our agents are place on vertices of a square lattice, such that each vertex has only one agent. Rural, urban informal and urban formal workers are represented by different states of a three-state Ising model. At every step, a fraction a of the agents may change sectors or migrate. The total utility of a given agent is then calculated and compared to a random utility, in order to check if this agent turns into an actual migrant or changes sector. The dynamics is carried out until an equilibrium state is reached and equilibrium variables are then calculated and compared to available data. We find that a generalized Harris-Todaro condition is satisfied [1] on these equilibrium regimes, i.e, the ratio between expected wages between any pair of sectors reach a constant value. [4pt] [1] J. J. Silveira, A. L. Esp'indola and T. J. Penna, Physica A, 364, 445 (2006).

  19. In vivo comparison of delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage and delayed quantitative CT arthrography in imaging of articular cartilage.

    PubMed

    Hirvasniemi, J; Kulmala, K A M; Lammentausta, E; Ojala, R; Lehenkari, P; Kamel, A; Jurvelin, J S; Töyräs, J; Nieminen, M T; Saarakkala, S

    2013-03-01

    To compare delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of cartilage (dGEMRIC) and delayed quantitative computed tomography (CT) arthrography (dQCTA) to each other, and their association to arthroscopy. Additionally, the relationship between dGEMRIC with intravenous (dGEMRIC(IV)) and intra-articular contrast agent administration (dGEMRIC(IA)) was determined. Eleven patients with knee pain were scanned at 3 T MRI and 64-slice CT before arthroscopy. dQCTA was performed at 5 and 45 min after intra-articular injection of ioxaglate. Both dGEMRIC(IV) and dGEMRIC(IA) were performed at 90 min after gadopentetate injection. dGEMRIC indices and change in relaxation rates (ΔR(1)) were separately calculated for dGEMRIC(IV) and dGEMRIC(IA). dGEMRIC and dQCTA parameters were calculated for predetermined sites at the knee joint that were International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) graded in arthroscopy. dQCTA normalized with the contrast agent concentration in synovial fluid (SF) and dGEMRIC(IV) correlated significantly, whereas dGEMRIC(IA) correlated with the normalized dQCTA only when dGEMRIC(IA) was also normalized with the contrast agent concentration in SF. Correlation was strongest between normalized dQCTA at 45 min and ΔR(1,IV) (r(s) = 0.72 [95% CI 0.56-0.83], n = 49, P < 0.01) and ΔR(1,IA) normalized with ΔR(1) in SF (r(s) = 0.70 [0.53-0.82], n = 52, P < 0.01). Neither dGEMRIC nor dQCTA correlated with arthroscopic grading. dGEMRIC(IV) and non-normalized dGEMRIC(IA) were not related while ΔR(1,IV) correlated with normalized ΔR(1,IA) (r(s) = 0.52 [0.28-0.70], n = 50, P < 0.01). This study suggests that dQCTA is in best agreement with dGEMRIC(IV) at 45 min after CT contrast agent injection. dQCTA and dGEMRIC were not related to arthroscopy, probably because the remaining cartilage is analysed in dGEMRIC and dQCTA, whereas in arthroscopy the absence of cartilage defines the grading. The findings indicate the importance to take

  20. Biodegradable human serum albumin nanoparticles as contrast agents for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma by magnetic resonance imaging.

    PubMed

    Watcharin, Waralee; Schmithals, Christian; Pleli, Thomas; Köberle, Verena; Korkusuz, Hüdayi; Huebner, Frank; Zeuzem, Stefan; Korf, Hans W; Vogl, Thomas J; Rittmeyer, Claudia; Terfort, Andreas; Piiper, Albrecht; Gelperina, Svetlana; Kreuter, Jörg

    2014-05-01

    Tumor visualization by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nanoparticle-based contrast agents may improve the imaging of solid tumors such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In particular, human serum albumin (HSA) nanoparticles appear to be a suitable carrier due to their safety and feasibility of functionalization. In the present study HSA nanoparticles were conjugated with gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) using carbodiimide chemistry. The nanoparticles had a uniform spherical shape and a diameter of 235±19nm. For better optical visualization in vitro and in vivo, the HSA-Gd nanoparticles were additionally labeled with rhodamine 123. As shown by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry analysis, the fluorescent nanoparticles were readily taken up by Huh-7 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. After 24h incubation in blood serum, less than 5% of the Gd(III) was released from the particles, which suggests that this nanoparticulate system may be stable in vivo and, therefore, may serve as potentially safe T1 MRI contrast agent for MRI of hepatocellular carcinoma. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Geometry of electromechanically active structures in Gadolinium - doped Cerium oxides

    DOE PAGES

    Li, Yuanyuan; Kraynis, Olga; Kas, Joshua; ...

    2016-05-20

    Local distortions from average structure are important in many functional materials, such as electrostrictors or piezoelectrics, and contain clues about their mechanism of work. However, the geometric attributes of these distortions are exceedingly difficult to measure, leading to a gap in knowledge regarding their roles in electromechanical response. This task is particularly challenging in the case of recently reported non-classical electrostriction in Cerium-Gadolinium oxides (CGO), where only a small population of Ce-O bonds that are located near oxygen ion vacancies responds to external electric field. In this study, we used high-energy resolution fluorescence detection (HERFD) technique to collect X-ray absorptionmore » spectra in CGO in situ, with and without an external electric field, coupled with theoretical modeling to characterize three-dimensional geometry of electromechanically active units.« less

  2. Geometry of electromechanically active structures in Gadolinium - doped Cerium oxides

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Yuanyuan; Zacharowicz, Renee; Frenkel, Anatoly I., E-mail: igor.lubomirsky@weizmann.ac.il, E-mail: anatoly.frenkel@yu.edu

    2016-05-15

    Local distortions from average structure are important in many functional materials, such as electrostrictors or piezoelectrics, and contain clues about their mechanism of work. However, the geometric attributes of these distortions are exceedingly difficult to measure, leading to a gap in knowledge regarding their roles in electromechanical response. This task is particularly challenging in the case of recently reported non-classical electrostriction in Cerium-Gadolinium oxides (CGO), where only a small population of Ce-O bonds that are located near oxygen ion vacancies responds to external electric field. We used high-energy resolution fluorescence detection (HERFD) technique to collect X-ray absorption spectra in CGOmore » in situ, with and without an external electric field, coupled with theoretical modeling to characterize three-dimensional geometry of electromechanically active units.« less

  3. Adsorption Studies of Gadolinium ion on Graphitic Carbon Nitride

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuila, S. K.; Kundu, T. K.

    2018-03-01

    Bulk graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is synthesized by thermal decomposition of urea and used as an adsorbent for gadolinium ion (Gd3+) from aqueous solution. Adsorption capacity of g-C3N4 is found to be influenced by initial Gd3+ concentration, solution pH and contact time. Adsorbed Gd3+is separated from g-C3N4 by ultracentrifuge. Initial and Gd ion accumulated g-C3N4 adsorbent are characterized by X-ray diffraction technique (XRD) for phase identification, UV-visible and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for adsorption characteristics and optical property, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphological behaviour along with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) for elemental study. HNO3(0.1M), NaOH (0.1M) and de-ionized water are used for desorption and around 97% quantitative recovery of Gd ion is observed.

  4. Gadolinium compounds signaling through TLR4 and TLR7 in normal human macrophages: establishment of a proinflammatory phenotype and implications for the pathogenesis of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis.

    PubMed

    Wermuth, Peter J; Jimenez, Sergio A

    2012-07-01

    Nephrogenic systemic sibrosis is a progressive disorder occurring in some renal insufficiency patients exposed to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GdBCA). Previous studies demonstrated that the GdBCA Omniscan upregulated several innate immunity pathways in normal differentiated human macrophages, induced rapid nuclear localization of the transcription factor NF-κB, and increased the expression and production of numerous profibrotic/proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. To further examine GdBCA stimulation of the innate immune system, cultured human embryonic kidney 293 cells expressing one of seven different human TLRs or one of two human nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors were exposed in vitro for 24 h to various GdBCA. The signaling activity of each compound was evaluated by its ability to activate an NF-κB-inducible reporter gene. Omniscan and gadodiamide induced strong TLR4- and TLR7-mediated reporter gene activation. The other Gd compounds examined failed to induce reporter gene activation. TLR pathway inhibition using chloroquine or an inhibitor of IL-1R-associated kinases 1 and 4 in normal differentiated human macrophages abrogated Omniscan-induced gene expression. Omniscan and gadodiamide signaling via TLRs 4 and 7 resulted in increased production and expression of numerous proinflammatory/profibrotic cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors, including CXCL10, CCL2, CCL8, CXCL12, IL-4, IL-6, TGF-β, and vascular endothelial growth factor. These observations suggest that TLR activation by environmental stimuli may participate in the pathogenesis of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis and of other fibrotic disorders including systemic sclerosis.

  5. Comparison of cardiogoniometry and electrocardiography with perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and late gadolinium enhancement.

    PubMed

    Birkemeyer, Ralf; Toelg, Ralph; Zeymer, Uwe; Wessely, Rainer; Jäckle, Sebastian; Hairedini, Bajram; Lübke, Mike; Aßfalg, Manfred; Jung, Werner

    2012-12-01

    Cardiogoniometry (CGM) is a spatio-temporal five-lead resting electrocardiographic method utilizing automated analysis. The purpose of this study was to determine CGM's and electrocardiography (ECG)'s accuracy for detecting myocardial ischaemia and/or lesions in comparison with perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Forty (n= 40) patients with suspected or known stable coronary artery disease were examined by CGM and resting ECG directly prior to CMRI including adenosine stress perfusion (ASP) and LGE. The investigators visually reading the CMRI were blinded to the CGM and ECG results. Half of the patients (n= 20) had a normal CMRI while the other half presented with either abnormal ASP and/or detectable LGE. Cardiogoniometry yielded an accuracy of 83% (sensitivity 70%) and ECG of 63% (sensitivity 35%) compared with CMRI. In this pilot study CGM compares more favourably than ECG with the detection of ischaemia and/or structural myocardial lesions on CMRI.

  6. The effects of emulsifying agents on disposition of lipid-soluble drugs included in fat emulsion.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Yasuyuki; Masumitsu, Yasushi; Okudaira, Kazuho; Hayashi, Masahiro

    2004-02-01

    The uses for drug delivery systems of two soybean oil fat emulsions prepared with an emulsifying agent, phosphatidyl choline (PC) or Pluronic F-127 (PLU), were examined comparatively in vivo and in vitro. In the presence of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in vitro, the mean particle size of the PLU emulsion changed less than that of the PC emulsion. The production of non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) from the PLU emulsion in the presence of LPL was smaller than that from the PC emulsion. These in vitro results indicate that the PLU emulsion is more stable than the PC emulsion. Plasma NEFA concentration following intravenous administration of the emulsions decreased with time for the PC emulsion, but was kept lower and constant for the PLU emulsion, supporting the in vitro stability data. The order of plasma cyclosporine A (CsA) concentration following intravenous administration in the above two emulsions and the mixed solution of polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG) and dimethylamide (DMA) in rats was PLU emulsion>PC emulsion>PEG/DMA solution. The plasma concentration was maintained higher and tissue distribution lower for the PLU emulsion than for other formulations. The uptake of oil violet (OV) into the rat parenchymal cells from the PLU emulsion was approximately half that from the PC emulsion, but the uptake into the Kupffer cells was almost equal in both emulsions. In conclusion, these emulsifying agents can control plasma elimination and tissue distribution of lipophilic drugs included in the emulsion. The use of the emulsion formulation makes it possible to avoid side effects through the reduction of drug uptake into non-targeted tissues.

  7. Metal-oxo containing polymer nanobeads as potential contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pablico, Michele Huelar

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has greatly revolutionized the way diseases are detected and treated, as it is a non-invasive imaging modality solely based on the interaction of radiowaves and hydrogen nuclei in the presence of an external magnetic field. It is widely used today for the diagnosis of diseases as it offers an efficient method of mapping structure and function of soft tissues in the body. Most MRI examinations utilize paramagnetic materials known as contrast agents, which enhance the MR signal by decreasing the longitudinal (T1) and transverse (T2) relaxation times of the surrounding water protons in biological systems. This results into increased signal intensity differences thereby allowing better interpretation and analysis of pathological tissues. Contrast agents function by lowering the T1 or lowering the T2, resulting into bright and dark contrasts, respectively. The most common MRI contrast agents that are in clinical use today are gadolinium chelates and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, both of which have their own advantages in terms of contrast enhancement properties. In the past few years, however, there has been interest in utilizing metal-containing clusters for MRI contrast enhancement as these materials bridge the gap between the constrained structure and magnetic properties of the gadolinium chelates with the superparamagnetic behavior of the iron oxide nanoparticles. Recently, metallic clusters containing Mn and Fe metal centers have received increased attention mainly because of their potential for high spin states and benign nature. In the quest to further develop novel imaging agents, this research has focused on investigating the use of metal-oxo clusters as potential contrast agents for MRI. The primary goal of this project is to identify clusters that meet the following criteria: high paramagnetic susceptibility, water-soluble, stable, cheap, contain environmentally benign metals, and easily derivatized. This work is

  8. Delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of the fibrocartilage disc of the temporomandibular joint--a feasibility study.

    PubMed

    Pittschieler, Elisabeth; Szomolanyi, Pavol; Schmid-Schwap, Martina; Weber, Michael; Egerbacher, Monika; Traxler, Hannes; Trattnig, Siegfried

    2014-12-01

    To 1) test the feasibility of delayed Gadolinium-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cartilage (dGEMRIC) at 3 T in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and 2) to determine the optimal delay for measurements of the TMJ disc after i.v. contrast agent (CA) administration. MRI of the right and left TMJ of six asymptomatic volunteers was performed at 3 T using a dedicated coil. 2D inversion recovery (2D-IR) sequences were performed at 4 time points covering 120 minutes and 3D gradient-echo (3D GRE) dual flip-angle sequences were performed at 14 time points covering 130 minutes after the administration of 0.2 mmol/kg of Gd-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid ion (Gd-DTPA)(2-), i.e., 0.4 mL of Magnevist™ per kg body weight. Pair-wise tests were used to assess differences between pre-and post-contrast T1 values. 2D-IR sequences showed a statistically significant drop (p<0.001) in T1 values after i.v. CA administration. The T1 drop of 50% was reached 60 minutes after bolus injection in the TMJ disc. The 3D GRE dual flip-angle sequences confirmed these results and show plateau of T1 after 60 minutes. T1(Gd) maps calculated from dGEMRIC data allow in vivo assessment of the fibrocartilage disc of the TMJ. The recommended measurement time for dGEMRIC in the TMJ after i.v. CA administration is from 60 to 120 minutes. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Anthropogenic gadolinium anomalies and rare earth elements in the water of Atibaia River and Anhumas Creek, Southeast Brazil.

    PubMed

    de Campos, Francisco Ferreira; Enzweiler, Jacinta

    2016-05-01

    The concentrations of rare earth elements (REE), measured in water samples from Atibaia River and its tributary Anhumas Creek, Brazil, present excess of dissolved gadolinium. Such anthropogenic anomalies of Gd in water, already described in other parts of the world, result from the use of stable and soluble Gd chelates as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging. Atibaia River constitutes the main water supply of Campinas Metropolitan area, and its basin receives wastewater effluents. The REE concentrations in water samples were determined in 0.22-μm pore size filtered samples, without and after preconcentration by solid-phase extraction with bis-(2-ethyl-hexyl)-phosphate. This preconcentration method was unable to retain the anthropogenic Gd quantitatively. The probable reason is that the Gd chelates dissociate slowly in acidic media to produce the free ion that is retained by the phosphate ester. Strong correlations between Gd and constituents or parameters associated with effluents confirmed the source of most Gd in water samples as anthropogenic. The shale-normalized REE patterns of Atibaia River and Anhumas Creek water samples showed light and heavy REE enrichment trends, respectively. Also, positive Ce anomalies in many Atibaia River samples, as well as the strong correlations of the REE (except Gd) with terrigenous elements, imply that inorganic colloidal particles contributed to the REE measured values.

  10. Delayed enhancement cardiac computed tomography for the assessment of myocardial infarction: from bench to bedside

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    A large number of studies support the increasingly relevant prognostic value of the presence and extent of delayed enhancement (DE), a surrogate marker of fibrosis, in diverse etiologies. Gadolinium and iodinated based contrast agents share similar kinetics, thus leading to comparable myocardial characterization with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and cardiac computed tomography (CT) at both first-pass perfusion and DE imaging. We review the available evidence of DE imaging for the assessment of myocardial infarction (MI) using cardiac CT (CTDE), from animal to clinical studies, and from 16-slice CT to dual-energy CT systems (DECT). Although both CMR and gadolinium agents have been originally deemed innocuous, a number of concerns (though inconclusive and very rare) have been recently issued regarding safety issues, including DNA double-strand breaks related to CMR, and gadolinium-associated nephrogenic systemic fibrosis and deposition in the skin and certain brain structures. These concerns have to be considered in the context of non-negligible rates of claustrophobia, increasing rates of patients with implantable cardiac devices, and a number of logistic drawbacks compared with CTDE, such as higher costs, longer scanning times, and difficulties to scan patients with impaired breath-holding capabilities. Overall, these issues might encourage the role of CTDE as an alternative for DE-CMR in selected populations. PMID:28540211

  11. A smart magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent responsive to adenosine based on a DNA aptamer-conjugated gadolinium complex.

    PubMed

    Xu, Weichen; Lu, Yi

    2011-05-07

    We report a general strategy for developing a smart MRI contrast agent for the sensing of small molecules such as adenosine based on a DNA aptamer that is conjugated to a Gd compound and a protein streptavidin. The binding of adenosine to its aptamer results in the dissociation of the Gd compound from the large protein, leading to decreases in the rotational correlation time and thus change of MRI contrast. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011

  12. An experimental phantom study of the effect of gadolinium-based MR contrast agents on PET attenuation coefficients and PET quantification in PET-MR imaging: application to cardiac studies.

    PubMed

    O' Doherty, Jim; Schleyer, Paul

    2017-12-01

    Simultaneous cardiac perfusion studies are an increasing trend in PET-MR imaging. During dynamic PET imaging, the introduction of gadolinium-based MR contrast agents (GBCA) at high concentrations during a dual injection of GBCA and PET radiotracer may cause increased attenuation effects of the PET signal, and thus errors in quantification of PET images. We thus aimed to calculate the change in linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) of a mixture of PET radiotracer and increasing concentrations of GBCA in solution and furthermore, to investigate if this change in LAC produced a measurable effect on the image-based PET activity concentration when attenuation corrected by three different AC strategies. We performed simultaneous PET-MR imaging of a phantom in a static scenario using a fixed activity of 40 MBq [18 F]-NaF, water, and an increasing GBCA concentration from 0 to 66 mM (based on an assumed maximum possible concentration of GBCA in the left ventricle in a clinical study). This simulated a range of clinical concentrations of GBCA. We investigated two methods to calculate the LAC of the solution mixture at 511 keV: (1) a mathematical mixture rule and (2) CT imaging of each concentration step and subsequent conversion to LAC at 511 keV. This comparison showed that the ranges of LAC produced by both methods are equivalent with an increase in LAC of the mixed solution of approximately 2% over the range of 0-66 mM. We then employed three different attenuation correction methods to the PET data: (1) each PET scan at a specific millimolar concentration of GBCA corrected by its corresponding CT scan, (2) each PET scan corrected by a CT scan with no GBCA present (i.e., at 0 mM GBCA), and (3) a manually generated attenuation map, whereby all CT voxels in the phantom at 0 mM were replaced by LAC = 0.1 cm -1 . All attenuation correction methods (1-3) were accurate to the true measured activity concentration within 5%, and there were no trends in image

  13. Topical antifungal agents: an update.

    PubMed

    Diehl, K B

    1996-10-01

    So many topical antifungal agents have been introduced that it has become very difficult to select the proper agent for a given infection. Nonspecific agents have been available for many years, and they are still effective in many situations. These agents include Whitfield's ointment, Castellani paint, gentian violet, potassium permanganate, undecylenic acid and selenium sulfide. Specific antifungal agents include, among others, the polyenes (nystatin, amphotericin B), the imidazoles (metronidazole, clotrimazole) and the allylamines (terbinafine, naftifine). Although the choice of an antifungal agent should be based on an accurate diagnosis, many clinicians believe that topical miconazole is a relatively effective agent for the treatment of most mycotic infections. Terbinafine and other newer drugs have primary fungicidal effects. Compared with older antifungal agents, these newer drugs can be used in lower concentrations and shorter therapeutic courses. Studies are needed to evaluate the clinical efficacies and cost advantages of both newer and traditional agents.

  14. Ferromagnetic coupling in the three-dimensional malonato-bridged gadoliniumIII complex [Gd2(mal)3(H2O)6] (H2mal = malonic acid).

    PubMed

    Hernández-Molina, María; Ruiz-Pérez, Catalina; López, Trinidad; Lloret, Francesc; Julve, Miguel

    2003-09-08

    The novel gadolinium(III) complex of formula [Gd(2)(mal)(3)(H(2)O)(6)] (1) (H(2)mal = 1,3-propanedioic acid) has been prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. Crystal data for 1: monoclinic, space group I2/a, a = 11.1064(10) A, b = 12.2524(10) A, c =13.6098(2) A, beta = 92.925(10) degrees, U = 1849.5(3) A(3), Z = 4. Compound 1 is a three-dimensional network made up of malonate-bridged gadolinium(III) ions where the malonate exhibits two bridging modes, eta(5)-bidentate + unidentate and eta(3):eta(3) + bis(unidentate). The gadolinium atom is nine-coordinate with three water molecules and six malonate oxygen atoms from three malonate ligands forming a distorted monocapped square antiprism. The shortest metal-metal separations are 4.2763(3) A [through the oxo-carboxylate bridge] and 6.541(3) A [through the carboxylate in the anti-syn coordination mode]. The value of the angle at the oxo-carboxylate atom is 116.8(2) degrees. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal the occurrence of a significant ferromagnetic interaction through the oxo-carboxylate pathway (J = +0.048(1) cm(-1), H = -JS(Gd(1)) x S(Gd(1a))).

  15. New agents for prostate cancer.

    PubMed

    Agarwal, N; Di Lorenzo, G; Sonpavde, G; Bellmunt, J

    2014-09-01

    The therapeutic landscape of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) has been revolutionized by the arrival of multiple novel agents in the past 2 years. Immunotherapy in the form of sipuleucel-T, androgen axis inhibitors, including abiraterone acetate and enzalutamide, a chemotherapeutic agent, cabazitaxel, and a radiopharmaceutical, radium-223, have all yielded incremental extensions of survival and have been recently approved. A number of other agents appear promising in early studies, suggesting that the armamentarium against castrate-resistant prostate cancer is likely to continue to expand. Emerging androgen pathway inhibitors include androgen synthesis inhibitors (TAK700), androgen receptor inhibitors (ARN-509, ODM-201), AR DNA binding domain inhibitors (EPI-001), selective AR downregulators or SARDs (AZD-3514), and agents that inhibit both androgen synthesis and receptor binding (TOK-001/galeterone). Promising immunotherapeutic agents include poxvirus vaccines and CTLA-4 inhibitor (ipilimumab). Biologic agents targeting the molecular drivers of disease are also being investigated as single agents, including cabozantinib (Met and VEGFR2 inhibitor) and tasquinimod (angiogenesis and immune modulatory agent). Despite the disappointing results seen from studies evaluating docetaxel in combination with other agents, including GVAX, anti-angiogentic agents (bevacizumab, aflibercept, lenalinomide), a SRC kinase inhibitor (dasatinib), endothelin receptor antagonists (atrasentan, zibotentan), and high-dose calcitriol (DN-101), the results from the trial evaluating docetaxel in combination with the clusterin antagonist, custirsen, are eagerly awaited. New therapeutic hurdles consist of discovering new targets, understanding resistance mechanisms, the optimal sequencing and combinations of available agents, as well as biomarkers predictive for benefit. Novel agents targeting bone metastases are being developed following the success of zoledronic acid

  16. Validation of the analytical methods in the LWR code BOXER for gadolinium-loaded fuel pins

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Paratte, J.M.; Arkuszewski, J.J.; Kamboj, B.K.

    1990-01-01

    Due to the very high absorption occurring in gadolinium-loaded fuel pins, calculations of lattices with such pins present are a demanding test of the analysis methods in light water reactor (LWR) cell and assembly codes. Considerable effort has, therefore, been devoted to the validation of code methods for gadolinia fuel. The goal of the work reported in this paper is to check the analysis methods in the LWR cell/assembly code BOXER and its associated cross-section processing code ETOBOX, by comparison of BOXER results with those from a very accurate Monte Carlo calculation for a gadolinium benchmark problem. Initial results ofmore » such a comparison have been previously reported. However, the Monte Carlo calculations, done with the MCNP code, were performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory using ENDF/B-V data, while the BOXER calculations were performed at the Paul Scherrer Institute using JEF-1 nuclear data. This difference in the basic nuclear data used for the two calculations, caused by the restricted nature of these evaluated data files, led to associated uncertainties in a comparison of the results for methods validation. In the joint investigations at the Georgia Institute of Technology and PSI, such uncertainty in this comparison was eliminated by using ENDF/B-V data for BOXER calculations at Georgia Tech.« less

  17. In vivo observation of dynamic perilymph formation using 4.7 T MRI with gadolinium as a tracer.

    PubMed

    Zou, Jing; Pyykkö, Ilmari; Counter, S Allen; Klason, Tomas; Bretlau, Poul; Bjelke, Börje

    2003-10-01

    To investigate the pharmacokinetics of gadolinium in the perilymphatic fluid spaces of the cochlea in vivo using high-resolution MRI to obtain information concerning perilymph formation. A Bruker Biospec Avance 47/40 experimental MRI system with a magnetic field strength of 4.7 T was used. Anesthetized pigmented guinea pigs were injected with the contrast agent Gd-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-bismethylamide and placed in the magnet. The signal intensity of Gd in the tissues was used as a biomarker for dynamic changes in the perilymphatic fluid. The most rapid uptake of Gd in the perilymphatic fluid spaces occurred in the lower part of the modiolus, followed by the second turn of the scala tympani. Within the scala tympani, the distribution of Gd in the basal turn was significantly lower than that in the other turns. Destruction of the cochlear aqueduct was followed by an increase in Gd uptake in the perilymph instead of a reduction. These findings offer further evidence that the pervasive perilymphatic fluid derives from the cochlear blood supply via the cochlear glomeruli, which are in close proximity to the scala tympani within the modiolus, and the capillary in the spiral ligament. Cerebrospinal fluid communicates with perilymph via the cochlear aqueduct but is not the main source of perilymph. These findings are of relevance to the treatment of inner ear diseases, as well as to our understanding of the flow and source of perilymphatic fluid.

  18. Indirect MR lymphangiography of the head and neck using conventional gadolinium contrast: A pilot study in humans

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Loo, Billy W.; Draney, Mary T.; Sivanandan, Ranjiv

    2006-10-01

    Purpose: To evaluate indirect magnetic resonance lymphangiography (MR-LAG) using interstitial injection of conventional gadolinium contrast (gadoteridol and gadopentetate dimeglumine) for delineating the primary lymphatic drainage of head-and-neck sites. Methods and Materials: We performed head-and-neck MR-LAG in 5 healthy volunteers, with injection of dermal and mucosal sites. We evaluated the safety of the procedure, the patterns of enhancement categorized by injection site and nodal level, the time course of enhancement, the optimal concentration and volume of contrast, and the optimal imaging sequence. Results: The worst side effects of interstitial contrast injection were brief, mild pain and swelling at the injected sitesmore » that were self-limited. MR-LAG resulted in consistent visualization of the primary lymphatic drainage pattern specific to each injected site, which was reproducible on repeated examinations. The best enhancement was obtained with injection of small volumes (0.3-0.5 mL) of either agent diluted, imaging within 5-15 min of injection, and a three-dimensional fast spoiled gradient echo sequence with magnetization transfer. Conclusions: We found head-and-neck MR-LAG to be a safe, convenient imaging method that provides functional information about the lymphatic drainage of injected sites. Applied to head-and-neck cancer, it has the potential to identify sites at highest risk of occult metastatic spread for radiotherapy or surgical planning, and possibly to visualize micrometastases.« less

  19. Prognostic Value of Late Gadolinium Enhancement Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in Cardiac Amyloidosis.

    PubMed

    Fontana, Marianna; Pica, Silvia; Reant, Patricia; Abdel-Gadir, Amna; Treibel, Thomas A; Banypersad, Sanjay M; Maestrini, Viviana; Barcella, William; Rosmini, Stefania; Bulluck, Heerajnarain; Sayed, Rabya H; Patel, Ketna; Mamhood, Shameem; Bucciarelli-Ducci, Chiara; Whelan, Carol J; Herrey, Anna S; Lachmann, Helen J; Wechalekar, Ashutosh D; Manisty, Charlotte H; Schelbert, Eric B; Kellman, Peter; Gillmore, Julian D; Hawkins, Philip N; Moon, James C

    2015-10-20

    The prognosis and treatment of the 2 main types of cardiac amyloidosis, immunoglobulin light chain (AL) and transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis, are substantially influenced by cardiac involvement. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is a reference standard for the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis, but its potential for stratifying risk is unknown. Two hundred fifty prospectively recruited subjects, 122 patients with ATTR amyloid, 9 asymptomatic mutation carriers, and 119 patients with AL amyloidosis, underwent LGE cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Subjects were followed up for a mean of 24±13 months. LGE was performed with phase-sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR) and without (magnitude only). These were compared with extracellular volume measured with T1 mapping. PSIR was superior to magnitude-only inversion recovery LGE because PSIR always nulled the tissue (blood or myocardium) with the longest T1 (least gadolinium). LGE was classified into 3 patterns: none, subendocardial, and transmural, which were associated with increasing amyloid burden as defined by extracellular volume (P<0.0001), with transitions from none to subendocardial LGE at an extracellular volume of 0.40 to 0.43 (AL) and 0.39 to 0.40 (ATTR) and to transmural at 0.48 to 0.55 (AL) and 0.47 to 0.59 (ATTR). Sixty-seven patients (27%) died. Transmural LGE predicted death (hazard ratio, 5.4; 95% confidence interval, 2.1-13.7; P<0.0001) and remained independent after adjustment for N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, ejection fraction, stroke volume index, E/E', and left ventricular mass index (hazard ratio, 4.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-13.1; P<0.05). There is a continuum of cardiac involvement in systemic AL and ATTR amyloidosis. Transmural LGE is determined reliably by PSIR and represents advanced cardiac amyloidosis. The PSIR technique provides incremental information on outcome even after adjustment for known prognostic factors. © 2015 The Authors.

  20. Design, synthesis, and evaluation of VEGFR-targeted macromolecular MRI contrast agent based on biotin-avidin-specific binding.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yongjun; Wu, Xiaoyun; Sun, Xiaohe; Wang, Dan; Zhong, Ying; Jiang, Dandan; Wang, Tianqi; Yu, Dexin; Zhang, Na

    2017-01-01

    Developing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents with high relaxivity and specificity was essential to increase MRI diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy. In this study, the MRI contrast agent, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-targeted poly (l-lysine) (PLL)-diethylene triamine pentacetate acid (DTPA)-gadolinium (Gd) (VEGFR-targeted PLL-DTPA-Gd, VPDG), was designed and prepared to enhance the MRI diagnosis capacity of tumor. Biotin-PLL-DTPA-Gd was synthesized first, then, VEGFR antibody was linked to biotin-PLL-DTPA-Gd using biotin-avidin reaction. In vitro cytotoxicity study results showed that VPDG had low toxicity to MCF-7 cells and HepG2 cells at experimental concentrations. In cell uptake experiments, VPDG could significantly increase the internalization rates (61.75%±5.22%) in VEGFR-positive HepG2 cells compared to PLL-DTPA-Gd (PDG) (25.16%±4.71%, P <0.05). In MRI studies in vitro, significantly higher T1 relaxivity (14.184 mM -1 s -1 ) was observed compared to Magnevist ® (4.9 mM -1 s -1 ; P <0.01). Furthermore, in vivo MRI study results showed that VPDG could significantly enhance the tumor signal intensity and prolong the diagnostic time (from <1 h to 2.5 h). These results indicated that macromolecular VPDG was a promising MRI contrast agent and held great potential for molecular diagnosis of tumor.

  1. Design, synthesis, and evaluation of VEGFR-targeted macromolecular MRI contrast agent based on biotin–avidin-specific binding

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Yongjun; Wu, Xiaoyun; Sun, Xiaohe; Wang, Dan; Zhong, Ying; Jiang, Dandan; Wang, Tianqi; Yu, Dexin; Zhang, Na

    2017-01-01

    Developing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents with high relaxivity and specificity was essential to increase MRI diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy. In this study, the MRI contrast agent, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-targeted poly (l-lysine) (PLL)-diethylene triamine pentacetate acid (DTPA)-gadolinium (Gd) (VEGFR-targeted PLL-DTPA-Gd, VPDG), was designed and prepared to enhance the MRI diagnosis capacity of tumor. Biotin-PLL-DTPA-Gd was synthesized first, then, VEGFR antibody was linked to biotin-PLL-DTPA-Gd using biotin–avidin reaction. In vitro cytotoxicity study results showed that VPDG had low toxicity to MCF-7 cells and HepG2 cells at experimental concentrations. In cell uptake experiments, VPDG could significantly increase the internalization rates (61.75%±5.22%) in VEGFR-positive HepG2 cells compared to PLL-DTPA-Gd (PDG) (25.16%±4.71%, P<0.05). In MRI studies in vitro, significantly higher T1 relaxivity (14.184 mM−1 s−1) was observed compared to Magnevist® (4.9 mM−1 s−1; P<0.01). Furthermore, in vivo MRI study results showed that VPDG could significantly enhance the tumor signal intensity and prolong the diagnostic time (from <1 h to 2.5 h). These results indicated that macromolecular VPDG was a promising MRI contrast agent and held great potential for molecular diagnosis of tumor. PMID:28765707

  2. Gadolinium-free MR in coarctation-can contrast-enhanced MR angiography be replaced?

    PubMed

    Kalmar, Peter I; Koestenberger, Martin; Marterer, Robert; Tschauner, Sebastian; Sorantin, Erich

    2016-01-01

    To determine the difference in vessel measurements, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and voxel size between contrast-enhanced and noncontrast magnetic resonance techniques in patients with coarctation of the aorta (CoA). In 39 patients, vessel size, SNR, and voxel size were compared in cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), gadolinium-free magnetic resonance angiography (Gd-free MRA), and contrast-enhanced MRA (ce-MRA). There was no significant difference in measurement and SNR, but there was a significant difference in voxel size (P<.001). Our results show that, in CoA patients, monitoring of vessel size using cine MRI and Gd-free MRA is equivalent to ce-MRA while being less invasive. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Electronic transport in gadolinium atomic-size contacts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olivera, B.; Salgado, C.; Lado, J. L.; Karimi, A.; Henkel, V.; Scheer, E.; Fernández-Rossier, J.; Palacios, J. J.; Untiedt, C.

    2017-02-01

    We report on the fabrication, transport measurements, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations of atomic-size contacts made of gadolinium (Gd). Gd is known to have local moments mainly associated with f electrons. These coexist with itinerant s and d bands that account for its metallic character. Here we explore whether and how the local moments influence electronic transport properties at the atomic scale. Using both scanning tunneling microscope and lithographic mechanically controllable break junction techniques under cryogenic conditions, we study the conductance of Gd when only few atoms form the junction between bulk electrodes made of the very same material. Thousands of measurements show that Gd has an average lowest conductance, attributed to single-atom contact, below 2/e2 h . Our DFT calculations for monostrand chains anticipate that the f bands are fully spin polarized and insulating and that the conduction may be dominated by s , p , and d bands. We also analyze the electronic transport for model nanocontacts using the nonequilibrium Green's function formalism in combination with DFT. We obtain an overall good agreement with the experimental results for zero bias and show that the contribution to the electronic transport from the f channels is negligible and that from the d channels is marginal.

  4. Delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of the fibrocartilage disc of the temporomandibular joint – a feasibility study

    PubMed Central

    Pittschieler, Elisabeth; Szomolanyi, Pavol; Schmid-Schwap, Martina; Weber, Michael; Egerbacher, Monika; Traxler, Hannes; Trattnig, Siegfried

    2014-01-01

    Objective To 1) test the feasibility of delayed Gadolinium-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cartilage (dGEMRIC) at 3 T in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and 2) to determine the optimal delay for measurements of the TMJ disc after i.v. contrast agent (CA) administration. Design MRI of the right and left TMJ of six asymptomatic volunteers was performed at 3 T using a dedicated coil. 2D inversion recovery (2D-IR) sequences were performed at 4 time points covering 120 minutes and 3D gradient-echo (3D GRE) dual flip-angle sequences were performed at 14 time points covering 130 minutes after the administration of 0.2 mmol/kg of Gd-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid ion (Gd-DTPA)2-, i.e., 0.4 mL of Magnevist™ per kg body weight. Pair-wise tests were used to assess differences between pre-and post-contrast T1 values. Results 2D-IR sequences showed a statistically significant drop (p < 0.001) in T1 values after i.v. CA administration. The T1 drop of 50% was reached 60 minutes after bolus injection in the TMJ disc. The 3D GRE dual flip-angle sequences confirmed these results and show plateau of T1 after 60 minutes. Conclusions T1(Gd) maps calculated from dGEMRIC data allow in vivo assessment of the fibrocartilage disc of the TMJ. The recommended measurement time for dGEMRIC in the TMJ after i.v. CA administration is from 60 to 120 minutes. PMID:25131629

  5. Investigation of terbium in the ferroelectric crystal, gadolinium molybdate, as a potential laser

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Crouch, J.E.

    A preliminary non-stimulated study of the laser host combination Gd(2 - x)Tb(x)(MoO4)3 is made. The host material, gadolinium molybdate (GMO), is a ferroelectric/ferroelastic crystal. An investigation of temperature and external electric field affects on the absorption and fluorescence of the crystal did not produce any unusual results. The terbium ion, Tb(3+), peak cross section in GMO for the 5D sub 4 to 7F sub 5 transition is 10 x 10 to the minus twenty first power sq. cm. at 300K. The wavelength of this four level laser transition is 543 nm. (GRA)

  6. Electronic structure, charge transfer, and intrinsic luminescence of gadolinium oxide nanoparticles: Experiment and theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zatsepin, D. A.; Boukhvalov, D. W.; Zatsepin, A. F.; Kuznetsova, Yu. A.; Mashkovtsev, M. A.; Rychkov, V. N.; Shur, V. Ya.; Esin, A. A.; Kurmaev, E. Z.

    2018-04-01

    The cubic (c) and monoclinic (m) polymorphs of Gd2O3 were studied using the combined analysis of several materials science techniques - X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) based calculations for the samples under study were performed as well. The cubic phase of gadolinium oxide (c-Gd2O3) synthesized using a precipitation method exhibits spheroidal-like nanoclusters with well-defined edges assembled from primary nanoparticles with an average size of 50 nm, whereas the monoclinic phase of gadolinium oxide (m-Gd2O3) deposited using explosive pyrolysis has a denser structure compared with natural gadolinia. This phase also has a structure composed of three-dimensional complex agglomerates without clear-edged boundaries that are ∼21 nm in size plus a cubic phase admixture of only 2 at.% composed of primary edge-boundary nanoparticles ∼15 nm in size. These atomic features appear in the electronic structure as different defects ([Gd…Osbnd OH] and [Gd…Osbnd O]) and have dissimilar contributions to the charge-transfer processes among the appropriate electronic states with ambiguous contributions in the Gd 5р - O 2s core-like levels in the valence band structures. The origin of [Gd…Osbnd OH] defects found by XPS was well-supported by PL analysis. The electronic and atomic structures of the synthesized gadolinias calculated using DFT were compared and discussed on the basis of the well-known joint OKT-van der Laan model, and good agreement was established.

  7. Microglia used as vehicles for both inducible thymidine kinase gene therapy and MRI contrast agents for glioma therapy.

    PubMed

    Ribot, E; Bouzier-Sore, A-K; Bouchaud, V; Miraux, S; Delville, M-H; Franconi, J-M; Voisin, P

    2007-08-01

    Microglia are phagocytic cells that are chemoattracted by brain tumors and can represent up to 70% of the tumor cell population. To get insight into gene therapy against glioma, we decided to take advantage of those microglia properties and to use those cells as vehicles to transport simultaneously a suicide gene (under the control of a heat-sensitive promoter) and contrast agents to localize them by magnetic resonance imaging before applying any therapeutic treatment. Thymidine kinase (TK) expression and its functionality after gancyclovir administration were investigated. After the heat shock (44 degrees C and 20 min), TK was expressed in 50% of the cells. However, after gancyclovir treatment, 90% of the cells died by apoptosis, showing an important bystander effect. Then, the cells were incubated with new lanthanide contrast agents to check both their potential toxicity and their MR properties. Results indicate that the nanoparticles did not induce any cell toxicity and yield a hypersignal on MR images at 4.7 T. These in vitro experiments indicate that microglia are good candidates as vectors in gene therapy against brain tumors. Finally, microglia containing gadolinium-grafted nanoparticles were injected in the close vicinity of C6 tumor, in a mouse. The hyperintensive signal obtained on in vivo images as well as its retention time show the potential of the novel contrast agents for cellular imaging.

  8. Magnetic and magnetothermal studies of pure and doped gadolinium silicide nanoparticles for self-controlled hyperthermia applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alnasir, M. Hisham; Awan, M. S.; Manzoor, Sadia

    2018-03-01

    We report on magnetic and magnetothermal properties of undoped and doped gadolinium silicide (Gd5Si4) nanoparticles with the objective of simultaneously attaining high specific absorption rate (SAR) and low Curie temperature (TC) suitable for self-controlled hyperthermia applications for which TC ∼ 315-320 K. Pellets of doped gadolinium silicide Gd5(Si1-xGex)4 and (Gd1-xRx)5Si4 with R = Ho, Nd and Er and 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.35 were made by arc melting and reduced to nanoparticulate form by surfactant assisted ball milling. Structural and morphological studies were done using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy respectively. All samples show soft magnetic properties. At low fields there is a ferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition that reduces remanance and coercivity to zero making these materials very attractive for biomedical applications. Zero-field-cooled thermal demagnetization measurements showed that TC of these nanoparticles can be lowered to lie within the limits required for self-controlled hyperthermia by varying the dopant concentration. Specific absorption rates (SAR's) were obtained from magnetothermia measurements made in an ac magnetic field of amplitude 10 Oe and frequency 300 kHz. We have identified samples that have SAR values larger or comparable to those of magnetite and several ferrite nanoparticles, while having Curie temperatures that are low enough for self controlled hyperthermia applications.

  9. Gadolinium and ruthenium red attenuate remote hind limb preconditioning-induced cardioprotection: possible role of TRP and especially TRPV channels.

    PubMed

    Randhawa, Puneet Kaur; Jaggi, Amteshwar Singh

    2016-08-01

    Remote ischemic preconditioning is a well reported therapeutic strategy that induces cardioprotective effects but the underlying intracellular mechanisms have not been widely explored. The current study was designed to investigate the involvement of TRP and especially TRPV channels in remote hind limb preconditioning-induced cardioprotection. Remote hind limb preconditioning stimulus (4 alternate cycles of inflation and deflation of 5 min each) was delivered using a blood pressure cuff tied on the hind limb of the anesthetized rat. Using Langendorff's system, the heart was perfused and subjected to 30-min ischemia and 120-min reperfusion. The myocardial injury was assessed by measuring infarct size, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), LVDP, +dp/dtmax, -dp/dtmin, heart rate, and coronary flow rate. Gadolinium, TRP blocker, and ruthenium red, TRPV channel blocker, were employed as pharmacological tools. Remote hind limb preconditioning significantly reduced the infarct size, LDH release, CK release and improved coronary flow rate, hemodynamic parameters including LVDP, +dp/dtmax, -dp/dtmin, and heart rate. However, gadolinium (7.5 and 15 mg kg(-1)) and ruthenium red (4 and 8 mg kg(-1)) significantly attenuated the cardioprotective effects suggesting the involvement of TRP especially TRPV channels in mediating remote hind limb preconditioning-induced cardioprotection. Remote hind limb preconditioning stimulus possibly activates TRPV channels on the heart or sensory nerve fibers innervating the heart to induce cardioprotective effects. Alternatively, remote hind limb preconditioning stimulus may also activate the mechanosensitive TRP and especially TRPV channels on the sensory nerve fibers innervating the skeletal muscles to trigger cardioprotective neurogenic signaling cascade. The cardioprotective effects of remote hind limb preconditioning may be mediated via activation of mechanosensitive TRP and especially TRPV channels.

  10. Biocompatible and high-performance amino acids-capped MnWO4 nanocasting as a novel non-lanthanide contrast agent for X-ray computed tomography and T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Kai; Liu, Zhen; Liu, Jianhua; Huang, Sa; Li, Zhenhua; Yuan, Qinghai; Ren, Jinsong; Qu, Xiaogang

    2014-01-01

    -weighted MR imaging capabilities. As an alternative to T2-weighted MRI and CT dual-modality contrast agents, the nanoprobes can provide a positive contrast signal, which prevents confusion with the dark signals from hemorrhage and blood clots. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that a non-lanthanide imaging nanoprobe is applied for CT and T1-weighted MRI simultaneously. Moreover, comparing with gadolinium-based T1-weighted MRI and CT dual-modality contrast agents that were associated with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), our contrast agents have superior biocompatibility, which is proved by a detailed study of the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and in vivo toxicology. Together with excellent dispersibility, high biocompatibility and superior contrast efficacy, these nanoprobes provide detailed and complementary information from dual-modality imaging over traditional single-mode imaging and bring more opportunities to the new generation of non-lanthanide nanoparticulate-based contrast agents. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: TEM images of MnWO4 nanoparticles synthesized at pH = 7, 180 °C pH = 9, 180 °C pH = 6, 200 °C with various amino acid molecules as capped agents, survey XPS spectra, FTIR spectrum of glycine capped MnWO4 nanorods, photos of glycine capped MnWO4 nanorods in various solutions including PBS, DMEM cell medium, and FBS, in vivo coronal view CT images of a rat before and after intravenous injection of iobitridol at different timed intervals, in vivo CT imaging of the rat one month after intravenous injection of MnWO4 nanorods, CT values of the heart, liver, spleen and kidney of a rat before and after intravenous administration of MnWO4 nanorods and iobitridol at different time intervals, hematology analysis and blood biochemical assay. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr05455a

  11. Recent progress in advanced optical materials based on gadolinium aluminate garnet (Gd3Al5O12)

    PubMed Central

    Li, Ji-Guang; Sakka, Yoshio

    2015-01-01

    This review article summarizes the recent achievements in stabilization of the metastable lattice of gadolinium aluminate garnet (Gd3Al5O12, GAG) and the related developments of advanced optical materials, including down-conversion phosphors, up-conversion phosphors, transparent ceramics, and single crystals. Whenever possible, the materials are compared with their better known YAG and LuAG counterparts to demonstrate the merits of the GAG host. It is shown that novel emission features and significantly improved luminescence can be attained for a number of phosphor systems with the more covalent GAG lattice and the efficient energy transfer from Gd3+ to the activator. Ce3+ doped GAG-based single crystals and transparent ceramics are also shown to simultaneously possess the advantages of high theoretical density, fast scintillation decay, and high light yields, and hold great potential as scintillators for a wide range of applications. The unresolved issues are also pointed out. PMID:27877750

  12. Recent progress in advanced optical materials based on gadolinium aluminate garnet (Gd3Al5O12)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Ji-Guang; Sakka, Yoshio

    2015-02-01

    This review article summarizes the recent achievements in stabilization of the metastable lattice of gadolinium aluminate garnet (Gd3Al5O12, GAG) and the related developments of advanced optical materials, including down-conversion phosphors, up-conversion phosphors, transparent ceramics, and single crystals. Whenever possible, the materials are compared with their better known YAG and LuAG counterparts to demonstrate the merits of the GAG host. It is shown that novel emission features and significantly improved luminescence can be attained for a number of phosphor systems with the more covalent GAG lattice and the efficient energy transfer from Gd3+ to the activator. Ce3+ doped GAG-based single crystals and transparent ceramics are also shown to simultaneously possess the advantages of high theoretical density, fast scintillation decay, and high light yields, and hold great potential as scintillators for a wide range of applications. The unresolved issues are also pointed out.

  13. Fate of tenogenic differentiation potential of human bone marrow stromal cells by uniaxial stretching affected by stretch-activated calcium channel agonist gadolinium

    PubMed Central

    Balaji Raghavendran, Hanumantha Rao; Pingguan-Murphy, Belinda; Abbas, Azlina A.; Merican, Azhar M.; Kamarul, Tunku

    2017-01-01

    The role for mechanical stimulation in the control of cell fate has been previously proposed, suggesting that there may be a role of mechanical conditioning in directing mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) towards specific lineage for tissue engineering applications. Although previous studies have reported that calcium signalling is involved in regulating many cellular processes in many cell types, its role in managing cellular responses to tensile loading (mechanotransduction) of MSCs has not been fully elucidated. In order to establish this, we disrupted calcium signalling by blocking stretch-activated calcium channel (SACC) in human MSCs (hMSCs) in vitro. Passaged-2 hMSCs were exposed to cyclic tensile loading (1 Hz + 8% for 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours) in the presence of the SACC blocker, gadolinium. Analyses include image observations of immunochemistry and immunofluorescence staining from extracellular matrix (ECM) production, and measuring related tenogenic and apoptosis gene marker expression. Uniaxial tensile loading increased the expression of tenogenic markers and ECM production. However, exposure to strain in the presence of 20 μM gadolinium reduced the induction of almost all tenogenic markers and ECM staining, suggesting that SACC acts as a mechanosensor in strain-induced hMSC tenogenic differentiation process. Although cell death was observed in prolonged stretching, it did not appear to be apoptosis mediated. In conclusion, the knowledge gained in this study by elucidating the role of calcium in MSC mechanotransduction processes, and that in prolonged stretching results in non-apoptosis mediated cell death may be potential useful for regenerative medicine applications. PMID:28654695

  14. Luminescence properties and electronic structure of Ce{sup 3+}-doped gadolinium aluminum garnet

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dotsenko, V.P., E-mail: ssclab@ukr.net; Berezovskaya, I.V.; Voloshinovskii, A.S.

    2015-04-15

    Highlights: • The luminescence properties of Ce{sup 3+} ions in (Y, Gd){sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12} are analyzed. • The Gd{sup 3+} → Y{sup 3+} substitution leads to increasing of Ce{sup 3+} noncubic crystal field splitting parameter. • The excitation spectra for the Ce{sup 3+} emission in GdAG contain bands at 6.67, 7.75, and 9.76 eV. • These features are due to the Ce{sup 3+}-bound exciton formation and O 2p → Al 3s, 3p transitions. • Contributions from Al atoms to the conduction-band density of states are quite essential. - Abstract: Yttrium-gadolinium aluminum garnets (YGdAG) doped with Ce{sup 3+} ions havemore » been prepared by co-precipitation method. The luminescent properties of Ce{sup 3+} ions in Gd{sub 3(1−x)}Ce{sub 3x}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12} (x = 0.01) have been studied upon excitation in the 2–20 eV region. The substitution of Gd{sup 3+} for Y{sup 3+} in the garnet structure results in broadening the emission band and shifting its maximum towards the longer wavelengths. It was found that in addition to the 4f → 5d excitation bands of Ce{sup 3+} ions, the excitation spectra for the Ce{sup 3+} emission contain bands at 6.67, 7.75, and 9.76 eV. These bands are attributed to the Ce{sup 3+}-bound exciton formation and O 2p → Al 3s, 3p transitions, respectively. Although gadolinium states dominate near the bottom of the conduction band of Gd{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}, contributions from Al{sub tetr} and Al{sub oct} atoms to the conduction-band density of states are evaluated as quite essential.« less

  15. Diverse patterns of perilymphatic space enhancement in the rat inner ear after intratympanic injection of two different types of gadolinium: a 9.4-tesla magnetic resonance study.

    PubMed

    Park, Mina; Lee, Ho Sun; Choi, Jun-Jae; Kim, Hyeonjin; Lee, Jun Ho; Oh, Seung Ha; Suh, Myung-Whan

    2015-01-01

    To compare the quality of perilymphatic enhancement in the rat inner ear after intratympanic injection of two types of gadolinium with a 9.4-tesla micro-MRI. Gadolinium was injected into the middle ear in 6 Sprague-Dawley rats via the transtympanic route. The left ear was injected with Gd-DO3A-butrol first, and then the right ear was injected with Gd-DOTA. MR images of the inner ear were acquired 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, and 4 h after intratympanic (IT) injection using an Agilent MRI system 9.4T/160/AS. The normalized signal intensity was quantitatively analyzed at the scala vestibuli (SV), scala media, and scala tympani (ST) using a Marosis M-view system. Then the normalized signal intensities (SIs) were compared between the two contrast agents. For Gd-DO3A-butrol, the SI was as low as 1.0-1.5 throughout 1-4 h at the SV and ST of the basal turn. The maximum SI was 1.5 ± 0.5 at the SV (2 h) and 1.3 ± 0.5 at the ST (2 h). For Gd-DOTA, the 1-hour postinjection SI at the basal turn was 2.5 ± 0.5 at the SV, 1.6 ± 0.3 at the ST, and 1.2 ± 0.3 at the scala media. In the apical turn, the maximum SI was reached after 2.5 h. The maximum SI in the apical turn was 1.8 ± 0.4 at the SV (3.5 h), 1.8 ± 0.4 at the ST (4 h), and 1.4 ± 0.3 at the scala media (4 h). We were able to clearly visualize and separate the ST and SV using IT Gd and 9.4-tesla micro-MRI. We recommend using Gd-DO3A-butrol over Gd-DOTA and to perform the MRI 2.5 h after using IT Gd in the rat inner ear. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  16. Improved paramagnetic chelate for molecular imaging with MRI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winter, Patrick; Athey, Phillip; Kiefer, Garry; Gulyas, Gyongyi; Frank, Keith; Fuhrhop, Ralph; Robertson, David; Wickline, Samuel; Lanza, Gregory

    2005-05-01

    The relaxivity and transmetallation of two lipophilic paramagnetic chelates incorporated onto perfluorocarbon nanoparticles, i.e., gadolinium-methoxy-tetraazacyclododecane-tetraacetic acid phosphatidylethanolamine (Gd-MeO-DOTA-PE) and gadolinium-methoxy-tetraazacyclododecane-tetraacetic acid triglycine phosphatidylethanolamine (Gd-MeO-DOTA-triglycine-PE (Gd-MeO-DOTA-triglycine-PE)), were compared to a prototypic gadolinium-diethylene-triamine-pentaacetic acid bis-oleate (Gd-DTPA-BOA) paramagnetic formulation. Nanoparticles with MeO-DOTA-based chelates demonstrated higher relaxivity (40% higher for Gd-MeO-DOTA-PE and 55% higher for Gd-MeO-DOTA-triglycine-PE) and less transmetallation than the original Gd-DTPA-BOA-based agent.

  17. Prognostic Value of Late Gadolinium Enhancement Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in Cardiac Amyloidosis

    PubMed Central

    Fontana, Marianna; Pica, Silvia; Reant, Patricia; Abdel-Gadir, Amna; Treibel, Thomas A.; Banypersad, Sanjay M.; Maestrini, Viviana; Barcella, William; Rosmini, Stefania; Bulluck, Heerajnarain; Sayed, Rabya H.; Patel, Ketna; Mamhood, Shameem; Bucciarelli-Ducci, Chiara; Whelan, Carol J.; Herrey, Anna S.; Lachmann, Helen J.; Wechalekar, Ashutosh D.; Manisty, Charlotte H.; Schelbert, Eric B.; Kellman, Peter; Gillmore, Julian D.; Hawkins, Philip N.

    2015-01-01

    Background— The prognosis and treatment of the 2 main types of cardiac amyloidosis, immunoglobulin light chain (AL) and transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis, are substantially influenced by cardiac involvement. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is a reference standard for the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis, but its potential for stratifying risk is unknown. Methods and Results— Two hundred fifty prospectively recruited subjects, 122 patients with ATTR amyloid, 9 asymptomatic mutation carriers, and 119 patients with AL amyloidosis, underwent LGE cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Subjects were followed up for a mean of 24±13 months. LGE was performed with phase-sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR) and without (magnitude only). These were compared with extracellular volume measured with T1 mapping. PSIR was superior to magnitude-only inversion recovery LGE because PSIR always nulled the tissue (blood or myocardium) with the longest T1 (least gadolinium). LGE was classified into 3 patterns: none, subendocardial, and transmural, which were associated with increasing amyloid burden as defined by extracellular volume (P<0.0001), with transitions from none to subendocardial LGE at an extracellular volume of 0.40 to 0.43 (AL) and 0.39 to 0.40 (ATTR) and to transmural at 0.48 to 0.55 (AL) and 0.47 to 0.59 (ATTR). Sixty-seven patients (27%) died. Transmural LGE predicted death (hazard ratio, 5.4; 95% confidence interval, 2.1–13.7; P<0.0001) and remained independent after adjustment for N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, ejection fraction, stroke volume index, E/E′, and left ventricular mass index (hazard ratio, 4.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.3–13.1; P<0.05). Conclusions— There is a continuum of cardiac involvement in systemic AL and ATTR amyloidosis. Transmural LGE is determined reliably by PSIR and represents advanced cardiac amyloidosis. The PSIR technique provides incremental information on outcome even after

  18. Proceedings of the Agent 2002 Conference on Social Agents : Ecology, Exchange, and Evolution

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Macal, C., ed.; Sallach, D., ed.

    2003-04-10

    Welcome to the ''Proceedings'' of the third in a series of agent simulation conferences cosponsored by Argonne National Laboratory and The University of Chicago. The theme of this year's conference, ''Social Agents: Ecology, Exchange and Evolution'', was selected to foster the exchange of ideas on some of the most important social processes addressed by agent simulation models, namely: (1) The translation of ecology and ecological constraints into social dynamics; (2) The role of exchange processes, including the peer dependencies they create; and (3) The dynamics by which, and the attractor states toward which, social processes evolve. As stated in themore » ''Call for Papers'', throughout the social sciences, the simulation of social agents has emerged as an innovative and powerful research methodology. The promise of this approach, however, is accompanied by many challenges. First, modeling complexity in agents, environments, and interactions is non-trivial, and these representations must be explored and assessed systematically. Second, strategies used to represent complexities are differentially applicable to any particular problem space. Finally, to achieve sufficient generality, the design and experimentation inherent in agent simulation must be coupled with social and behavioral theory. Agent 2002 provides a forum for reviewing the current state of agent simulation scholarship, including research designed to address such outstanding issues. This year's conference introduces an extensive range of domains, models, and issues--from pre-literacy to future projections, from ecology to oligopolistic markets, and from design to validation. Four invited speakers highlighted major themes emerging from social agent simulation.« less

  19. Safe use of iodinated and gadolinium-based contrast media in current practice in Japan: a questionnaire survey.

    PubMed

    Tsushima, Yoshito; Ishiguchi, Tsuneo; Murakami, Takamichi; Hayashi, Hiromitsu; Hayakawa, Katsumi; Fukuda, Kunihiko; Korogi, Yukunori; Sugimoto, Hideharu; Takehara, Yasuo; Narumi, Yoshifumi; Arai, Yasuaki; Kuwatsuru, Ryohei; Yoshimitsu, Kengo; Awai, Kazuo; Kanematsu, Masayuki; Takagi, Ryo

    2016-02-01

    To help establish consensus on the safe use of contrast media in Japan. Questionnaires were sent to accredited teaching hospitals with radiology residency programs. The reply rate was 45.4% (329/724). For contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), chronic and acute kidney diseases were considered a risk factor in 96.7 and 93.6%, respectively, and dehydration in 73.9%. As preventive actions, intravenous hydration (89.1%) and reduction of iodinated contrast media dose (86.9%) were commonly performed. For nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), chronic and acute kidney diseases were considered risk factors in 98.5 and 90.6%, respectively, but use of unstable gadolinium-based contrast media was considered a risk factor in only 55.6%. A renal function test was always (63.5% in iodinated; 65.7% in gadolinium) or almost always (23.1; 19.8%) performed, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was the parameter most frequently used (80.8; 82.6%). For the patients with risk factors for acute adverse reaction (AAR), steroid premedication or/and change of contrast medium were frequent preventive actions, but intravenous steroid administration immediately before contrast media use was still performed. Our questionnaire survey revealed that preventive actions against CIN were properly performed based on patients' eGFR. Preventive actions against NSF and AAR still lacked consensus.

  20. Synthesis of gadolinium doped titanium(IV) oxide and their photocatalytic activity to decrease chemical oxygen demand (COD) value of water pollutants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eddy, Diana Rakhmawaty; Dwiyanti, Dina; Rahayu, Iman; Hastiawan, Iwan; Bahti, Husein H.

    2017-05-01

    Pesticides are widely used for the control of plant disease. Unfortunately they are highly toxic to terraneous and aquatic life; this is a particular problem in agricultural areas. TiO2 is widely used for pesticide control because of its photocatalytic activity, but it still has inadequacy in its wide band gap. Alternatively, the wide band gap of TiO2 could be narrowed by modification with rare earth element such as gadolinium, so the photocatalytic activity of TiO2could be significantly enhanced. The purpose of this experiment is to synthesize Gd/TiO2 and its application to reduce COD of water pollutants such as carbosulfan pesticide. This experiment is done by doping gadolinium oxide into titanium tetra isopropoxide by sol-gel method. The crystal structure is characterized by using XRD, shown anatase successfully obtained with the smallest crystallite size is 37.655 nm, indicated optimum calcination time is 4 hours. SEM-EDX result shown morphology of crystal is big aggregates. Photocatalytic activity is tested to carbosulfan pesticide, obtained the COD percent decreases up to 87.88%.

  1. Nondestructive Intervention to Multi-Agent Systems through an Intelligent Agent

    PubMed Central

    Han, Jing; Wang, Lin

    2013-01-01

    For a given multi-agent system where the local interaction rule of the existing agents can not be re-designed, one way to intervene the collective behavior of the system is to add one or a few special agents into the group which are still treated as normal agents by the existing ones. We study how to lead a Vicsek-like flocking model to reach synchronization by adding special agents. A popular method is to add some simple leaders (fixed-headings agents). However, we add one intelligent agent, called ‘shill’, which uses online feedback information of the group to decide the shill's moving direction at each step. A novel strategy for the shill to coordinate the group is proposed. It is strictly proved that a shill with this strategy and a limited speed can synchronize every agent in the group. The computer simulations show the effectiveness of this strategy in different scenarios, including different group sizes, shill speed, and with or without noise. Compared to the method of adding some fixed-heading leaders, our method can guarantee synchronization for any initial configuration in the deterministic scenario and improve the synchronization level significantly in low density groups, or model with noise. This suggests the advantage and power of feedback information in intervention of collective behavior. PMID:23658695

  2. Controllable Fabrication and Optical Properties of Uniform Gadolinium Oxysulfate Hollow Spheres

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Fashen; Chen, Gen; Liu, Tao; Zhang, Ning; Liu, Xiaohe; Luo, Hongmei; Li, Junhui; Chen, Limiao; Ma, Renzhi; Qiu, Guanzhou

    2015-01-01

    Uniform gadolinium oxysulfate (Gd2O2SO4) hollow spheres were successfully fabricated by calcination of corresponding Gd-organic precursor obtained via a facile hydrothermal process. The Gd2O2SO4 hollow spheres have a mean diameter of approximately 550 nm and shell thickness in the range of 30–70 nm. The sizes and morphologies of as-prepared Gd2O2SO4 hollow spheres could be deliberately controlled by adjusting the experimental parameters. Eu-doped Gd2O2SO4 hollow spheres have also been prepared for the property modification and practical applications. The structure, morphology, and properties of as-prepared products were characterized by XRD, TEM, HRTEM, SEM and fluorescence spectrophotometer. Excited with ultraviolet (UV) pump laser, successful downconversion (DC) could be achieved for Eu-doped Gd2O2SO4 hollow spheres. PMID:26671661

  3. Caustic Precipitation of Plutonium Using Gadolinium as the Neutron Poison for Disposition to High Level Waste

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bronikowski, M.G.

    2002-06-24

    Nuclear Materials Management Division (NMMD) has proposed that up to 100 kg of the plutonium (Pu) solutions stored in H-Canyon be precipitated with a nuclear poison and dispositioned to H-Area Tank Farm. The use of gadolinium (Gd) as the poison would greatly reduce the number of additional glass logs resulting from this disposition. This report summarizes the characteristics of the precipitation process and addresses criticality concerns in the Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluation. No problems were found with the nature of the precipitate or the neutralization process.

  4. High spatial resolution free-breathing 3D late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in ischaemic and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy: quantitative assessment of scar mass and image quality.

    PubMed

    Bizino, Maurice B; Tao, Qian; Amersfoort, Jacob; Siebelink, Hans-Marc J; van den Bogaard, Pieter J; van der Geest, Rob J; Lamb, Hildo J

    2018-04-06

    To compare breath-hold (BH) with navigated free-breathing (FB) 3D late gadolinium enhancement cardiac MRI (LGE-CMR) MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-one patients were retrospectively included (34 ischaemic cardiomyopathy, 14 non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy, three discarded). BH and FB 3D phase sensitive inversion recovery sequences were performed at 3T. FB datasets were reformatted into normal resolution (FB-NR, 1.46x1.46x10mm) and high resolution (FB-HR, isotropic 0.91-mm voxels). Scar mass, scar edge sharpness (SES), SNR and CNR were compared using paired-samples t-test, Pearson correlation and Bland-Altman analysis. Scar mass was similar in BH and FB-NR (mean ± SD: 15.5±18.0 g vs. 15.5±16.9 g, p=0.997), with good correlation (r=0.953), and no bias (mean difference ± SD: 0.00±5.47 g). FB-NR significantly overestimated scar mass compared with FB-HR (15.5±16.9 g vs 14.4±15.6 g; p=0.007). FB-NR and FB-HR correlated well (r=0.988), but Bland-Altman demonstrated systematic bias (1.15±2.84 g). SES was similar in BH and FB-NR (p=0.947), but significantly higher in FB-HR than FB-NR (p<0.01). SNR and CNR were lower in BH than FB-NR (p<0.01), and lower in FB-HR than FB-NR (p<0.01). Navigated free-breathing 3D LGE-CMR allows reliable scar mass quantification comparable to breath-hold. During free-breathing, spatial resolution can be increased resulting in improved sharpness and reduced scar mass. • Navigated free-breathing 3D late gadolinium enhancement is reliable for myocardial scar quantification. • High-resolution 3D late gadolinium enhancement increases scar sharpness • Ischaemic and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy patients can be imaged using free-breathing LGE CMR.

  5. A modified Seeded Region Growing algorithm for vessel segmentation in breast MRI images for investigating the nature of potential lesions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glotsos, D.; Vassiou, K.; Kostopoulos, S.; Lavdas, El; Kalatzis, I.; Asvestas, P.; Arvanitis, D. L.; Fezoulidis, I. V.; Cavouras, D.

    2014-03-01

    The role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as an alternative protocol for screening of breast cancer has been intensively investigated during the past decade. Preliminary research results have indicated that gadolinium-agent administrative MRI scans may reveal the nature of breast lesions by analyzing the contrast-agent's uptake time. In this study, we attempt to deduce the same conclusion, however, from a different perspective by investigating, using image processing, the vascular network of the breast at two different time intervals following the administration of gadolinium. Twenty cases obtained from a 3.0-T MRI system (SIGNA HDx; GE Healthcare) were included in the study. A new modification of the Seeded Region Growing (SRG) algorithm was used to segment vessels from surrounding background. Delineated vessels were investigated by means of their topology, morphology and texture. Results have shown that it is possible to estimate the nature of the lesions with approximately 94.4% accuracy, thus, it may be claimed that the breast vascular network does encodes useful, patterned, information, which can be used for characterizing breast lesions.

  6. Gd-DTPA L-cystine bisamide copolymers as novel biodegradable macromolecular contrast agents for MR blood pool imaging.

    PubMed

    Kaneshiro, Todd L; Ke, Tianyi; Jeong, Eun-Kee; Parker, Dennis L; Lu, Zheng-Rong

    2006-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to synthesize biodegradable Gd-DTPA L-cystine bisamide copolymers (GCAC) as safe and effective, macromolecular contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to evaluate their biodegradability and efficacy in MR blood pool imaging in an animal model. Three new biodegradable GCAC with different substituents at the cystine bisamide [R = H (GCAC), CH2CH2CH3 (Gd-DTPA L-cystine bispropyl amide copolymers, GCPC), and CH(CH3)2 (Gd-DTPA cystine bisisopropyl copolymers, GCIC)] were prepared by the condensation copolymerization of diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) dianhydride with cystine bisamide or bisalkyl amides, followed by complexation with gadolinium triacetate. The degradability of the agents was studied in vitro by incubation in 15 microM cysteine and in vivo with Sprague-Dawley rats. The kinetics of in vivo contrast enhancement was investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats on a Siemens Trio 3 T scanner. The apparent molecular weight of the polydisulfide Gd(III) chelates ranged from 22 to 25 kDa. The longitudinal (T1) relaxivities of GCAC, GCPC, and GCIC were 4.37, 5.28, and 5.56 mM(-1) s(-1) at 3 T, respectively. The polymeric ligands and polymeric Gd(III) chelates readily degraded into smaller molecules in incubation with 15 microM cysteine via disulfide-thiol exchange reactions. The in vitro degradation rates of both the polymeric ligands and macromolecular Gd(III) chelates decreased as the steric effect around the disulfide bonds increased. The agents readily degraded in vivo, and the catabolic degradation products were detected in rat urine samples collected after intravenous injection. The agents showed strong contrast enhancement in the blood pool, major organs, and tissues at a dose of 0.1 mmol Gd/kg. The difference of their in vitro degradability did not significantly alter the kinetics of in vivo contrast enhancement of the agents. These novel GCAC are promising contrast agents for cardiovascular and tumor MRI

  7. Influence of delayed gadolinium enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) protocol on T2-mapping: is it possible to comprehensively assess knee cartilage composition in one post-contrast MR examination at 3 Tesla?

    PubMed

    Verschueren, J; van Tiel, J; Reijman, M; Bron, E E; Klein, S; Verhaar, J A N; Bierma-Zeinstra, S M A; Krestin, G P; Wielopolski, P A; Oei, E H G

    2017-09-01

    To evaluate the possibility of assessing knee cartilage with T2-mapping and delayed gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of cartilage (dGEMRIC) in one post-contrast MR examination at 3 Tesla (T). T2 mapping was performed in 10 healthy volunteers at baseline; directly after baseline; after 10 min of cycling; and after 90 min delay, and in 16 osteoarthritis patients before and after intravenous administration of a double dose gadolinium dimeglumine contrast agent, reflecting key dGEMRIC protocol elements. Differences in T2 relaxation times between each timepoint and baseline were calculated for 6 cartilage regions using paired t tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and the smallest detectable change (SDC). After cycling, a significant change in T2 relaxation times was found in the lateral weight-bearing tibial plateau (+1.0 ms, P = 0.04). After 90 min delay, significant changes were found in the lateral weight-bearing femoral condyle (+1.2 ms, P = 0.03) and the lateral weight-bearing tibial plateau (+1.3 ms, P = 0.01). In these regions of interests (ROIs), absolute differences were small and lower than the corresponding SDCs. T2-mapping after contrast administration only showed statistically significantly lower T2 relaxation times in the medial posterior femoral condyle (-2.4 ms, P < 0.001) with a change exceeding the SDC. Because dGEMRIC protocol elements resulted in only small differences in T2 relaxation times that were not consistent and lower than the SDC in the majority of regions, our results suggest that T2-mapping and dGEMRIC can be performed reliably in a single imaging session to assess cartilage biochemical composition in knee osteoarthritis (OA) at 3 T. Copyright © 2017 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Transdermal delivery of therapeutic agent

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kwiatkowski, Krzysztof C. (Inventor); Hayes, Ryan T. (Inventor); Magnuson, James W. (Inventor); Giletto, Anthony (Inventor)

    2008-01-01

    A device for the transdermal delivery of a therapeutic agent to a biological subject that includes a first electrode comprising a first array of electrically conductive microprojections for providing electrical communication through a skin portion of the subject to a second electrode comprising a second array of electrically conductive microprojections. Additionally, a reservoir for holding the therapeutic agent surrounding the first electrode and a pulse generator for providing an exponential decay pulse between the first and second electrodes may be provided. A method includes the steps of piercing a stratum corneum layer of skin with two arrays of conductive microprojections, encapsulating the therapeutic agent into biocompatible charged carriers, surrounding the conductive microprojections with the therapeutic agent, generating an exponential decay pulse between the two arrays of conductive microprojections to create a non-uniform electrical field and electrokinetically driving the therapeutic agent through the stratum corneum layer of skin.

  9. Agent planning in AgScala

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tošić, Saša; Mitrović, Dejan; Ivanović, Mirjana

    2013-10-01

    Agent-oriented programming languages are designed to simplify the development of software agents, especially those that exhibit complex, intelligent behavior. This paper presents recent improvements of AgScala, an agent-oriented programming language based on Scala. AgScala includes declarative constructs for managing beliefs, actions and goals of intelligent agents. Combined with object-oriented and functional programming paradigms offered by Scala, it aims to be an efficient framework for developing both purely reactive, and more complex, deliberate agents. Instead of the Prolog back-end used initially, the new version of AgScala relies on Agent Planning Package, a more advanced system for automated planning and reasoning.

  10. Diagnostic value of three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging of inner ear after intratympanic gadolinium injection, and clinical application of magnetic resonance imaging scoring system in patients with delayed endolymphatic hydrops.

    PubMed

    Gu, X; Fang, Z-M; Liu, Y; Lin, S-L; Han, B; Zhang, R; Chen, X

    2014-01-01

    Three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging of the inner ear after intratympanic injection of gadolinium, together with magnetic resonance imaging scoring of the perilymphatic space, were used to investigate the positive identification rate of hydrops and determine the technique's diagnostic value for delayed endolymphatic hydrops. Twenty-five patients with delayed endolymphatic hydrops underwent pure tone audiometry, bithermal caloric testing, vestibular-evoked myogenic potential testing and three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging of the inner ear after bilateral intratympanic injection of gadolinium. The perilymphatic space of the scanned images was analysed to investigate the positive identification rate of endolymphatic hydrops. According to the magnetic resonance imaging scoring of the perilymphatic space and the diagnostic standard, 84 per cent of the patients examined had endolymphatic hydrops. In comparison, the positive identification rates for vestibular-evoked myogenic potential and bithermal caloric testing were 52 per cent and 72 per cent respectively. Three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging after intratympanic injection of gadolinium is valuable in the diagnosis of delayed endolymphatic hydrops and its classification. The perilymphatic space scoring system improved the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging.

  11. Distribution of late gadolinium enhancement in various types of cardiomyopathies: Significance in differential diagnosis, clinical features and prognosis

    PubMed Central

    Satoh, Hiroshi; Sano, Makoto; Suwa, Kenichiro; Saitoh, Takeji; Nobuhara, Mamoru; Saotome, Masao; Urushida, Tsuyoshi; Katoh, Hideki; Hayashi, Hideharu

    2014-01-01

    The recent development of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) techniques has allowed detailed analyses of cardiac function and tissue characterization with high spatial resolution. We review characteristic CMR features in ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathies (ICM and NICM), especially in terms of the location and distribution of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). CMR in ICM shows segmental wall motion abnormalities or wall thinning in a particular coronary arterial territory, and the subendocardial or transmural LGE. LGE in NICM generally does not correspond to any particular coronary artery distribution and is located mostly in the mid-wall to subepicardial layer. The analysis of LGE distribution is valuable to differentiate NICM with diffusely impaired systolic function, including dilated cardiomyopathy, end-stage hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), cardiac sarcoidosis, and myocarditis, and those with diffuse left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy including HCM, cardiac amyloidosis and Anderson-Fabry disease. A transient low signal intensity LGE in regions of severe LV dysfunction is a particular feature of stress cardiomyopathy. In arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia, an enhancement of right ventricular (RV) wall with functional and morphological changes of RV becomes apparent. Finally, the analyses of LGE distribution have potentials to predict cardiac outcomes and response to treatments. PMID:25068019

  12. Distribution of late gadolinium enhancement in various types of cardiomyopathies: Significance in differential diagnosis, clinical features and prognosis.

    PubMed

    Satoh, Hiroshi; Sano, Makoto; Suwa, Kenichiro; Saitoh, Takeji; Nobuhara, Mamoru; Saotome, Masao; Urushida, Tsuyoshi; Katoh, Hideki; Hayashi, Hideharu

    2014-07-26

    The recent development of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) techniques has allowed detailed analyses of cardiac function and tissue characterization with high spatial resolution. We review characteristic CMR features in ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathies (ICM and NICM), especially in terms of the location and distribution of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). CMR in ICM shows segmental wall motion abnormalities or wall thinning in a particular coronary arterial territory, and the subendocardial or transmural LGE. LGE in NICM generally does not correspond to any particular coronary artery distribution and is located mostly in the mid-wall to subepicardial layer. The analysis of LGE distribution is valuable to differentiate NICM with diffusely impaired systolic function, including dilated cardiomyopathy, end-stage hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), cardiac sarcoidosis, and myocarditis, and those with diffuse left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy including HCM, cardiac amyloidosis and Anderson-Fabry disease. A transient low signal intensity LGE in regions of severe LV dysfunction is a particular feature of stress cardiomyopathy. In arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia, an enhancement of right ventricular (RV) wall with functional and morphological changes of RV becomes apparent. Finally, the analyses of LGE distribution have potentials to predict cardiac outcomes and response to treatments.

  13. Diagnosis of Bell palsy with gadolinium magnetic resonance imaging.

    PubMed

    Becelli, R; Perugini, M; Carboni, A; Renzi, G

    2003-01-01

    Bell palsy is a condition resulting from a peripheral edematous compression on the nervous fibers of the facial nerve. This pathological condition often has clinical characteristics of no importance and spontaneously disappears in a short time in a high percentage of cases. Facial palsy concerning cranial nerve VII can also be caused by other conditions such as mastoid fracture, acoustic neurinoma, tumor spread to the temporal lobe (e.g., cholesteatoma), neoformation of the parotid gland, Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome, and Ramsay-Hunt syndrome. Therefore, it is important to adopt an accurate diagnostic technique allowing the rapid detection of Bell palsy and the exclusion of causes of facial paralysis requiring surgical treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with medium contrast of the skull shows a marked increase in revealing lesions, even of small dimensions, inside the temporal bone and at the cerebellopontine angle. The authors present a clinical case to show the important role played by gadolinium MRI in reaching a diagnosis of Bell palsy in the differential diagnosis of the various conditions that determine paralysis of the facial nerve and in selecting the most suitable treatment or surgery to be adopted.

  14. Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography in renal artery stenosis: comparison with digital subtraction angiography.

    PubMed

    Law, Y M; Tay, K H; Gan, Y U; Cheah, F K; Tan, B S

    2008-04-01

    To evaluate the accuracy of gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography in assessing renal artery stenosis compared to catheter digital subtraction angiography. Retrospective study. Singapore General Hospital. Records of patients who underwent magnetic resonance angiography as well as digital subtraction angiography for assessment of renal artery stenosis from January 2003 to December 2005 were reviewed. There were 27 patients (14 male, 13 female) with a mean age of 62 (range, 44-77) years. There were 10 patients with renal transplants; their native renal arteries were not evaluated. Each of the two experienced interventional and body magnetic resonance radiologists, who were blinded to the results, reviewed the digital subtraction angiography and magnetic resonance angiography images respectively. Digital subtraction angiography was used as the standard of reference. A total of 39 renal arteries from these 27 patients were evaluated. One of the arteries was previously stented and could not be assessed with magnetic resonance angiography due to severe artefacts. Of the remaining 38 renal arteries, two were graded as normal, seven as having mild stenosis (<50%), eight as having moderate stenosis (> or =50% but <75%), and 21 as having severe stenosis (> or =75%). Magnetic resonance angiography and digital subtraction angiography were concordant in 89% of the arteries; magnetic resonance angiography overestimated the degree of stenosis in 8% and underestimated it in 3% of them. In the evaluation of clinically significant renal artery stenosis (> or =50%) with magnetic resonance angiography, the overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 97%, 67%, 90%, and 86% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of magnetic resonance angiography in transplant renal artery stenosis was 100%. CONCLUSION. Our experience suggested that gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography is a sensitive non

  15. Preclinical evaluation of Gd-DTPA and gadomelitol as contrast agents in DCE-MRI of cervical carcinoma interstitial fluid pressure.

    PubMed

    Hompland, Tord; Ellingsen, Christine; Rofstad, Einar K

    2012-11-22

    High interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) in the primary tumor is associated with poor disease-free survival in locally advanced cervical carcinoma. A noninvasive assay is needed to identify cervical cancer patients with highly elevated tumor IFP because these patients may benefit from particularly aggressive treatment. It has been suggested that dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) with gadolinium diethylene-triamine penta-acetic acid (Gd-DTPA) as contrast agent may provide useful information on the IFP of cervical carcinomas. In this preclinical study, we investigated whether DCE-MRI with contrast agents with higher molecular weights (MW) than Gd-DTPA would be superior to Gd-DTPA-based DCE-MRI. CK-160 human cervical carcinoma xenografts were subjected to DCE-MRI with Gd-DTPA (MW of 0.55 kDa) or gadomelitol (MW of 6.5 kDa) as contrast agent before tumor IFP was measured invasively with a Millar SPC 320 catheter. The DCE-MRI was carried out at a spatial resolution of 0.23 × 0.23 × 2.0 mm³ and a time resolution of 14 s by using a 1.5-T whole-body scanner and a slotted tube resonator transceiver coil constructed for mice. Parametric images were derived from the DCE-MRI recordings by using the Tofts iso-directional transport model and the Patlak uni-directional transport model. When gadomelitol was used as contrast agent, significant positive correlations were found between the parameters of both pharmacokinetic models and tumor IFP. On the other hand, significant correlations between DCE-MRI-derived parameters and IFP could not be detected with Gd-DTPA as contrast agent. Gadomelitol is a superior contrast agent to Gd-DTPA in DCE-MRI of the IFP of CK-160 cervical carcinoma xenografts. Clinical studies attempting to develop DCE-MRI-based assays of the IFP of cervical carcinomas should involve contrast agents with higher MW than Gd-DTPA.

  16. Contrast echocardiography: new agents.

    PubMed

    Miller, Andrew P; Nanda, Navin C

    2004-04-01

    In this report, we review the history, rationale, current status and future directions of contrast agents in echocardiography. First, we discuss the historic development of contrast agents through a review of important physical principles of microbubbles in ultrasonography. Second, we identify attributes of an ideal contrast agent and review those that are currently available or in the "pipeline" for clinical use. Third, we review indications for contrast echocardiography, including endocardial border detection, perfusion quantification and reperfusion assessment, and validate these observations by comparisons with other imaging modalities. Then, we briefly review different methodologies of performing a contrast study, including interrupted, real-time and a hybrid modality. Finally, we identify novel future applications of the newest contrast agents. These newer concepts in contrast echocardiography should form a foundation for nearly limitless application of echocardiography in improved anatomical assessment, perfusion imaging and even special applications, such as detection of vascular inflammation and site-specific drug delivery.

  17. Therapy response assessment after radioembolization of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma--comparison of MR imaging with gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid and gadobutrol.

    PubMed

    Schelhorn, Juliane; Best, Jan; Reinboldt, Marcus P; Gerken, Guido; Ruhlmann, Marcus; Lauenstein, Thomas C; Antoch, Gerald; Kinner, Sonja

    2015-07-01

    To compare the utility of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA), a liver-specific magnetic resonance (MR) imaging contrast agent, versus gadobutrol for treatment response evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after radioembolization. This prospective study included 50 patients with HCC undergoing radioembolization. All patients underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and MR imaging with gadobutrol and Gd-EOB-DTPA on 2 consecutive days before radioembolization and 30 days, 90 days, 180 days, and 270 days after radioembolization. The standard of reference indicating tumor progression was CT combined with either α-fetoprotein or γ-glutamyltransferase. Gadobutrol-enhanced MR imaging, Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging without late phase imaging (Gd-EOB-DTPA-), and Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging with late phase imaging (Gd-EOB-DTPA+) were evaluated by 2 radiologists in consensus using a 4-point scale: 1 = definitely no tumor progression; 2 = probably no tumor progression; 3 = probably tumor progression; 4 = definitely tumor progression. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed with receiver operating characteristic analysis. Tumor progression was detected in 14 of 82 study visits according to the reference standard. Pairwise comparison of the area under the curve showed a tendency toward a larger area under the curve for Gd-EOB-DTPA+ compared with gadobutrol (P = .056). Sensitivity and specificity were higher in Gd-EOB-DTPA+ (0.929 and 0.971) than in Gd-EOB-DTPA- (0.786 and 0.941) or gadobutrol (0.643 and 0.956). In 2 cases, tumor progression was detected by Gd-EOB-DTPA+ and by an increase in α-fetoprotein, but not by CT, gadobutrol, or Gd-EOB-DTPA-. Gd-EOB-DTPA+ MR imaging was not inferior to gadobutrol-enhanced MR imaging in therapy response evaluation after radioembolization and may allow a more accurate detection of early HCC recurrence in single cases. Copyright © 2015 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

  18. MRI evidence of endolymphatic impermeability to the gadolinium molecule in the in vivo mouse inner ear at 9.4 tesla.

    PubMed

    Counter, S Allen; Nikkhou, Sahar; Brené, Stefan; Damberg, Peter; Sierakowiak, Adam; Klason, Tomas; Berglin, Cecilia Engmér; Laurell, Göran

    2013-01-01

    Previous in vivo experimental magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigations of the mammalian inner ear at 4.7 Tesla have indicated that intravenously injected gadolinium (Gd) penetrates the perilymphatic labyrinth, but not the endolymphatic membranous labyrinth. In the present study, high field MRI at 9.4T was used to visualize the in vivo mouse vestibulo-cochlea system, and to determine whether the endolymphatic system is permeable to a Gd complex. A 9.4 T Varian magnet equipped with a 12 cm inner diameter gradient system with maximum gradient strength of 600 mT/m, a millipede coil (Varian design) and a Gd contrast agent were used for image acquisition in the normal C57 BL-6 mouse. High-resolution 2D and 3D images of the mouse cochlea were acquired within 80 minutes following intravenous injection of Gd. Gd initially permeated the perilymphatic scala tympani and scala vestibuli, and permitted visualization of both cochlear turns from base to apex. The superior, inferior and lateral semicircular canals were subsequently visualized in 3 planes. The membranous endolymphatic labyrinth was impermeable to intravenously injected Gd, and thus showed no apparent uptake of Gd at 9.4T. The 9.4T field strength MRI permitted acquisition of high resolution images of anatomical and physiological features of the normal, wild type mouse perilymphatic inner ear in vivo, and provided further evidence that the endolymphatic system is impermeable to intravenously injected Gd.

  19. MRI Evidence of Endolymphatic Impermeability to the Gadolinium Molecule in the In Vivo Mouse Inner Ear at 9.4 Tesla

    PubMed Central

    Counter, S Allen; Nikkhou, Sahar; Brené, Stefan; Damberg, Peter; Sierakowiak, Adam; Klason, Tomas; Berglin, Cecilia Engmér; Laurell, Göran

    2013-01-01

    Objective: Previous in vivo experimental magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigations of the mammalian inner ear at 4.7 Tesla have indicated that intravenously injected gadolinium (Gd) penetrates the perilymphatic labyrinth, but not the endolymphatic membranous labyrinth. In the present study, high field MRI at 9.4T was used to visualize the in vivo mouse vestibulo-cochlea system, and to determine whether the endolymphatic system is permeable to a Gd complex. Methods: A 9.4 T Varian magnet equipped with a 12 cm inner diameter gradient system with maximum gradient strength of 600 mT/m, a millipede coil (Varian design) and a Gd contrast agent were used for image acquisition in the normal C57 BL-6 mouse. Results: High-resolution 2D and 3D images of the mouse cochlea were acquired within 80 minutes following intravenous injection of Gd. Gd initially permeated the perilymphatic scala tympani and scala vestibuli, and permitted visualization of both cochlear turns from base to apex. The superior, inferior and lateral semicircular canals were subsequently visualized in 3 planes. The membranous endolymphatic labyrinth was impermeable to intravenously injected Gd, and thus showed no apparent uptake of Gd at 9.4T. Conclusion: The 9.4T field strength MRI permitted acquisition of high resolution images of anatomical and physiological features of the normal, wild type mouse perilymphatic inner ear in vivo, and provided further evidence that the endolymphatic system is impermeable to intravenously injected Gd. PMID:23894262

  20. Methodological Aspects for Preclinical Evaluation of Gadolinium Presence in Brain Tissue: Critical Appraisal and Suggestions for Harmonization-A Joint Initiative.

    PubMed

    Robert, Philippe; Frenzel, Thomas; Factor, Cécile; Jost, Gregor; Rasschaert, Marlène; Schuetz, Gunnar; Fretellier, Nathalie; Boyken, Janina; Idée, Jean-Marc; Pietsch, Hubertus

    2018-04-13

    Gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are pharmaceuticals that have been approved for 30 years and used daily in millions of patients worldwide. Their clinical benefits are indisputable. Recently, unexpected long-term presence of Gd in the brain has been reported by numerous retrospective clinical studies and confirmed in preclinical models particularly after linear GBCA (L-GBCA) compared with macrocyclic GBCA (M-GBCA). Even if no clinical consequences of Gd presence in brain tissue has been demonstrated so far, in-depth investigations on potential toxicological consequences and the fate of Gd in the body remain crucial to potentially adapt the clinical use of GBCAs, as done during the nephrogenic systemic fibrosis crisis. Preclinical models are instrumental in the understanding of the mechanism of action as well as the potential safety consequences. However, such models may be associated with risks of biases, often related to the protocol design. Selection of adequate terminology is also crucial. This review of the literature intends to summarize and critically discuss the main methodological aspects for accurate design and translational character of preclinical studies.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.

  1. Characterization of PAH matrix with monazite stream containing uranium, gadolinium and iron

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pal, Sangita, E-mail: sangpal@barc.gov.in; Goswami, D.; Meena, Sher Singh

    2016-05-23

    Uranium (U) gadolinium (Gd) and iron (Fe) containing alkaline waste simulated effluent (relevant to alkaline effluent of monazite ore) has been treated with a novel amphoteric resin viz, Polyamidehydroxamate (PAH) containing amide and hydroxamic acid groups. The resin has been synthesized in an eco-friendly manner by polymerization nad conversion to functional groups characterized by FT-IR spectra and architectural overview by SEM. Coloration of the loaded matrix and de-coloration after extraction of uranium is the special characteristic of the matrix. Effluent streams have been analyzed by ICP-AES, U loaded PAH has been characterized by FT-IR, EXAFS, Gd and Fe by X-raymore » energy values of EDXRF at 6.053 KeVand 6.405 KeV respectively. The remarkable change has been observed in Mössbauer spectrum of Fe-loaded PAH samples.« less

  2. EGFR Targeted Theranostic Nanoemulsion For Image-Guided Ovarian Cancer Therapy

    PubMed Central

    Ganta, Srinivas; Singh, Amit; Kulkarni, Praveen; Keeler, Amanda W.; Piroyan, Aleksandr; Sawant, Rupa R.; Patel, Niravkumar R.; Davis, Barbara; Ferris, Craig; O’Neal, Sara; Zamboni, William; Amiji, Mansoor M.; Coleman, Timothy P.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose Platinum-based therapies are the first line treatments for most types of cancer including ovarian cancer. However, their use is associated with dose-limiting toxicities and resistance. We report initial translational studies of a theranostic nanoemulsion loaded with a cisplatin derivative, myrisplatin and pro-apoptotic agent, C6-ceramide. Methods The surface of the nanoemulsion is annotated with an endothelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) binding peptide to improve targeting ability and gadolinium to provide diagnostic capability for image-guided therapy of EGFR overexpressing ovarian cancers. A high shear microfludization process was employed to produce the formulation with particle size below 150 nm. Results Pharmacokinetic study showed a prolonged blood platinum and gadolinium levels with nanoemulsions in nu/nu mice. The theranostic nanoemulsions also exhibited less toxicity and enhanced the survival time of mice as compared to an equivalent cisplatin treatment. Conclusions Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies indicate the theranostic nanoemulsions were effective contrast agents and could be used to track accumulation in a tumor. The MRI study additionally indicate that significantly more EGFR-targeted theranostic nanoemulsion accumulated in a tumor than non-targeted nanoemulsuion providing the feasibility of using a targeted theranostic agent in conjunction with MRI to image disease loci and quantify the disease progression. PMID:25732960

  3. Normal spinal bone marrow in adults: dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging.

    PubMed

    Montazel, Jean-Luc; Divine, Marine; Lepage, Eric; Kobeiter, Hicham; Breil, Stephane; Rahmouni, Alain

    2003-12-01

    To determine the patterns of dynamic enhancement of normal spinal bone marrow in adults at gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and the changes that occur with aging. Dynamic contrast material-enhanced MR imaging of the thoracolumbar spine was performed in 71 patients. The maximum percentage of enhancement (Emax), enhancement slope, and enhancement washout were determined from bone marrow enhancement time curves (ETCs). The bone marrow signal intensity on T1-weighted spin-echo MR images was qualitatively classified into three grade categories. Quantitative ETC values were correlated with patient age and bone marrow fat content grade. Statistical analysis included mean t test comparison, analysis of variance, and regression analysis of the correlations between age and quantitative MR parameters. Emax, slope, and washout varied widely among the patients. Emax values were obtained within 1 minute after contrast material injection and ranged from 0% to 430%. Emax values were significantly higher in patients younger than 40 years than in those aged 40 years or older (P <.001). These values decreased with increasing age in a logarithmic relationship (r = 0.71). Emax values decreased as fat content increased, but some overlap among the fat content grades was noted. Analysis of variance revealed that Emax was significantly related to age (younger than 40 years vs 40 years or older) (P <.001) and fat content grade (P <.001) but not significantly related to sex. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging patterns of normal spinal bone marrow are dependent mainly on patient age and fat content.

  4. Method for enhancing cell penetration of Gd3+-based MRI contrast agents by conjugation with hydrophobic fluorescent dyes.

    PubMed

    Yamane, Takehiro; Hanaoka, Kenjiro; Muramatsu, Yasuaki; Tamura, Keita; Adachi, Yusuke; Miyashita, Yasushi; Hirata, Yasunobu; Nagano, Tetsuo

    2011-11-16

    Gadolinium ion (Gd(3+)) complexes are commonly used as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents to enhance signals in T(1)-weighted MR images. Recently, several methods to achieve cell-permeation of Gd(3+) complexes have been reported, but more general and efficient methodology is needed. In this report, we describe a novel method to achieve cell permeation of Gd(3+) complexes by using hydrophobic fluorescent dyes as a cell-permeability-enhancing unit. We synthesized Gd(3+) complexes conjugated with boron dipyrromethene (BDP-Gd) and Cy7 dye (Cy7-Gd), and showed that these conjugates can be introduced efficiently into cells. To examine the relationship between cell permeability and dye structure, we further synthesized a series of Cy7-Gd derivatives. On the basis of MR imaging, flow cytometry, and ICP-MS analysis of cells loaded with Cy7-Gd derivatives, highly hydrophobic and nonanionic dyes were effective for enhancing cell permeation of Gd(3+) complexes. Furthermore, the behavior of these Cy7-Gd derivatives was examined in mice. Thus, conjugation of hydrophobic fluorescent dyes appears to be an effective approach to improve the cell permeability of Gd(3+) complexes, and should be applicable for further development of Gd(3+)-based MRI contrast agents.

  5. Investigating phase transition temperatures of size separated gadolinium silicide magnetic nanoparticles

    DOE PAGES

    Hunagund, Shivakumar G.; Harstad, Shane M.; El-Gendy, Ahmed A.; ...

    2018-01-11

    Gadolinium silicide (Gd 5Si 4) nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit different properties compared to their parent bulk materials due to finite size, shape, and surface effects. NPs were prepared by high energy ball-milling of the as-cast Gd 5Si 4 ingot and size separated into eight fractions using time sensitive sedimentation in an applied dc magnetic field with average particle sizes ranging from 700 nm to 82 nm. The largest Gd 5Si 4 NPs order ferromagnetically at 316 K. A second anomaly observed at 110 K can be ascribed to a Gd 5Si 3 impurity. Here as the particle sizes decrease, the volumemore » fraction of Gd 5Si 3 phase increases at the expense of the Gd 5Si 4 phase, and the ferromagnetic transition temperature of Gd 5Si 4 is reduced from 316 K to 310 K, while the ordering of the minor phase is independent of the particle size, remaining at 110 K.« less

  6. Investigating phase transition temperatures of size separated gadolinium silicide magnetic nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hunagund, Shivakumar G.; Harstad, Shane M.; El-Gendy, Ahmed A.; Gupta, Shalabh; Pecharsky, Vitalij K.; Hadimani, Ravi L.

    2018-05-01

    Gadolinium silicide (Gd5Si4) nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit different properties compared to their parent bulk materials due to finite size, shape, and surface effects. NPs were prepared by high energy ball-milling of the as-cast Gd5Si4 ingot and size separated into eight fractions using time sensitive sedimentation in an applied dc magnetic field with average particle sizes ranging from 700 nm to 82 nm. The largest Gd5Si4 NPs order ferromagnetically at 316 K. A second anomaly observed at 110 K can be ascribed to a Gd5Si3 impurity. As the particle sizes decrease, the volume fraction of Gd5Si3 phase increases at the expense of the Gd5Si4 phase, and the ferromagnetic transition temperature of Gd5Si4 is reduced from 316 K to 310 K, while the ordering of the minor phase is independent of the particle size, remaining at 110 K.

  7. Investigating phase transition temperatures of size separated gadolinium silicide magnetic nanoparticles

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hunagund, Shivakumar G.; Harstad, Shane M.; El-Gendy, Ahmed A.

    Gadolinium silicide (Gd 5Si 4) nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit different properties compared to their parent bulk materials due to finite size, shape, and surface effects. NPs were prepared by high energy ball-milling of the as-cast Gd 5Si 4 ingot and size separated into eight fractions using time sensitive sedimentation in an applied dc magnetic field with average particle sizes ranging from 700 nm to 82 nm. The largest Gd 5Si 4 NPs order ferromagnetically at 316 K. A second anomaly observed at 110 K can be ascribed to a Gd 5Si 3 impurity. Here as the particle sizes decrease, the volumemore » fraction of Gd 5Si 3 phase increases at the expense of the Gd 5Si 4 phase, and the ferromagnetic transition temperature of Gd 5Si 4 is reduced from 316 K to 310 K, while the ordering of the minor phase is independent of the particle size, remaining at 110 K.« less

  8. Conversational Agents in E-Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kerry, Alice; Ellis, Richard; Bull, Susan

    This paper discusses the use of natural language or 'conversational' agents in e-learning environments. We describe and contrast the various applications of conversational agent technology represented in the e-learning literature, including tutors, learning companions, language practice and systems to encourage reflection. We offer two more detailed examples of conversational agents, one which provides learning support, and the other support for self-assessment. Issues and challenges for developers of conversational agent systems for e-learning are identified and discussed.

  9. Serum Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin and Urinary Kidney Injury Molecule-1 as Potential Biomarkers of Subclinical Nephrotoxicity After Gadolinium-Based and Iodinated-Based Contrast Media Exposure in Pediatric Patients with Normal Kidney Function

    PubMed Central

    Spasojević-Dimitrijeva, Brankica; Kotur-Stevuljević, Jelena; Đukić, Milan; Paripović, Dušan; Miloševski-Lomić, Gordana; Spasojević-Kalimanovska, Vesna; Pavićević, Polina; Mitrović, Jadranka; Kostić, Mirjana

    2017-01-01

    Background New renal biomarkers such as neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) show promise in early diagnosis of contrast media induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI). The purpose of our study was to compare the subclinical nephrotoxicity (a condition without changes in standard renal biomarkers) of gadolinium-based contrast media (Gd-DTPA, gadopentetate dimeglumine) and iodinated-based contrast media (iopromide) in pediatric patients with normal kidney function. Material/Methods The first group (n=58) of patients included in the study were undergoing angiography with iopromide, and the second group (n=65) were undergoing magnetic resonance (MR) angiography/urography with Gd-DTPA administration. The concentrations of NGAL and KIM-1 were measured four times in the urine (pre-contrast, then at four hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours after contrast administration), and serum NGAL was measured at 0 (baseline), 24 hours, and 48 hours after contrast exposure. Results After 24 hours, serum NGAL increase of ≥25% was noticed in 32.6% of the patients in the iopromide group and in 25.45% of the patients in the gadolinium group, with significantly higher average percent of this increase in first group (62.23% vs. 36.44%, p=0.002). In the Gd-DTPA group, we observed a statistically significant increase in urinary KIM-1 24 hours after the procedure. Normalized urinary KIM-1, 24 hours after contrast exposure, was a better predictive factor for CI-AKI than other biomarkers (AUC 0.757, cut off 214 pg/mg, sensitivity 83.3%, specificity 54.2%, p=0.035). Conclusions In children with normal renal function, exposure to iodinated-based and gadolinium-based media might lead to subclinical nephrotoxicity, which could be detected using serum NGAL and urinary KIM-1. PMID:28874655

  10. Putative neuroprotective agents in neuropsychiatric disorders.

    PubMed

    Dodd, Seetal; Maes, Michael; Anderson, George; Dean, Olivia M; Moylan, Steven; Berk, Michael

    2013-04-05

    In many individuals with major neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, their disease characteristics are consistent with a neuroprogressive illness. This includes progressive structural brain changes, cognitive and functional decline, poorer treatment response and an increasing vulnerability to relapse with chronicity. The underlying molecular mechanisms of neuroprogression are thought to include neurotrophins and regulation of neurogenesis and apoptosis, neurotransmitters, inflammatory, oxidative and nitrosative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, cortisol and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and epigenetic influences. Knowledge of the involvement of each of these pathways implies that specific agents that act on some or multiple of these pathways may thus block this cascade and have neuroprotective properties. This paper reviews the potential of the most promising of these agents, including lithium and other known psychotropics, aspirin, minocycline, statins, N-acetylcysteine, leptin and melatonin. These agents are putative neuroprotective agents for schizophrenia and mood disorders. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Real-time tracking of dissociation of hyperpolarized 89Y-DTPA: a model for degradation of open-chain Gd3+ MRI contrast agents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferguson, Sarah; Niedbalski, Peter; Parish, Christopher; Kiswandhi, Andhika; Kovacs, Zoltan; Lumata, Lloyd

    Gadolinium (Gd) complexes are widely used relaxation-based clinical contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Gd-based MRI contrast agents with open-chain ligand such as Gd-DTPA, commercially known as magnevist, are less stable compared to Gd complexes with macrocyclic ligands such as GdDOTA (Dotarem). The dissociation of Gd-DPTA into Gd ion and DTPA ligand under certain biological conditions such as high zinc levels can potentially cause kidney damage. Since Gd is paramagnetic, direct NMR detection of the Gd-DTPA dissociation is quite challenging due to ultra-short relaxation times. In this work, we have investigated Y-DTPA as a model for Gd-DPTA dissociation under high zinc content solutions. Using dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), the 89Y NMR signal is amplified by several thousand-fold. Due to the the relatively long T1 relaxation time of 89Y which translates to hyperpolarization lifetime of several minutes, the dissociation of Y-DTPA can be tracked in real-time by hyperpolarized 89Y NMR spectroscopy. Dissociation kinetic rates and implications on the degradation of open-chain Gd3+ MRI contrast agents will be discussed. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Defense Award Number W81XWH-14-1-0048 and by the Robert A. Welch Foundation research Grant Number AT-1877.

  12. Burnout among Extension Agents in the Ohio Cooperative Extension Service.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Igodan, O. Chris; Newcomb, L. H.

    A study examined the extent and causes of burnout among extension agents in Ohio. From the 241 extension agents working in the 88 counties of Ohio, researchers selected a random sample of 101 agents. Included in the sample were 34 agriculture agents, 33 home economics agents. Included in the sample agents were asked to complete a survey…

  13. The histological basis of late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance in a patient with Anderson-Fabry disease.

    PubMed

    Moon, James C; Sheppard, Mary; Reed, Emma; Lee, Phillip; Elliott, Perry M; Pennell, Dudley J

    2006-01-01

    Anderson-Fabry Disease (AFD) is a storage disease that mimics hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) by cardiovascular magnetic resonance occurs in approximately 50% of patients in the basal inferolateral LV wall, but how an intracellular storage disease causes focal LGE is unknown. We present a whole-heart histological validation that LGE is caused by focal myocardial collagen scarring. This scarring may be the substrate for electrical re-entry and sudden arrhythmic death. The reasons for this distribution of fibrosis are unclear, but may reflect inhomogeneous left ventricular wall stress.

  14. Synthesis of bulk-size transparent gadolinium oxide–polymer nanocomposites for gamma ray spectroscopy

    PubMed Central

    Cai, Wen; Chen, Qi; Cherepy, Nerine; Dooraghi, Alex; Kishpaugh, David; Chatziioannou, Arion; Payne, Stephen; Xiang, Weidong

    2015-01-01

    Heavy element loaded polymer composites have long been proposed to detect high energy X- and γ-rays upon scintillation. The previously reported bulk composite scintillators have achieved limited success because of the diminished light output resulting from fluorescence quenching and opacity. We demonstrate the synthesis of a transparent nanocomposite comprising gadolinium oxide nanocrystals uniformly dispersed in bulk-size samples at a high loading content. The strategy to avoid luminescence quenching and opacity in the nanocomposite was successfully deployed, which led to the radioluminescence light yield of up to 27 000/MeV, about twice as much as standard commercial plastic scintillators. Nanocomposites monoliths (14 mm diameter by 3 mm thickness) with 31 wt% loading of nanocrystals generated a photoelectric peak for Cs-137 gamma (662 keV) with 11.4% energy resolution. PMID:26478816

  15. Use of trimetasphere metallofullerene MRI contrast agent for the non-invasive longitudinal tracking of stem cells in the lung

    PubMed Central

    Murphy, Sean V.; Hale, Austin; Reid, Tanya; Olson, John; Kidiyoor, Amritha; Tan, Josh; Zhou, Zhiguo; Jackson, John; Atala, Anthony

    2016-01-01

    Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a commonly used, non-invasive imaging technique that provides visualization of soft tissues with high spatial resolution. In both a research and clinical setting, the major challenge has been identifying a non-invasive and safe method for longitudinal tracking of delivered cells in vivo. The labeling and tracking of contrast agent labeled cells using MRI has the potential to fulfill this need. Contrast agents are often used to enhance the image contrast between the tissue of interest and surrounding tissues with MRI. The most commonly used MRI contrast agents contain Gd(III) ions. However, Gd(III) ions are highly toxic in their ionic form, as they tend to accumulate in the liver, spleen, kidney and bones and block calcium channels. Endohedral metallofullerenes such as trimetallic nitride endohedral metallofullerenes (Trimetasphere®) are one unique class of fullerene molecules where a Gd3N cluster is encapsulated inside a C80 carbon cage referred to as Gd3N@C80. These endohedral metallofullerenes have several advantages over small chelated Gd(III) complexes such as increased stability of the Gd(III) ion, minimal toxic effects, high solubility in water and high proton relativity. In this study, we describe the evaluation of gadolinium-based Trimetasphere® positive contrast agent for the in vitro labeling and in vivo tracking of human amniotic fluid-derived stem cells within lung tissue. In addition, we conducted a ‘proof-of-concept’ experiment demonstrating that this methodology can be used to track the homing of stem cells to injured lung tissue and provide longitudinal analysis of cell localization over an extended time course. PMID:26546729

  16. Use of trimetasphere metallofullerene MRI contrast agent for the non-invasive longitudinal tracking of stem cells in the lung.

    PubMed

    Murphy, Sean V; Hale, Austin; Reid, Tanya; Olson, John; Kidiyoor, Amritha; Tan, Josh; Zhou, Zhiguo; Jackson, John; Atala, Anthony

    2016-04-15

    Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a commonly used, non-invasive imaging technique that provides visualization of soft tissues with high spatial resolution. In both a research and clinical setting, the major challenge has been identifying a non-invasive and safe method for longitudinal tracking of delivered cells in vivo. The labeling and tracking of contrast agent labeled cells using MRI has the potential to fulfill this need. Contrast agents are often used to enhance the image contrast between the tissue of interest and surrounding tissues with MRI. The most commonly used MRI contrast agents contain Gd(III) ions. However, Gd(III) ions are highly toxic in their ionic form, as they tend to accumulate in the liver, spleen, kidney and bones and block calcium channels. Endohedral metallofullerenes such as trimetallic nitride endohedral metallofullerenes (Trimetasphere®) are one unique class of fullerene molecules where a Gd3N cluster is encapsulated inside a C80 carbon cage referred to as Gd3N@C80. These endohedral metallofullerenes have several advantages over small chelated Gd(III) complexes such as increased stability of the Gd(III) ion, minimal toxic effects, high solubility in water and high proton relativity. In this study, we describe the evaluation of gadolinium-based Trimetasphere® positive contrast agent for the ​in vitro labeling and in vivo tracking of human amniotic fluid-derived stem cells within lung tissue. In addition, we conducted a 'proof-of-concept' experiment demonstrating that this methodology can be used to track the homing of stem cells to injured lung tissue and provide longitudinal analysis of cell localization over an extended time course. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Reticular Appearance on Gadolinium-enhanced T1- and Diffusion-weighted MRI, and Low Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Values in Microcystic Meningioma Cysts.

    PubMed

    Terada, Yukinori; Toda, Hiroki; Okumura, Ryosuke; Ikeda, Naokado; Yuba, Yoshiaki; Katayama, Toshiro; Iwasaki, Koichi

    2018-03-01

    Microcystic meningioma, a rare meningioma subtype, can present diagnostic difficulty. We aimed to investigate the historadiological properties of microcystic meningioma using conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) analysis. We retrospectively analyzed conventional MRI and DWI results of six microcystic meningioma cases by examining their appearance and determining their apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. The ADC values of the intratumoral components were normalized with ADC values of the cerebrospinal fluid in the lateral ventricle (ADC ratios). As cystic formations are frequently associated with microcystic meningiomas, their MRI characteristics were compared with the imaging data from 11 cystic meningiomas of non-microcystic subtypes. We found that cysts in microcystic meningioma tended to have a reticular appearance on DWI, as they did on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted imaging. Additionally, these reticular cysts had significantly lower ADC ratios than microcystic non-reticular and non-microcystic cysts. These DWI characteristics likely reflect the histological properties of microcystic meningioma. A reticular appearance on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MRI and DWI, and cyst formation with relatively low ADC values can be diagnostic markers of microcystic meningiomas.

  18. Joint chemical agent detector (JCAD): the future of chemical agent detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laljer, Charles E.

    2003-08-01

    The Joint Chemical Agent Detector (JCAD) has continued development through 2002. The JCAD has completed Contractor Validation Testing (CVT) that included chemical warfare agent testing, environmental testing, electromagnetic interferent testing, and platform integration validation. The JCAD provides state of the art chemical warfare agent detection capability to military and homeland security operators. Intelligence sources estimate that over twenty countries have active chemical weapons programs. The spread of weapons of mass destruction (and the industrial capability for manufacture of these weapons) to third world nations and terrorist organizations has greatly increased the chemical agent threat to U.S. interests. Coupled with the potential for U.S. involvement in localized conflicts in an operational or support capacity, increases the probability that the military Joint Services may encounter chemical agents anywhere in the world. The JCAD is a small (45 in3), lightweight (2 lb.) chemical agent detector for vehicle interiors, aircraft, individual personnel, shipboard, and fixed site locations. The system provides a common detection component across multi-service platforms. This common detector system will allow the Joint Services to use the same operational and support concept for more efficient utilization of resources. The JCAD detects, identifies, quantifies, and warns of the presence of chemical agents prior to onset of miosis. Upon detection of chemical agents, the detector provides local and remote audible and visual alarms to the operators. Advance warning will provide the vehicle crew and other personnel in the local area with the time necessary to protect themselves from the lethal effects of chemical agents. The JCAD is capable of being upgraded to protect against future chemical agent threats. The JCAD provides the operator with the warning necessary to survive and fight in a chemical warfare agent threat environment.

  19. Synthesis of internally functionalized silica nanoparticles for theranostic applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walton, Nathan Isaac

    This thesis addresses the synthesis and characterization of novel inorganic silica nanoparticle hybrids. It focuses in large part on their potential applications in the medical field. Silica acts as a useful carrier for a variety of compounds and this thesis silica will demonstrate its use as a carrier for boron or gadolinium. Boron-10 and gadolinium-157 have been suggested for the radiological treatment of tumor cells through the process called neutron capture therapy (NCT). Gadolinium is also commonly used as a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) contrast agent. Particles that carry it have potential theranostic applications of both imaging and treating tumors. Chapter 1 presents a background on synthetic strategies and usages of silica nanoparticles, and NCT theory. Chapter 2 describes a procedure to create mesoporous metal chelating silica nanoparticles, mDTTA. This is achieved via a co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and 3-trimethoxysilyl-propyl diethylenetriamine (SiDETA) followed by a post-synthesis modification step with bromoacetic acid (BrAA). These particles have a large surface area and well-defined pores of ~2 nm. The mDTTA nanoparticles were used to chelate the copper(II), cobalt(II) and gadolinium(III). The chelating of gadolinium is the most interesting since it can be used as a MRI contrast agent and a neutron capture therapeutic. The synthetic procedure developed also allows for the attachment of a fluorophore that gives the gadolinium chelating mDTTA nanoparticles a dual imaging modality. Chapter 3 presents the synthetic method used to produce two classes of large surface area organically modified silica (ORMOSIL) nanoparticles. Condensating the organosilane vinyltrimethoxysilane in a micellar solution results in nanoparticles that are either surface rough (raspberry-like) or mesoporous nanoparticles, which prior to this thesis has not been demonstrated in ORMOSIL chemistry. Furthermore, the vinyl functionalities are modified, using

  20. A new method for the determination of Gadolinium in ppq levels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brünjes, Robert; Bichler, Andrea; Hofmann, Thilo

    2015-04-01

    The use of Gadolinium (Gd) complexes as a contrast agent in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) results in an enhanced Gd input in the aquatic environment. Gd-complexes are excreted by humans unmetabolized within 12h after application. Passing the sewage systems with almost no degradation taking place, they successively reach surface waters, which make Gd a capable tracer for surface water/groundwater (SW/GW) interactions. The natural background concentration of Gd and other rare earth elements (REE) occur at ultratrace levels [low ng/L]. Crust-normalized REE patterns show positive Gd-anomalies in surface water, groundwater, and recently also in tap water. The difference between the total concentration and its natural background concentration estimated by the REE pattern is the anthropogenic Gd. Not only densely populated areas are affected by the presence of anthropogenic Gd. Studies have shown that even in rural areas without MRI facilities, anthropogenic Gd can be detected, since people are sent home after treatment. However, low input concentrations and mixing with natural waters lead to a decrease of Gd concentration below the current limit of quantification (LOQ) [1-5ng/L]. Often anthropogenic Gd cannot be calculated, although it is present, because natural background concentration cannot be determined with current methods, in particular in areas with low waste water load (e.g. headwater catchments). A new method using an on-line preconcentration system "SeaFAST" (Elemental Scientific Inc., USA), in combination with a desolvation system "Apex Q" (Elemental Scientific Inc., USA) and a QQQ-ICP-MS instrument (Agilent Technologies, Japan) does lower the LOQ for REE by a factor of 10 to 20. The SeaFAST-system uses a resin with ethylenediaminetriacetic acid and iminodiacetic acid functional groups to preconcentrate specifically REE as they are exclusively trivalent while anions, alkali and alkaline earth cations are washed out. The Apex Q interface is also supposed to

  1. In vivo transport of Gd-DTPA2- into human meniscus and cartilage assessed with delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC)

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Impaired stability is a risk factor in knee osteoarthritis (OA), where the whole joint and not only the joint cartilage is affected. The meniscus provides joint stability and is involved in the early pathological progress of OA. Delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) has been used to identify pre-radiographic changes in the cartilage in OA, but has been used less commonly to examine the meniscus, and then using only a double dose of the contrast agent. The purpose of this study was to enable improved early OA diagnosis by investigate the temporal contrast agent distribution in the meniscus and femoral cartilage simultaneously, in healthy volunteers, using 3D dGEMRIC at two different doses of the contrast agent Gd-DTPA2-. Methods The right knee in 12 asymptomatic volunteers was examined using a 3D Look-Locker sequence on two occasions after an intravenous injection of a double or triple dose of Gd-DTPA2- (0.2 or 0.3 mmol/kg body weight). The relaxation time (T1) and relaxation rate (R1 = 1/T1) were measured in the meniscus and femoral cartilage before, and 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes after injection, and the change in relaxation rate (ΔR1) was calculated. Paired t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used for statistical evaluation. Results The triple dose yielded higher concentrations of Gd-DTPA2- in the meniscus and cartilage than the double dose, but provided no additional information. The observed patterns of ΔR1 were similar for double and triple doses of the contrast agent. ΔR1 was higher in the meniscus than in femoral cartilage in the corresponding compartments at all time points after injection. ΔR1 increased until 90-180 minutes in both the cartilage and the meniscus (p < 0.05), and was lower in the medial than in the lateral meniscus at all time points (p < 0.05). A faster increase in ΔR1 was observed in the vascularized peripheral region of the posterior medial meniscus, than in the avascular central

  2. GADOLINIUM OXALATE SOLUBILITY MEASUREMENTS IN NITRIC ACID SOLUTIONS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pierce, R. A.

    2012-03-12

    HB-Line will begin processing Pu solutions during FY2012 that will involve the recovery of Pu using oxalate precipitation and filtration. After the precipitation and filtration processes, the filtrate solution will be transferred from HB-Line to H-Canyon. The presence of excess oxalate and unfiltered Pu oxalate solids in these solutions create a criticality safety issue if they are sent to H-Canyon without controls in H-Canyon. One approach involves H-Canyon receiving the filtrate solution into a tank that is poisoned with soluble gadolinium (Gd). Decomposition of the oxalate will occur within a subsequent H-Canyon vessel. The receipt of excess oxalate into themore » H-Canyon receipt tanks has the potential to precipitate a portion of the Gd poison in the receipt tanks. Because the amount of Gd in solution determines the maximum amount of Pu solids that H-Canyon can receive, H-Canyon Engineering requested that SRNL determine the solubility of Gd in aqueous solutions of 4-10 M nitric acid (HNO{sub 3}), 4-12 g/L Gd, and 0.15-0.25 M oxalic acid (H{sub 2}C{sub 2}O{sub 4}) at 25 °C. The target soluble Gd concentration is 6 g/L. The data indicate that the target can be achieved above 6 M HNO{sub 3} and below 0.25 M H{sub 2}C{sub 2}O{sub 4}. At 25 °C, for 6 M HNO{sub 3}, 11 g/L and 7 g/L Gd are soluble in 0.15 M and 0.25 M H{sub 2}C{sub 2}O{sub 4}, respectively. In 4 M HNO{sub 3}, the Gd solubility drops significantly to 2.5 g/L and 0.8 g/L in 0.15 M and 0.25 M H{sub 2}C{sub 2}O{sub 4}, respectively. The solubility of Gd at 8-10 M HNO{sub 3} exceeds the solubility at 6 M HNO{sub 3}. The data for 4 M HNO{sub 3} showed good agreement with data in the literature. To achieve a target of 6 g/L soluble Gd in solution in the presence of 0.15-0.25 M oxalate, the HNO{sub 3} concentration must be maintained at or above 6 M HNO{sub 3}. The solubility of Gd in 4 M HNO{sub 3} with 0.15 M oxalate at 10 °C is about 1.5 g/L. For 6 M HNO{sub 3} with 0.15 M oxalate, the solubility of

  3. Investigation of a potential macromolecular MRI contrast agent prepared from PPI (G = 2, polypropyleneimine, generation 2) dendrimer bifunctional chelates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Jianxin Steven

    The long-term objective is to develop magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents that actively and passively target tumors for diagnosis and therapy. Many diagnostic imaging techniques for cancer lack specificity. A dendrimer based magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent has been developed with large proton relaxation enhancements and high molecular relaxivities. A new type of linear dendrimer based MRI contrast agent that is built from the polypropyleneimine and polyamidoamine dendrimers in which free amines have been conjugated to the chelate DTPA, which further formed the complex with Gadolinium (Gd) was studied. The specific research goals were to test the hypothesis that a linear chelate with macromolecular agents can be used in vitro and in vivo. This work successfully examined the adequacy and viability of the application for this agent in vitro and in vivo. A small animal whole body counter was designed and constructed to allow us to monitor biodistribution and kinetic mechanisms using a radioisotope labeled complex. The procedures of metal labeling, separation and purification have been established from this work. A biodistribution study has been performed using radioisotope induced organ/tissue counting and gamma camera imaging. The ratio of percentage of injected dose per gram organ/tissue for kidney and liver is 3.71 from whole body counter and 3.77 from the gamma camera. The results suggested that retention of Gd (III) is too high and a more kinetically stable chelate should be developed. The pharmacokinetic was evaluated in the whole animal model with the whole body clearance, and a kinetics model was developed. The pharmacokinetic results showed a bi-exponential decay in the animal model with two component excretion constants 1.43e(-5) and 0.0038511, which give half-lives of 3 hours and 33.6 days, respectively. Magnetic resonance imaging of this complex resulted in a 52% contrast enhancement in the rat kidney following the agents' administration in

  4. Multi-Agent Information Classification Using Dynamic Acquaintance Lists.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mukhopadhyay, Snehasis; Peng, Shengquan; Raje, Rajeev; Palakal, Mathew; Mostafa, Javed

    2003-01-01

    Discussion of automated information services focuses on information classification and collaborative agents, i.e. intelligent computer programs. Highlights include multi-agent systems; distributed artificial intelligence; thesauri; document representation and classification; agent modeling; acquaintances, or remote agents discovered through…

  5. Anabolic agents and bone quality.

    PubMed

    Sibai, Tarek; Morgan, Elise F; Einhorn, Thomas A

    2011-08-01

    The definition of bone quality is evolving particularly from the perspective of anabolic agents that can enhance not only bone mineral density but also bone microarchitecture, composition, morphology, amount of microdamage, and remodeling dynamics. This review summarizes the molecular pathways and physiologic effects of current and potential anabolic drugs. From a MEDLINE search (1996-2010), articles were identified by the search terms "bone quality" (1851 articles), "anabolic agent" (5044 articles), "PTH or parathyroid hormone" (32,229 articles), "strontium" or "strontium ranelate" (283 articles), "prostaglandin" (77,539 articles), and "statin" or "statins" (14,233 articles). The search strategy included combining each with the phrase "bone quality." Another more limited search aimed at finding more novel potential agents. Parathyroid hormone is the only US Food and Drug Administration-approved bone anabolic agent in the United States and has been the most extensively studied in in vitro animal and human trials. Strontium ranelate is approved in Europe but has not undergone Food and Drug Administration trials in the United States. All the studies on prostaglandin agonists have used in vivo animal models and there are no human trials examining prostaglandin agonist effects. The advantages of statins include the long-established advantages and safety profile, but they are limited by their bioavailability in bone. Other potential pathways include proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2) and sclerostin (SOST) inhibition, among others. The ongoing research to enhance the anabolic potential of current agents, identify new agents, and develop better delivery systems will greatly enhance the management of bone quality-related injuries and diseases in the future.

  6. Intelligent Agent Architectures: Reactive Planning Testbed

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rosenschein, Stanley J.; Kahn, Philip

    1993-01-01

    An Integrated Agent Architecture (IAA) is a framework or paradigm for constructing intelligent agents. Intelligent agents are collections of sensors, computers, and effectors that interact with their environments in real time in goal-directed ways. Because of the complexity involved in designing intelligent agents, it has been found useful to approach the construction of agents with some organizing principle, theory, or paradigm that gives shape to the agent's components and structures their relationships. Given the wide variety of approaches being taken in the field, the question naturally arises: Is there a way to compare and evaluate these approaches? The purpose of the present work is to develop common benchmark tasks and evaluation metrics to which intelligent agents, including complex robotic agents, constructed using various architectural approaches can be subjected.

  7. Trapped ventricle after laser ablation of a subependymal giant cell astrocytoma complicated by intraventricular gadolinium extravasation: case report.

    PubMed

    Karsy, Michael; Patel, Daxa M; Bollo, Robert J

    2018-05-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging-guided stereotactic laser ablation of intracranial targets, including brain tumors, has expanded dramatically over the past decade, but there have been few reports of complications, especially those occurring in a delayed fashion. Laser ablation of subependymal giant cell astrocytomas (SEGAs) is an attractive alternative to maintenance immunotherapy in some children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC); however, the effect of treatment on disease progression and the nature and frequency of potential complications remains largely unknown. The authors report the case of a 5-year-old boy with TSC who underwent stereotactic laser ablation of a SEGA at the right foramen of Monro on 2 separate occasions. After the second ablation, immediate posttreatment MRI revealed gadolinium extravasation from the tumor into the lateral ventricle. Nine months later, the patient presented with papilledema and delayed obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to intraventricular adhesions causing a trapped right lateral ventricle. This was successfully treated with endoscopic septostomy. The authors discuss the potential cause and clinical management of a delayed complication not previously reported after a relatively novel surgical therapy.

  8. Multi-agent autonomous system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fink, Wolfgang (Inventor); Dohm, James (Inventor); Tarbell, Mark A. (Inventor)

    2010-01-01

    A multi-agent autonomous system for exploration of hazardous or inaccessible locations. The multi-agent autonomous system includes simple surface-based agents or craft controlled by an airborne tracking and command system. The airborne tracking and command system includes an instrument suite used to image an operational area and any craft deployed within the operational area. The image data is used to identify the craft, targets for exploration, and obstacles in the operational area. The tracking and command system determines paths for the surface-based craft using the identified targets and obstacles and commands the craft using simple movement commands to move through the operational area to the targets while avoiding the obstacles. Each craft includes its own instrument suite to collect information about the operational area that is transmitted back to the tracking and command system. The tracking and command system may be further coupled to a satellite system to provide additional image information about the operational area and provide operational and location commands to the tracking and command system.

  9. Composite iron oxide-Prussian blue nanoparticles for magnetically guided T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and photothermal therapy of tumors.

    PubMed

    Kale, Shraddha S; Burga, Rachel A; Sweeney, Elizabeth E; Zun, Zungho; Sze, Raymond W; Tuesca, Anthony; Subramony, J Anand; Fernandes, Rohan

    2017-01-01

    Theranostic nanoparticles offer the potential for mixing and matching disparate diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities within a single nanoparticle for the personalized treatment of diseases. In this article, we present composite iron oxide-gadolinium-containing Prussian blue nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 @GdPB) as a novel theranostic agent for T 1 -weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and photothermal therapy (PTT) of tumors. These particles combine the well-described properties and safety profiles of the constituent Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles and gadolinium-containing Prussian blue nanoparticles. The Fe 3 O 4 @GdPB nanoparticles function both as effective MRI contrast agents and PTT agents as determined by characterizing studies performed in vitro and retain their properties in the presence of cells. Importantly, the Fe 3 O 4 @GdPB nanoparticles function as effective MRI contrast agents in vivo by increasing signal:noise ratios in T 1 -weighted scans of tumors and as effective PTT agents in vivo by decreasing tumor growth rates and increasing survival in an animal model of neuroblastoma. These findings demonstrate the potential of the Fe 3 O 4 @GdPB nanoparticles to function as effective theranostic agents.

  10. Composite iron oxide–Prussian blue nanoparticles for magnetically guided T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and photothermal therapy of tumors

    PubMed Central

    Kale, Shraddha S; Burga, Rachel A; Sweeney, Elizabeth E; Zun, Zungho; Sze, Raymond W; Tuesca, Anthony; Subramony, J Anand; Fernandes, Rohan

    2017-01-01

    Theranostic nanoparticles offer the potential for mixing and matching disparate diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities within a single nanoparticle for the personalized treatment of diseases. In this article, we present composite iron oxide-gadolinium-containing Prussian blue nanoparticles (Fe3O4@GdPB) as a novel theranostic agent for T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and photothermal therapy (PTT) of tumors. These particles combine the well-described properties and safety profiles of the constituent Fe3O4 nanoparticles and gadolinium-containing Prussian blue nanoparticles. The Fe3O4@GdPB nanoparticles function both as effective MRI contrast agents and PTT agents as determined by characterizing studies performed in vitro and retain their properties in the presence of cells. Importantly, the Fe3O4@GdPB nanoparticles function as effective MRI contrast agents in vivo by increasing signal:noise ratios in T1-weighted scans of tumors and as effective PTT agents in vivo by decreasing tumor growth rates and increasing survival in an animal model of neuroblastoma. These findings demonstrate the potential of the Fe3O4@GdPB nanoparticles to function as effective theranostic agents. PMID:28919744

  11. Acceleration of natural-abundance solid-state MAS NMR measurements on bone by paramagnetic relaxation from gadolinium-DTPA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mroue, Kamal H.; Zhang, Rongchun; Zhu, Peizhi; McNerny, Erin; Kohn, David H.; Morris, Michael D.; Ramamoorthy, Ayyalusamy

    2014-07-01

    Reducing the data collection time without affecting the signal intensity and spectral resolution is one of the major challenges for the widespread application of multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, especially in experiments conducted on complex heterogeneous biological systems such as bone. In most of these experiments, the NMR data collection time is ultimately governed by the proton spin-lattice relaxation times (T1). For over two decades, gadolinium(III)-DTPA (Gd-DTPA, DTPA = Diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) has been one of the most widely used contrast-enhancement agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this study, we demonstrate that Gd-DTPA can also be effectively used to enhance the longitudinal relaxation rates of protons in solid-state NMR experiments conducted on bone without significant line-broadening and chemical-shift-perturbation side effects. Using bovine cortical bone samples incubated in different concentrations of Gd-DTPA complex, the 1H T1 values were calculated from data collected by 1H spin-inversion recovery method detected in natural-abundance 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) NMR experiments. Our results reveal that the 1H T1 values can be successfully reduced by a factor of 3.5 using as low as 10 mM Gd-DTPA without reducing the spectral resolution and thus enabling faster data acquisition of the 13C CPMAS spectra. These results obtained from 13C-detected CPMAS experiments were further confirmed using 1H-detected ultrafast MAS experiments on Gd-DTPA doped bone samples. This approach considerably improves the signal-to-noise ratio per unit time of NMR experiments applied to bone samples by reducing the experimental time required to acquire the same number of scans.

  12. Acceleration of natural-abundance solid-state MAS NMR measurements on bone by paramagnetic relaxation from gadolinium-DTPA.

    PubMed

    Mroue, Kamal H; Zhang, Rongchun; Zhu, Peizhi; McNerny, Erin; Kohn, David H; Morris, Michael D; Ramamoorthy, Ayyalusamy

    2014-07-01

    Reducing the data collection time without affecting the signal intensity and spectral resolution is one of the major challenges for the widespread application of multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, especially in experiments conducted on complex heterogeneous biological systems such as bone. In most of these experiments, the NMR data collection time is ultimately governed by the proton spin-lattice relaxation times (T1). For over two decades, gadolinium(III)-DTPA (Gd-DTPA, DTPA=Diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) has been one of the most widely used contrast-enhancement agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this study, we demonstrate that Gd-DTPA can also be effectively used to enhance the longitudinal relaxation rates of protons in solid-state NMR experiments conducted on bone without significant line-broadening and chemical-shift-perturbation side effects. Using bovine cortical bone samples incubated in different concentrations of Gd-DTPA complex, the (1)H T1 values were calculated from data collected by (1)H spin-inversion recovery method detected in natural-abundance (13)C cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) NMR experiments. Our results reveal that the (1)H T1 values can be successfully reduced by a factor of 3.5 using as low as 10mM Gd-DTPA without reducing the spectral resolution and thus enabling faster data acquisition of the (13)C CPMAS spectra. These results obtained from (13)C-detected CPMAS experiments were further confirmed using (1)H-detected ultrafast MAS experiments on Gd-DTPA doped bone samples. This approach considerably improves the signal-to-noise ratio per unit time of NMR experiments applied to bone samples by reducing the experimental time required to acquire the same number of scans. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Band-gap modulation via gallium substitution in cerium doped gadolinium aluminum garnet using a mixed fuel combustion approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tyagi, Mohit; Pitale, Shreyas S.; Ghosh, Manoranjan; Shinde, Seema

    2014-04-01

    Cerium doped Gadolinium garnets (Gd3AlxGa5-xO12 where 0≤x≤5) are synthesized via combustion synthesis using mixture of urea and glycine fuels. A 4h Post annealing at 1400 oC is found to be necessary for pure phase formation. Lattice spacing variation as a result of partial or total Ga substitution at Al site was mapped by X-ray diffraction. Photoluminescence emission of Ce shifts as a consequence of Ga substitution and therefore suggests a local re-adjustment of crystal field around activator site.

  14. Gadolinium-doped water cerenkov-based neutron and high energy gamma-ray detector and radiation portal monitoring system

    DOEpatents

    Dazeley, Steven A; Svoboda, Robert C; Bernstein, Adam; Bowden, Nathaniel

    2013-02-12

    A water Cerenkov-based neutron and high energy gamma ray detector and radiation portal monitoring system using water doped with a Gadolinium (Gd)-based compound as the Cerenkov radiator. An optically opaque enclosure is provided surrounding a detection chamber filled with the Cerenkov radiator, and photomultipliers are optically connected to the detect Cerenkov radiation generated by the Cerenkov radiator from incident high energy gamma rays or gamma rays induced by neutron capture on the Gd of incident neutrons from a fission source. The PMT signals are then used to determine time correlations indicative of neutron multiplicity events characteristic of a fission source.

  15. Co-Precipitation Synthesis of Gadolinium Aluminum Gallium Oxide (GAGG) via Different Precipitants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Yan; Yang, Shenghui; Zhang, Ye; Jiang, Jun; Jiang, Haochuan

    2014-02-01

    In order to obtain a uniform transparent ceramic scintillator, well-dispersed fine starting powders with high-purity, small grain size, spherical morphology and high sinter-ability are necessary. In this study, Ce3+ doped gadolinium aluminum gallium garnet Gd3Al3Ga2O12 (GAGG) powders were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. NH4OH, NH4HCO3 and the mixed solution of NH4OH and NH4HCO3 were used as precipitants, respectively. The precursor composition, phase formation process, microstructure, morphology, particle size distribution and luminescent properties of obtained GAGG powders were measured. The results show that powders prepared using the mixed precipitant exhibit the best microstructural morphology, good sinter-ability and highest luminescent intensity. Pure GAGG polycrystalline powders could be obtained at about 950°C for 1.5 h and the average size of the particles is about 50 nm. The photoluminescence spectrum shows a strong green-yellow emission near 540 nm.

  16. Gadolinium sulfate modified by formate to obtain optimized magneto-caloric effect.

    PubMed

    Xu, Long-Yang; Zhao, Jiong-Peng; Liu, Ting; Liu, Fu-Chen

    2015-06-01

    Three new Gd(III) based coordination polymers [Gd2(C2H6SO)(SO4)3(H2O)2]n (1), {[Gd4(HCOO)2(SO4)5(H2O)6]·H2O}n (2), and [Gd(HCOO)(SO4)(H2O)]n (3) were obtained by modifying gadolinium sulfate. With the gradual increase of the volume ratio of HCOOH and DMSO in synthesis, the formate anions begin to coordinate with metal centers; this results in the coordination numbers of sulfate anion increasing and the contents of water and DMSO molecules decreasing in target complexes. Accordingly, spin densities both per mass and per volume were enhanced step by step, which are beneficial for the magneto-caloric effect (MCE). Magnetic studies reveal that with the more formate anions present, the larger the negative value of magnetic entropy change (-ΔSm) is. Complex 3 exhibits the largest -ΔSm = 49.91 J kg(-1) K(-1) (189.51 mJ cm(-3) K(-1)) for T = 2 K and ΔH = 7 T among three new complexes.

  17. Apparent diffusion coefficient for molecular subtyping of non-gadolinium-enhancing WHO grade II/III glioma: volumetric segmentation versus two-dimensional region of interest analysis.

    PubMed

    Thust, S C; Hassanein, S; Bisdas, S; Rees, J H; Hyare, H; Maynard, J A; Brandner, S; Tur, C; Jäger, H R; Yousry, T A; Mancini, L

    2018-03-23

    To investigate if quantitative apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements can predict genetic subtypes of non-gadolinium-enhancing gliomas, comparing whole tumour against single slice analysis. Volumetric T2-derived masks of 44 gliomas were co-registered to ADC maps with ADC mean (ADC mean ) calculated. For the slice analysis, two observers placed regions of interest in the largest tumour cross-section. The ratio (ADC ratio ) between ADC mean in the tumour and normal appearing white matter was calculated for both methods. Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type gliomas showed the lowest ADC values throughout (p < 0.001). ADC mean in the IDH-mutant 1p19q intact group was significantly higher than in the IDH-mutant 1p19q co-deleted group (p < 0.01). A volumetric ADC mean threshold of 1201 × 10 -6 mm 2 /s identified IDH wild-type with a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 86%; a volumetric ADC ratio cut-off value of 1.65 provided a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 92% (area under the curve (AUC) 0.9-0.94). A slice ADC ratio threshold for observer 1 (observer 2) of 1.76 (1.83) provided a sensitivity of 80% (86%), specificity of 91% (100%) and AUC of 0.95 (0.96). The intraclass correlation coefficient was excellent (0.98). ADC measurements can support the distinction of glioma subtypes. Volumetric and two-dimensional measurements yielded similar results in this study. • Diffusion-weighted MRI aids the identification of non-gadolinium-enhancing malignant gliomas • ADC measurements may permit non-gadolinium-enhancing glioma molecular subtyping • IDH wild-type gliomas have lower ADC values than IDH-mutant tumours • Single cross-section and volumetric ADC measurements yielded comparable results in this study.

  18. In Vivo Molecular Imaging of Acute and Subacute Thrombosis Using a Fibrin-Binding Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent

    PubMed Central

    Botnar, René M.; Perez, Alexandra S.; Witte, Sonia; Wiethoff, Andrea J.; Laredo, James; Hamilton, James; Quist, William; Parsons, Edward C.; Vaidya, Anand; Kolodziej, Andrew; Barrett, John A.; Graham, Philip B.; Weisskoff, Robert M.; Manning, Warren J.; Johnstone, Michael T.

    2010-01-01

    Background Plaque rupture with subsequent thrombosis is recognized as the underlying pathophysiology of most acute coronary syndromes and stroke. Thus, direct thrombus visualization may be beneficial for both diagnosis and guidance of therapy. We sought to test the feasibility of direct imaging of acute and subacute thrombosis using MRI together with a novel fibrin-binding gadolinium-labeled peptide, EP-1873, in an experimental animal model of plaque rupture and thrombosis. Methods and Results Fifteen male New Zealand White rabbits (weight, ≈3.5 kg) were made atherosclerotic by feeding a high-cholesterol diet after endothelial aortic injury. Plaque rupture was then induced with the use of Russell’s viper venom (RVV) and histamine. Subsequently, MRI of the subrenal aorta was performed before RVV, after RVV, and after EP-1873. Histology was performed on regions suggested by MRI to contain thrombus. Nine rabbits (60%) developed plaque rupture and thrombus, including 25 thrombi visually apparent on MRI as “hot spots” after injection of EP-1873. Histological correlation confirmed all 25 thrombi (100%), with no thrombi seen in the other regions of the aorta. In the remaining 6 rabbits (control) without plaque rupture, no thrombus was observed on the MR images or on histology. Conclusions We demonstrate the feasibility of in vivo “molecular” MRI for the detection of acute and subacute thrombosis using a novel fibrin-binding MRI contrast agent in an animal model of atherosclerosis and acute/subacute thrombosis. Potential clinical applications include thrombus detection in acute coronary syndromes and stroke. PMID:15066940

  19. Agent independent task planning

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davis, William S.

    1990-01-01

    Agent-Independent Planning is a technique that allows the construction of activity plans without regard to the agent that will perform them. Once generated, a plan is then validated and translated into instructions for a particular agent, whether a robot, crewmember, or software-based control system. Because Space Station Freedom (SSF) is planned for orbital operations for approximately thirty years, it will almost certainly experience numerous enhancements and upgrades, including upgrades in robotic manipulators. Agent-Independent Planning provides the capability to construct plans for SSF operations, independent of specific robotic systems, by combining techniques of object oriented modeling, nonlinear planning and temporal logic. Since a plan is validated using the physical and functional models of a particular agent, new robotic systems can be developed and integrated with existing operations in a robust manner. This technique also provides the capability to generate plans for crewmembers with varying skill levels, and later apply these same plans to more sophisticated robotic manipulators made available by evolutions in technology.

  20. Hydroxypyridonate chelating agents and synthesis thereof

    DOEpatents

    Raymond, K.N.; Scarrow, R.C.; White, D.L.

    1985-11-12

    Chelating agents having 1-hydroxy-2-pyridinone (HOPO) and related moieties incorporated within their structures, including polydentate HOPO-substituted polyamines such as spermidine and spermine, and HOPO-substituted desferrioxamine. The chelating agents are useful in selectively removing certain cations from solution, and are particularly useful as ferric ion and actinide chelators. Novel syntheses of the chelating agents are provided. 4 tabs.