The interaction of gadolinium complexes with isolated rat hepatocytes

The lanthanide metal, gadolinium, is currently used in contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. We have performed a study of the interaction between isolated rat hepatocytes and 153Gd complexed to diethylene-triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) or to DTPA-albumin conjugates. The study shows that isolated hepatocytes are able to take up both types of 153Gd complexes. The 153Gd-DTPA-albumin complexes are apparently taken up by pinocytosis, and possibly receptor-mediated endocytosis and/or adsorptive endocytosis, whereas the uptake mechanism of 153Gd-DTPA is unknown. The 153Gd-DTPA-albumin complexes, but not the 153Gd-DTPA complex, are degraded by the cell. The degradation is inhibited by ammonium chloride. Gadolinium is slowly released back to the medium after loading of the cells with both complex types. In the experiments reported here no evidence of any adverse effects on the hepatocyte resulting from exposure to the 153Gd-complexes were observed.