Gadolinium complexes delivered in magnetic resonance imaging : cytotoxicity study and effects of gadoterate meglumine and gadopentetate dimeglumine on the oxidative metabolism of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils

Magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents (CAg) such as the,gadolinium complexes are more and more used for diagnosis and raise the question of their total safety towards the man. IV injection of these drugs allows their contact with elements of the blood. In this study, preliminary experiments using Trypan blue exclusion and LDH release evaluation have investigated the cytotoxicity of gadoterate meglumine and gadopentetate dimeglumine towards human polymorphonuclear neutrophils. No cytotoxicity has been detected by these two methods. So a second study has been realized, using human neutrophils and their oxidative metabolism, in order to find any effect of these gadolinium complexes on the production in succession of oxygen species like anion superoxide O-2(-), hydrogen peroxide H2O2, and hypochlorous acid HClO. These last ones have been measured in a cellular model using stimulated human neutrophils, and in an acellular model, after incubations with CAg. Only a slight activation of H2O2 production by neutrophils has been found at the low concentrations, followed by a dose-dependent inhibition of H2O2 production at very high contrast agents concentrations. Before to conclude in favour of a total safety of these gadolinium complexes it seems necessary to carry out more investigations.