Biodistribution and computed tomography blood-pool imaging properties of polyethylene glycol-coated iopromide-carrying liposomes.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Surface-modified contrast-carrying liposomes potentially are useful as computed tomography (CT) blood-pool agents. The biodistribution and CT-imaging behavior of conventional as well as polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated iopromide-carrying liposomes were tested. Two different types of PEG-ylated lipids were used to demonstrate possible differences. METHODS: Iopromide-containing liposomes were prepared by a continuous high-pressure extrusion method and subsequently PEG-ylated by simple mixing with either DSPE-PEG2000 or CHHS-PEG2000. The resulting liposomes were investigated in rats (biodistribution) and rabbits (imaging). RESULTS: Surface modification with CHHS-PEG consistently resulted in less effective stabilization of liposomes in the blood than with DSPE-PEG. In the biodistribution study, no significant differences in blood concentration could be found 1 hour after injection between the different formulations at a dose of 250 mg total iodine/kg body weight (approximately 500 mg lipid/kg). At this dose, the unmodified as well as the DSPE-PEG liposomes displayed prolonged blood circulation with CT density differences above 70 Hounsfield units (aorta) for up to 20 minutes (n = 1). CONCLUSIONS: DSPE-PEG-coated and unmodified liposomes proved to be useful for CT blood-pool imaging displaying favorable imaging properties. Future studies will have to demonstrate whether PEG-ylation offers diagnostic or toxicologic advantages over conventional vesicles in this indication.