1. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2010 Aug;32(2):367-75.

MRI of iron-oxide labelled transplanted hepatocytes in mice: effect of treatment 
with cyclophosphamide.

Leconte I, Pallu S, Abarca-Quinones J, Michoux N, Peeters F, Radermacher K,
Sempoux C, Najimi M, Sokal E, Van Beers BE.

Radiodiagnostic Unit, Université Catholique de Louvain, St-Luc University
Hospital, Brussels, Belgium. isabelle.leconte@uclouvain.be

PURPOSE: To assess if 1.5T MRI can be used to study the transport to the liver,
the intrahepatic distribution and engraftment of iron-oxide labelled hepatocytes 
in cyclophosphamide-treated and untreated mice.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hepatocytes were isolated from C57bl/6 mice and were
labelled with 1.63 microm iron-oxide particles. Seventeen mice were pretreated
with cyclophosphamide to disrupt the sinusoidal endothelium and 15 were left
untreated. Seven days after splenic injection of the labelled hepatocytes,
T2*-weighted gradient-echo images at 1.5T were acquired. The hepatic transport,
distribution and engraftment of the labelled hepatocytes were assessed with
signal intensity (SI) and T2* measurements, electron paramagnetic resonance
(EPR), texture analysis and histology.
RESULTS: Lower hepatic SI (P = 0.005), lower T2* (P = 0.033) and larger number of
particles at histology (P = 0.006) suggested increased transport to the liver of 
labelled hepatocytes in cyclophosphamide-treated mice versus untreated mice. At
histology, most particles were located in Kupffer cells. Particles distribution
was heterogeneous. No difference between both groups was observed at texture
analysis.
CONCLUSION: MRI is useful to assess the transport to the liver and intrahepatic
distribution of transplanted labelled hepatocytes. The preferential location of
iron-oxide particles within Kupffer cells after seven days limits the value of
MRI for assessing hepatocyte engraftment.


PMID: 20677264 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]