Abstract
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 (△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), △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). △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.