Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents and Free Gadolinium Inhibit Differentiation and Activity of Bone Cell Lineages

Administration of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) in magnetic resonance imaging results in the long-term retention of gadolinium (Gd) in tissues and organs, including the bone, and may affect their function and metabolism. This study aims to investigate the effects of Gd and GBCA on the proliferation/survival, differentiation, and function of bone cell lineages.

Primary murine osteoblasts (OB) and osteoclast progenitor cells (OPC) isolated from C57BL/6J mice were used to test the effects of Gd 3+ (12.5-100 μM) and GBCA (100-2000 μM). Cultures were supplemented with the nonionic linear Gd-DTPA-BMA (gadodiamide), ionic linear Gd-DTPA (gadopentetic acid), and macrocyclic Gd-DOTA (gadoteric acid). Cell viability and differentiation were analyzed on days 4-6 of the culture. To assess the resorptive activity of osteoclasts, the cells were grown in OPC cultures and were seeded onto layers of amorphous calcium phosphate with incorporated Gd.

Gd 3+ did not affect OB viability, but differentiation was reduced dose-dependently up to 72.4% ± 6.2%-73.0% ± 13.2% (average ± SD) at 100 μM Gd 3+ on days 4-6 of culture as compared with unexposed controls ( P < 0.001). Exposure to GBCA had minor effects on OB viability with a dose-dependent reduction up to 23.3% ± 10.2% for Gd-DTPA-BMA at 2000 μM on day 5 ( P < 0.001). In contrast, all 3 GBCA caused a dose-dependent reduction of differentiation up to 88.3% ± 5.2% for Gd-DTPA-BMA, 49.8% ± 16.0% for Gd-DTPA, and 23.1% ± 8.7% for Gd-DOTA at 2000 μM on day 5 ( P < 0.001). In cultures of OPC, cell viability was not affected by Gd 3+ , whereas differentiation was decreased by 45.3% ± 9.8%-48.5% ± 15.8% at 100 μM Gd 3+ on days 4-6 ( P < 0.05). Exposure of OPC to GBCA resulted in a dose-dependent increase in cell viability of up to 34.1% ± 11.4% at 2000 μM on day 5 of culture ( P < 0.001). However, differentiation of OPC cultures was reduced on day 5 by 24.2% ± 9.4% for Gd-DTPA-BMA, 47.1% ± 14.0% for Gd-DTPA, and 38.2% ± 10.0% for Gd-DOTA ( P < 0.001). The dissolution of amorphous calcium phosphate by mature osteoclasts was reduced by 36.3% ± 5.3% upon incorporation of 4.3% Gd/Ca wt/wt ( P < 0.001).

Gadolinium and GBCA inhibit differentiation and activity of bone cell lineages in vitro. Thus, Gd retention in bone tissue could potentially impair the physiological regulation of bone turnover on a cellular level, leading to pathological changes in bone metabolism.