Assessing the utility of gadolinium-based contrast agents administered by the intravenous and the intraperitoneal route

Authors

• JS Kumar
• VM Diaz
• JP Munasinghe
• MD Hall
• MM Gottesman
• BA Klaunberg

Abstract

Intravenous (IV) cannulation of the tail vein is a commonly used method to administer gadolinium-based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in mice. However, serial imaging in longitudinal studies is difficult due to problems with venous access and increased exposure to anesthesia due to longer preparation times. Repeat punctures of the tail vein can cause sclerosis and necrosis, thus imposing the main limitation on the ability to serially obtain MR contrast images of mice. This problem is compounded in studies when repeat IV administration of other drugs are required. In comparison to IV, intraperitoneal (IP) injections are a relatively facile approach to administering compounds to mice. We sought to establish an IP dose schedule for gadolinium based contrast agents in mice, and compare image quality to IV dosages. We examined contrast enhancement of the pituitary as a method to establish efficacy of the different dosages and routes of contrast enhancement. Since the vasculature of the pituitary is not comprised of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) it is more permeable, allowing gadolinium based compounds to accumulate within the gland. We found that IP gadolinium enhanced the pituitary comparable to the IV dosage route. Furthermore, we propose that IP gadolinium is also useful for contrast enhanced brain imaging for areas of BBB compromise (such as tumor environments).

Scientific Focus Area: Systems Biology

This page was last updated on Friday, March 26, 2021