Gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome in a mouse model

BACKGROUND Neoadjuvant chemotherapy can cause hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases and increases postoperative morbidity and mortality. AIM To evaluate T-1 mapping based on gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for diagnosis of hepatic SOS induced by monocrotaline. METHODS Twenty-four mice were divided into control (n = 10) and experimental (n = 14) groups. The experimental groups were injected with monocrotaline 2 or 6 days before MRI. MRI parameters were: T1 relaxation time before enhancement; T1 relaxation time 20 minutes after enhancement (T-1post); a reduction in T1 relaxation time (triangle T-1%); and first enhancement slope percentage of the liver parenchyma (ESP). Albumin and bilirubin score was determined. Histological results served as a reference. Liver parenchyma samples from the control and experimental groups were analyzed by western blotting, and organic anion transporter polypeptide 1 (OATP1) was measured. RESULTS T-1post, triangle T-1%, and ESP of the liver parenchyma were significantly different between two groups (all P < 0.001) and significantly correlated with the total histological score of hepatic SOS (r = -0.70, 0.68 and 0.79; P < 0.001). triangle T-1% and ESP were positively correlated with OATP1 levels (r = 0.82, 0.85; P < 0.001), whereas T-1post had a negative correlation with OATP1 levels (r = -0.83; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION T-1 mapping based on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI may be useful for diagnosis of hepatic SOS, and MRI parameters were associated with OATP1 levels.