A multi-center preclinical study of gadoxetate DCE-MRI in rats as a biomarker of drug induced inhibition of liver transporter function

作者：Karageorgis Anastassia^*; Lenhard Stephen C; Yerby Brittany; Forsgren Mikael F; Liachenko Serguei; Johansson Edvin; Pilling Mark A; Peterson Richard A; Yang Xi; Williams Dominic P; Ungersma Sharon E; Morgan Ryan E; Brouwer Kim L R; Jucker Beat M; Hockings Paul D

来源：PLos One, 2018, 13(5): e0197213.

DOI：10.1371/journal.pone.0197213

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a leading cause of acute liver failure and transplantation. DILI can be the result of impaired hepatobiliary transporters, with altered bile formation, flow, and subsequent cholestasis. We used gadoxetate dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI), combined with pharmacokinetic modelling, to measure hepatobiliary transporter function in vivo in rats. The sensitivity and robustness of the method was tested by evaluating the effect of a clinical dose of the antibiotic rifampicin in four different preclinical imaging centers. The mean gadoxetate uptake rate constant for the vehicle groups at all centers was 39.3 +/- 3.4 s(-1) (n = 23) and 11.7 +/- 1.3 s(-1) (n = 20) for the rifampicin groups. The mean gadoxetate efflux rate constant for the vehicle groups was 1.53 +/- 0.08 s(-1) (n = 23) and for the rifampicin treated groups was 0.94 +/- 0.08 s(-1) (n = 20). Both the uptake and excretion transporters of gadoxetate were statistically significantly inhibited by the clinical dose of rifampicin at all centers and the size of this treatment group effect was consistent across the centers. Gadoxetate is a clinically approved MRI contrast agent, so this method is readily transferable to the clinic. Conclusion: Rate constants of gadoxetate uptake and excretion are sensitive and robust biomarkers to detect early changes in hepatobiliary transporter function in vivo in rats prior to established biomarkers of liver toxicity.

• 出版日期2018-5-17