Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) in breast and prostate cancers: exploring the potential role of calcium receptors

ABSTRACT Procedures To assess the relationship between Manganese Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MEMRI) and the expression of calcium receptors in human prostate and breast cancer animal models. Methods NOD/SCID mice were inoculated with MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and prostate PC3 cancer cells to develop orthotopic or pseudometastatic cancer animal models. Mice were studied on a clinical 3T scanner by using a prototype birdcage coil before and after intravenous injection of MnCl 2 . Assessment of receptor’s status was carried out after the MR images acquisition by immunohistochemistry on excised tumours. Results Manganese contrast enhancement in breast or prostate cancer animal models well correlated with CaSR expression (p<0.01), whereas TRPV6 expression levels appeared not relevant to the Mn uptake. Conclusion MEMRI appears an efficient tool to characterize human breast and prostate cancer animal models in the presence of different expression level of CaSR.