Manganese-enhanced MRI for detection of metastatic potential in colorectal cancer

Abstract

Objective To study manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and observe its relation to metastatic potential. To investigate the diagnostic performance of manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) for detecting metastatic potential of CRC. Methods High and low metastatic potential CRC cell lines SW620, HCT116, LoVo and SW480, DLD-1, HCT15, Caco-2, as well as normal colon mucosal cell CCD841 CoN were cultured. MnSOD expression level in cells was detected by western blot and the measurement was repeated for three times. HCT15, DLD-1, LoVo and SW620 cells were selected to perform in vitro MEMRI and subcutaneous xenografts were developed for subsequent in vivo MEMRI. MnCl2·4H2O solution was utilized as the contrast agent and T1 shortening was calculated. The differences of MnSOD expression level in cells, average T1 value shortening of cells and xenografts were separately compared by one-way ANOVA. Results The difference of MnSOD expression level in CRC cells were significant (P 0.05). Conclusions MEMRI has the potential to noninvasively distinguish different metastatic potential CRC by revealing greater T1 value shortening in more aggressive one. However the MnSOD expression in CRC cells is not corresponding to malignant potential. Key words: Colorectal neoplasms; Magnetic resonance imaging; Metastatic potential