Quantitative dynamic contrast enhanced MRI of experimental synovitis in the rabbit knee: Comparison of macromolecular blood pool agents vs. Gadolinium-DOTA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess 2 Gd-based macromolecular intravascular contrast agents (P792, rapid clearance blood pool agent (rBPA) and P717, slow clearance blood pool agent (sBPA)) compared to Gd-DOTA (representative extracellular non specific agent) in MR imaging of knee rabbit experimental synovitis. Quantitative dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (qDCE-MRI) after intravascular injection of a low molecular weight contrast agent of 0.56 kDa (Gd-DOTA) and 2 high-molecular-weight contrast agents of 6.47 kDa (P792) and 52 kDa (P717) was performed in rabbits with carrageenan-induced synovitis of the right knee. P792 and P717 provided a progressive and persistent enhancement of arthritic synovial tissue while Gd-DOTA provided an early and rapidly declining enhancement with a concomitant diffusion in synovial fluid, thus limitating delineation of synovial pannus. P792 allowed acquisition of high-quality MR arthrograms, due to both a better diffusion in synovial pannus (vs. P717) and a concomitant restricted diffusion into the synovial fluid (vs. Gd-DOTA). In fact, experimental rabbit synovitis represent a specific entity that favors the T1 effect of high-molecular-weight agents, and especially rBPA P792, entrapped in synovial pannus, without diffusion in the synovial fluid. Due to this lack of arthrographic effect, P792 accumulation could be specifically sequentially analyzed by qDCE-MRI for detecting, characterizing and monitoring synovial vascular permeability changes during mono- or polysynovitis.