Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used to diagnose focal and diffuse liver disorders. Despite their enhanced efficacy, liver-targeted gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) raise safety concerns owing to the release of toxic Gd(3+) ions. A π-conjugated macrocyclic chelate, Mn-NOTA-NP, was designed and synthesized as a non-gadolinium alternative for liver-specific MRI. Mn-NOTA-NP exhibits an r(1) relaxivity of 3.57 mM(-1) s(-1) in water and 9.01 mM(-1) s(-1) in saline containing human serum albumin at 3 T, which is significantly greater than the clinically utilized Mn(2+)-based hepatobiliary drug, Mn-DPDP (1.50 mM(-1) s(-1)), and comparable with that of GBCAs. Furthermore, the in vivo biodistribution and MRI enhancement patterns of Mn-NOTA-NP were similar to those of the Gd(3+)-based hepatobiliary agent, Gd-DTPA-EOB. Additionally, a 0.05 mmol/kg dose of Mn-NOTA-NP facilitated high-sensitivity tumor detection with tumor signal enhancement in a liver tumor model. Ligand-docking simulations further indicated that Mn-NOTA-NP differed from other hepatobiliary agents in their interactions with several transporter systems. Collectively, we demonstrated that Mn-NOTA-NP could be a new liver-specific MRI contrast agent.