Achraf Al Faraj1, Amine Bessaad2, Katarzyna Cieslar2, Simone Peyrol3, Ghislaine Lacroix4, Emmanuelle Canet-Soulas2, Yannick Crmillieux2
1Universit Lyon1, CREATIS-LRMN, CNRS 5220, INSERM U630 , Lyon, France; 2Universit Lyon1, CREATIS-LRMN, CNRS 5220, INSERM U630, Lyon, France; 3CeCIL Centre Commun d'Imagerie Laennec, Lyon, France; 4Institut National de l'Environnement et des Risques Industriels, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
In this multi-modality study, the biodistribution and biological impacts of intrapulmonary instilled single-walled carbon nanotubes were assessed using free-breathing 3He and proton lung MRI combined to ex-vivo optical and electron microscopy in a 3-months longitudinal study. SWCNT detection with 3He MRI relied on the magnetic susceptibility effects induced by iron impurities in a dose dependant manner. Proton MRI revealed the presence of small detectable inflammatory nodules one month after 0.5 and 1-mg SWCNT instillation, which is confirmed by the presence of multifocal granulomas in histopathological analysis and collagen fiber deposition with an increased number of inflammatory cells in electron microscopy.