Bacon B R, Stark D D, Park C H, Saini S, Groman E V, Hahn P F, Compton C C, Ferrucci J T
J Lab Clin Med. 1987 Aug;110(2):164-71.
Intravenous administration of ferrite particles may be useful as contrast agents for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the liver. We studied several sensitive biochemical parameters of hepatocellular function and toxicity in rats after intravenous ferrite injections to determine whether there was any evidence of iron-induced hepatotoxicity. Light microscopy and iron determinations were performed on the liver, spleen, lung, and kidney. Forty-eight hours after a massive (250 mg iron per kilogram) ferrite injection, liver, spleen, and lung nonheme iron concentrations were markedly increased. Microscopy showed this iron to be entirely in reticuloendothelial cells. Despite the large increase in hepatic iron concentration, we found no evidence of hepatic mitochondrial or microsomal lipid peroxidation or organelle dysfunction, sensitive biochemical indicators of iron-induced hepatocellular injury. At 10 to 11 weeks after administration of ferrite in smaller doses (30 mg iron per kilogram), results of all biochemical and morphologic studies were normal. Furthermore, quantitative iron determinations and microscopic studies suggest that ferrite particles may be partially degraded and that iron is cleared from the liver during a 3-month period. Because ferrite particles are taken up by reticuloendothelial cells, hepatocellular function is not impaired and iron-induced hepatocellular injury does not occur.
静脉注射铁氧体颗粒作为肝脏磁共振成像（MR）的造影剂可能是有用的。我们研究了大鼠静脉注射铁氧体后肝细胞功能和毒性的几个敏感生化参数，以确定是否有铁诱导肝毒性的证据。对肝脏、脾脏、肺和肾脏进行了光学显微镜检查和铁含量测定。在大量（每千克250毫克铁）注射铁氧体48小时后，肝脏、脾脏和肺的非血红素铁浓度显著增加。显微镜检查显示这种铁完全存在于网状内皮细胞中。尽管肝脏铁浓度大幅增加，但我们未发现铁诱导肝细胞损伤的敏感生化指标——肝线粒体或微粒体脂质过氧化或细胞器功能障碍的证据。在较小剂量（每千克30毫克铁）注射铁氧体10至11周后，所有生化和形态学研究结果均正常。此外，定量铁含量测定和显微镜研究表明，铁氧体颗粒可能会部分降解，并且在3个月内铁会从肝脏中清除。由于铁氧体颗粒被网状内皮细胞摄取，肝细胞功能未受损，也未发生铁诱导的肝细胞损伤。
