<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>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 (&lt; 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.</p></abstract>

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.

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

Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Keshavaz blvd., 16 Azar St., Tehran, 14145, Iran

Medical Physics Department, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Madieh St., Hamadan, 6517838736, Iran

Pharmaceutical Department, Food & Drug Laboratory Research Center, Food & Drug Organization (FDO), Ministry of Health, Imam St., Valiasre Cross, Tehran, 1113615911, Iran

Medical Genetics Department, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Keshavaz blvd., 16 Azar St., Tehran, 14145, Iran

Materials Science-Poland

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

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....

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

Published Online: Apr 20, 2013

Page range: 158 - 164

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13536-012-0083-3

Keywords
gadolinium oxide, diethyleneglycol, polyethyleneglycol, toxicity

© 2013 Wroclaw University of Technology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

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

Published Online: Apr 20, 2013

Page range: 158 - 164

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13536-012-0083-3

Keywordsgadolinium oxide, diethyleneglycol, polyethyleneglycol, toxicity

© 2013 Wroclaw University of Technology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
gadolinium oxide, diethyleneglycol, polyethyleneglycol, toxicity