Comparison of Five Conductivity Tensor Models and Image Reconstruction Methods Using MRI

Imaging of the electrical conductivity distribution inside the human body has been investigated for numerous clinical applications. The conductivity tensors of biological tissue have been obtained from water diffusion tensors by applying several models, which may not cover the entire phenomenon. Recently, a new conductivity tensor imaging (CTI) method was developed through a combination of B1 mapping, and multi-b diffusion weighted imaging. In this study, we compared the most recent CTI method with the four existing models of conductivity tensors reconstruction. Two conductivity phantoms were designed to evaluate the accuracy of the models. Applied to five human brains, the conductivity tensors using the four existing models and CTI were imaged and compared with the values from the literature. The conductivity image of the phantoms by the CTI method showed relative errors between 1.10% and 5.26%. The images by the four models using DTI could not measure the effects of different ion concentrations subsequently due to prior information of the mean conductivity values. The conductivity tensor images obtained from five human brains through the CTI method were comparable to previously reported literature values. The images by the four methods using DTI were highly correlated with the diffusion tensor images, showing a coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.65 to 1.00. However, the images by the CTI method were less correlated with the diffusion tensor images and exhibited an averaged R2 value of 0.51. The CTI method could handle the effects of different ion concentrations as well as mobilities and extracellular volume fractions by collecting and processing additional B1 map data. It is necessary to select an application-specific model taking into account the pros and cons of each model. Future studies are essential to confirm the usefulness of these conductivity tensor imaging methods in clinical applications, such as tumor characterization, EEG source imaging, and treatment planning for electrical stimulation.     

超声双重造影及MRI对胃癌诊断及术前T分期的对比研究

选取2017年8月~2019年2月我院收治的胃癌患者130例作为研究对象,依据患者病理诊断结果作为金标准,分析磁共振成像(magnetic resonance imaging,MRI)与超声双重造影对胃癌的诊断价值及术前T分期的价值。结果显示,超声双重造影共检出120例胃癌患者,出现10例漏诊,MRI共检出109例胃癌患者,出现21例漏诊。金标准共检出52例T1期、32例T2期、26例T3期、20例T4期患者,超声双重造影诊断出T1期48例,符合率92.31%;T2期30例,符合率93.75%;T3期24例,符合率92.31%;T4期18例,符合率90.00%,进一步分析显示,超声双重造影对不同胃癌T分期的诊断价值均高于MRI。因此,超声双重造影对胃癌的诊断价值及对术前T分期诊断价值均高于MRI。     

Preparation and characterization of amino-functionalized magnetic nanogels via photopolymerization for MRI applications

To design peptide-targeted iron oxide as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents, amino-functionalized magnetic nanogels were prepared by using N-(2-aminoethyl) methacrylamide hydrochloride (AEM·HCl) as monomer via new photochemical approach. Their chemical structure and composition were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). The core–shell structure of magnetic nanogels was confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The good storage stability, high magnetic content (88.7%), high saturation magnetizations and superparamagnetic behavior suggested their great potentials as MRI contrast agents, which were confirmed by their measurements of r₂ and coronal image of the crossing of mouse kidney.     

NMR Characterization of Lanthanide(3+) Complexes of Tetraazatetrakisphosphinato and Tetraazatetra­kisphosphonato Ligands

The three‐dimensional structures in aqueous solution of the entire series of the Ln³⁺ complexes [Ln(DOTP*‐Et)]^? (formed from the free ligand P,P′,P″,P′′′‐[1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7,10‐tetrayltetrakis(methylene)]tetrakis[P‐ethylphosphinic acid] (H₄DOTP*‐Et) were studied by NMR techniques to rationalize the parameters governing the relaxivity of the Gd³⁺ complex and evaluate its potential as MRI contrast agent. From the ¹H‐ and ³¹P‐NMR lanthanide‐induced‐shift (LIS) values, especially of the [Yb(DOTP*‐Et)]^? complex, it was concluded that the [Ln(DOTP*‐Et)]^? complexes adopt in solution twisted square antiprismatic coordination geometries which change gradually their coordination‐cage structure along the lanthanide series. These complexes have no inner‐sphere‐H₂O coordination, and preferentially have the (R,R,R,R) configuration of the P‐atoms in the pendant arms. Self‐association was observed in aqueous solution for the tetraazatetrakisphosphonic acid ester complexes [Ln(DOTP*‐OEt)]^? (=[Ln(DOTP‐Et)]^?) and [Ln(DOTP*‐OBu)]^? (=[Ln(DOTP‐Bu)]^?) at and above 5 mM concentration, through analysis of ³¹P‐NMR, EPR, vapor‐pressure‐osmometry, and luminescence‐spectroscopic data. The presence of the cationic detergent cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC; but not of neutral surfactants) shifts the isomer equilibrium of [Eu(DOTP*‐OBu)]^? to the (S,S,S,S) form which selectively binds to the cationic micelle surface.     

Synthesis,Relaxivity and MRI Enhancement of Linear Oligo‐Gd(III) Complexes with Poly (DTPA‐ester) Ligands Derived from Amino Acids

Six linear oligo‐DTPA‐ester Gd(III) complexes being used for potential MRI contrast agents were synthesized from amino adds and characterized. Their longitudinal relaxation rates were measured. One of them, die phenylalanine derivative, with high relaxivity, was chosen for the acute toxicity and T₁,‐weighted imaging test. The results indicated that there was no obvious toxicity for this new oligomeric Gd(III) complex, and it exhibits the highly enhanced MRI signal intensity and the increasing signal duration in the liver tissue compared to Gd‐DTPA.     

细胞内不同形态Gd基MRI造影剂的T1/T2弛豫性能及造影效果

将具有良好生物膜穿透性的异烟肼(INH)和Gd-DO3A偶联,合成了小分子MRI造影剂Gd-DO3A-INH;利用脉冲电转染技术标记间充质干细胞,有效提高了进入细胞的Gd-DO3A-INH浓度,并诱导部分游离态Gd-DO3A-INH在细胞质中自组装成纳米粒子。细胞样品的TEM观察到细胞内形成了Gd-DO3A-INH纳米粒子;细胞传代实验和体外MRI揭示了2种不同状态的Gd-DO3A-INH对细胞水质子弛豫速率的影响机制,以及细胞传代过程中细胞内2种不同状态Gd-DO3A-INH的浓度涨落引起的MRI造影效果的变化机制。     

温度和pH敏感高分子含钆核磁共振成像造影剂的合成及性能

以N-异丙基丙烯酰胺为温度敏感单体,以甲基丙烯酸为p H敏感单体,与三丙烯酸菲洛啉钆进行无皂乳液聚合,一步合成了具有温度和pH敏感的高分子含钆核磁共振成像(MRI)造影剂(TPRPP).动态光散射测试结果表明,TPRPP的粒径随温度或p H值的变化而发生较大的改变.体外MRI测试结果表明,TPRPP的横向弛豫时间(T_1)的加权弛豫率约为11.3 L/(mmol·s),为临床造影剂Magnevist~的2.6倍.体内MRI结果表明,TPRPP在肝和脾中具有明显的正增强效果.研究结果表明,TPRPP是一种优异的多功能MRI造影剂,具有极大的临床研究价值.     

Preparation, characterization and surface study of poly-epsilon caprolactone magnetic microparticles

Magnetic microparticles (MMP) have shown to be applied in increasing applications in various fields of biotechnology and medicine. One of their most promising utilization is the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in which superparamagnetic substances as magnetite are used in a nanometric size (less than 30 nm) and encapsulated within locally injected biodegradable microparticles. In this paper, magnetite has been encapsulated in polymer-based microparticles. The MMP have been prepared by an emulsion evaporation method. The different parameters influencing the particles size were investigated. The size was found to decrease as the stirring speed or the stabilizer amount (to certain limit) increases. The encapsulation efficacy was more than 90% yielding a magnetite loading of up to 30%, w/w. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed less than 2% of iron atoms at the microparticles surface. The zeta potential response of MMP towards pH variation was very similar to that of magnetite-free microparticles confirming the encapsulation of magnetite within the microparticles. X-ray diffraction assays showed that magnetite crystalline structure was conserved after emulsification and MMP formation. Vibration simple magnetometer (VSM) showed a superparamagnetic profile of the MMP with a magnetic saturation increasing with the increased magnetite amount in the microparticles. These magnetic microparticles can enable clinicians to control microparticles distribution after a local administration in tumors by MRI. They can also be administered to target a defined tumor area by focusing a magnetic field on the surfaces covering the cancerous tissue.     

Multiple‐Frequency and Variable‐Temperature EPR Study of Gadolinium(III) Complexes with Polyaminocarboxylates: Analysis and Comparison of the Magnetically Dilute Powder and the Frozen‐Solution Spectra

An electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) study of glasses and magnetically dilute powders of [Gd(DTPA)(H₂O)]^2?, [Gd(DOTA)(H₂O)]^?, and macromolecular gadolinate(1?) complexes P792 was carried out at the X‐ and Q‐bands and at 240 GHz (DTPA=diethylenetriaminepentaacetato; DOTA=1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7,10‐tetraacetato). The results show that the zero‐field splitting (ZFS) parameters for these complexes are quite different in a powder as compared to the frozen aqueous solution. In several complexes, an inversion of the sign of the axial component D of the zero field splitting is observed, indicating a significant structural change. In contrary to what was expected, powder samples obtained by lyophilization do not allow a more precise determination of the static ZFS parameters. The results obtained in glasses are more relevant to the problem of electron spin relaxation in aqueous solution than those obtained from powders.     

Synthesis and properties of neutral gadolinium and technetium-99m-labeled complexes

Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic di(L-dopa ethyl ester) ligand (DTPA-2LDEE) was synthesized by reaction between diethylenetriaminepentaacetic dianhydride (DTPAA) and L-dopa ethyl ester (LDEE). This ligand reacted with gadolinium chloride and sodium pertechnetate to make the corresponding neutral gadolinium complex Gd-DTPA-2LDEE and technetium-99m-labeled complex ^99mTc-DTPA-2LDEE, respectively. The ligand and complexes were characterized and their properties in vitro and in vivo were also evaluated. Gd-DTPA-2LDEE possessed higher relaxation effectiveness and lower cytotoxicity to human hepatoma HepG-2 cells than Gd-DTPA. ^99mTc-DTPA-2LDEE had enhanced single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) signal enhancements of the kidneys in rats and provided longer duration time than that of ^99mTc-DTPA. Therefore, ^99mTc-DTPA-2LDEE can be selectively excreted by the kidneys and used as a potential radioactive probe in SPECT.