An Intravascular Tantalum Oxide-based CT Contrast Agent: Preclinical Evaluation Emulating Overweight and Obese...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Nanotechnology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Conventional iodinated contrast agents can have limitations in imaging overweight and obese patients.
• Developing advanced contrast agents is crucial for improving diagnostic accuracy in diverse patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the computed tomography (CT) imaging performance of a carboxybetaine zwitterionic-coated tantalum oxide (TaCZ) nanoparticle contrast agent.
• To compare TaCZ with a conventional iodinated contrast agent (iopromide) in a swine model simulating overweight and obese patients.

Main Methods:

• Four swine were placed in adipose-equivalent encasements to simulate abdominal girths of 102, 119, and 137 cm.
• CT imaging was performed after intravenous injection of TaCZ or iopromide.
• Contrast enhancement and vascular clarity were quantitatively and qualitatively assessed.

Main Results:

• TaCZ exhibited significantly higher peak contrast enhancement in the aorta and liver compared to iopromide.
• Vascular clarity was notably improved with TaCZ across all simulated girths, especially in venous phases.
• No vessels showed better clarity with iopromide than with TaCZ.

Conclusions:

• The experimental tantalum nanoparticle-based contrast agent (TaCZ) demonstrated superior contrast enhancement and vascular clarity over iopromide.
• TaCZ shows promise as an effective CT contrast agent for overweight and obese patients, potentially improving diagnostic capabilities.