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Paramagnetic nanoparticles as potential MRI contrast agents: characterization, NMR relaxation, simulations and theory

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Abstract

Object

Paramagnetic nanoparticles, mainly rare earth oxides and hydroxides, have been produced these last few years for use as MRI contrast agents. They could become an interesting alternative to iron oxide particles. However, their relaxation properties are not well understood.

Materials and methods

Magnetometry, 1H and 2H NMR relaxation results at different magnetic fields and electron paramagnetic resonance are used to investigate the relaxation induced by paramagnetic particles. When combined with computer simulations of transverse relaxation, they allow an accurate description of the relaxation induced by paramagnetic particles.

Results

For gadolinium hydroxide particles, both T 1 and T 2 relaxation are due to a chemical exchange of protons between the particle surface and bulk water, called inner sphere relaxation. The inner sphere is also responsible for T 1 relaxation of dysprosium, holmium, terbium and erbium containing particles. However, for these latter compounds, T 2 relaxation is caused by water diffusion in the field inhomogeneities created by the magnetic particle, the outer-sphere relaxation mechanism. The different relaxation behaviors are caused by different electron relaxation times (estimated by electron paramagnetic resonance).

Conclusion

These findings may allow tailoring paramagnetic particles: ultrasmall gadolinium oxide and hydroxide particles for T 1 contrast agents, with shapes ensuring the highest surface-to-volume ratio. All the other compounds present interesting T 2 relaxation performance at high fields. These results are in agreement with computer simulations and theoretical predictions of the outer-sphere and static dephasing regime theories. The T 2 efficiency would be optimum for spherical particles of 40–50 nm radius.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are, as usual, grateful to Dr Alain Roch for interesting and helpful discussions. Professor Robert N Muller is acknowledged for the access to the NMR relaxometers and spectrometers. FNRS-F.R.S. is also acknowledged for financial support (4.4507.10). Quoc Lam Vuong is a research associate of the F.R.S.-FNRS. Gabriela Alejandro thanks the ERASMUS MUNDUS program, the University of Antwerp and CONICET for funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biological Physics Department, University of Mons—UMONS, 20 Place du Parc, 7000, Mons, Belgium

    Quoc Lam Vuong, Corradina Argante & Yves Gossuin

  2. Department of Physics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Sabine Van Doorslaer & Gabriela Alejandro

  3. Department of Chemistry, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada

    Jean-Luc Bridot

  4. Centre de Recherche sur les Matériaux Avancés (CERMA), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada

    Jean-Luc Bridot

  5. Centro Atómico Bariloche (CNEA) and CONICET, 8400, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

    Gabriela Alejandro

  6. Institut für Festkörperforschung, JCNS und JARA-FIT, Forschungszentrum, Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany

    Raphaël Hermann & Sabrina Disch

  7. Faculté des Sciences, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium

    Raphaël Hermann

  8. Fakultät für Mathematik und Naturwissenschaften, FG Technische Physik II/Polymerphysik, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Ilmenau, Germany

    Carlos Mattea & Siegfried Stapf

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  1. Quoc Lam Vuong
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Correspondence to Yves Gossuin.

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Vuong, Q.L., Van Doorslaer, S., Bridot, JL. et al. Paramagnetic nanoparticles as potential MRI contrast agents: characterization, NMR relaxation, simulations and theory. Magn Reson Mater Phy 25, 467–478 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-012-0326-7

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