Quantitative evaluation of liver function with MRI Using Gd-EOB-DTPA

• Published in: Korean journal of radiology 2004-10, Vol.5 (4), p.231-239
• Main Authors: Ryeom, Hun-Kyu, Kim, Seong-Hun, Kim, Jong-Yeol, Kim, Hye-Jeong, Lee, Jong-Min, Chang, Yong-Min, Kim, Yong-Sun, Kang, Duk-Sik
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Alanine Transaminase - blood; Alanine Transaminase - drug effects; Animals; Aspartate Aminotransferases - blood; Aspartate Aminotransferases - drug effects; Biomarkers - blood; Carbon Tetrachloride; Coloring Agents - metabolism; Contrast Media - administration & dosage; Coronary vessels; Disease Models, Animal; Enzymes; Fibrosis - chemically induced; Fourier transforms; Gadolinium DTPA - administration & dosage; Indocyanine Green - metabolism; Injections, Intravenous; Liver; Liver - enzymology; Liver - pathology; Liver Function Tests - methods; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Original; Plasma; Rabbits
• ISSN: 1229-6929; 2005-8330
• DOI: 10.3348/kjr.2004.5.4.231

Gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) is a newly developed MR contrast agent. After intravenous injection, Gd-EOB-DTPA is gradually taken up by the hepatocytes and eventually excreted via the biliary pathway without any change to its chemical structure. Because of these characteristics, it can be used as a tracer for quantitative liver function testing. The purpose of this study is to develop a noninvasive method of quantitation of the hepatic function using Gd-EOB-DTPA through the deconvolution analysis. Adult New Zealand white rabbits (n = 10, average body weight = 3.5 kg) were used in the present study. Hepatic injury was induced to by the intragastric administration of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) three times a week for three weeks. Liver enzyme (aspartate aminotransferase, AST; alanine aminotransferase, ALT) levels and the plasma indocyanine green (ICG) retention rate 15 minutes after an intravenous injection of ICG (ICG R15), was checked before and after the three-week administration of CCl4. At the end of experimental period, an observer "blinded" to the treatment given the rabbits performed the histological examination. MRI studies were performed before and after the three-week administration of CCl4 on a 1.5 T scanner using a human extremity coil. After intravenous bolus injection of Gd-EOB-DTPA (0.3 mL of Gd-EOB-DTPA freshly prepared in 2.7 mL of normal saline) through the ear vein, the 250 axial single level dynamic MR images were obtained using a fast low angle shot (FLASH, T /TE = 11/4.2 msec, flip angle = 15, acquisition time 1 second, slice thickness = 5 mm, matrix = 128x128, field of view = 120 mm) sequence with 1.5 sec time intervals. The time-intensity curves were obtained at the abdominal aorta and the liver parenchyma that was devoid of blood vessels. Deconvolution analysis of the aortic (input function) and hepatic parenchymal (output function) time-intensity curves was performed with a modified Fourier transform technique to calculate the hepatic extraction fraction (HEF). The presence and type of hepatic injury were determined by the histopathologic examination and statistical analysis of the changes of the hepatic enzyme levels, the ICG R15 and Gd-EOBDTPA HEF values between the time before and after CCl4 administration with Wicoxon signed rank test. Correlation between the Gd-EOB-DTPA HEF and the change of the ICG R15 were analyzed with Pearson's correlation coefficient. Histopathologic examination