Stylized image of a lung intertwined with an MRI scanner, symbolizing the effects of contrast agents on respiratory function during medical imaging.

Gadoxetate Disodium Alert: Understanding Breathing Changes in Medical Imaging

Elliot Brynn in Health & Wellness August 2025 • 4 min read.

"A Deep Dive into How Contrast Agents Affect Respiratory Function During Liver MRI Scans"

Gadoxetate disodium is a contrast agent frequently utilized in liver-specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a vital tool for diagnosing focal liver lesions. Its primary advantage lies in enabling both dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging and hepatobiliary phase imaging within a clinically feasible timeframe, offering additional insights compared to conventional extracellular gadolinium agents.

However, the use of gadoxetate disodium has been associated with a phenomenon known as "severe respiratory motion artifact," often observed as suboptimal image quality during arterial phase imaging. This artifact was initially attributed to acute self-limiting dyspnea, suggesting that the respiratory effects of gadoxetate disodium could negatively impact the quality of arterial images. Subsequent research has focused on understanding the relationship between this artifact and the administration of gadoxetate disodium.

To directly investigate the respiratory effects of gadoxetate disodium, a study was conducted on mice to monitor their vital signs following the administration of contrast agents. This research aimed to provide a clearer understanding of how gadoxetate disodium affects respiratory function, independent of other potential factors influencing human subjects.

What the Mouse Study Revealed About Gadoxetate Disodium and Breathing

Stylized image of a lung intertwined with an MRI scanner, symbolizing the effects of contrast agents on respiratory function during medical imaging.

The study involved injecting mice with gadoxetate disodium and monitoring their respiratory rate (RR), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), and heart rate. The findings indicated that gadoxetate disodium caused a rapid increase in respiratory rate (tachypnea) without significantly affecting oxygen saturation or heart rate. This effect was consistent regardless of the dilution method used.

Specifically, the study compared the effects of gadoxetate disodium with those of other contrast agents, gadoteridol and gadopentetate dimeglumine. The results highlighted that gadoxetate disodium induced a more pronounced and rapid increase in respiratory rate compared to the other agents tested. These findings suggest a unique respiratory effect associated with gadoxetate disodium.

Tachypnea Induction: Gadoxetate disodium consistently caused a rapid increase in respiratory rate in mice.
Oxygen Saturation: No significant changes in oxygen saturation were observed, indicating that the tachypnea did not compromise oxygen levels.
Heart Rate Stability: Heart rate remained relatively stable, suggesting that the respiratory effects were not linked to cardiac changes.
Comparison with Other Agents: Gadoxetate disodium had a more significant impact on respiratory rate compared to gadoteridol and gadopentetate dimeglumine.

These results offer a direct assessment of the respiratory effects of gadoxetate disodium, minimizing the confounding factors present in human studies. The consistency of the findings across different dilution methods further reinforces the conclusion that gadoxetate disodium has a specific impact on respiratory function.

What This Means for Patients and Future Research

The study's findings provide valuable insights for radiologists and healthcare professionals using gadoxetate disodium in liver MRI. Understanding the potential for tachypnea can aid in optimizing imaging protocols and patient monitoring to minimize respiratory motion artifacts and ensure image quality. While the study focused on mice, the results underscore the importance of considering respiratory effects when administering gadoxetate disodium to human patients.

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Everything You Need To Know

What is gadoxetate disodium, and why is it used in liver MRI?

Gadoxetate disodium is a contrast agent used in liver MRI to help visualize liver lesions. Its significance lies in its ability to provide both dynamic contrast-enhanced and hepatobiliary phase imaging, offering a more comprehensive assessment than standard gadolinium agents. The implications include improved diagnostic accuracy for liver conditions but also the need to understand and manage its potential effects on respiratory function.

What does 'severe respiratory motion artifact' mean in the context of liver MRI with gadoxetate disodium?

Severe respiratory motion artifact refers to image quality issues during the arterial phase of liver MRI when using gadoxetate disodium. This artifact is important because it can compromise the clarity and diagnostic value of the images. The implication is that radiologists need to be aware of this potential issue and adjust imaging protocols or monitor patients closely to minimize its impact on image quality.

What did the mouse study reveal about the effect of gadoxetate disodium on breathing?

The mouse study revealed that gadoxetate disodium causes a rapid increase in respiratory rate, known as tachypnea, in mice. This is significant because it provides direct evidence of the respiratory effects of gadoxetate disodium, independent of other factors that might influence human studies. The implication is that these findings underscore the importance of considering and monitoring respiratory function when using gadoxetate disodium in human patients, even though oxygen saturation and heart rate remained stable in the study.

What is tachypnea, and why is it important to know about it when gadoxetate disodium is used?

Tachypnea is a rapid increase in respiratory rate. In the context of gadoxetate disodium, tachypnea is important because it can lead to respiratory motion artifacts during liver MRI, affecting image quality. While the mouse study showed tachypnea without significant changes in oxygen saturation or heart rate, the implication is that healthcare professionals need to be aware of this potential effect and monitor patients accordingly to optimize imaging outcomes.

How does gadoxetate disodium compare to other contrast agents like gadoteridol and gadopentetate dimeglumine in terms of respiratory effects?

The study compared gadoxetate disodium with gadoteridol and gadopentetate dimeglumine. The significance is that gadoxetate disodium induced a more pronounced and rapid increase in respiratory rate compared to the other agents tested, suggesting a unique respiratory effect associated with gadoxetate disodium. The implication is that healthcare professionals should be particularly vigilant about potential respiratory effects when using gadoxetate disodium compared to these other contrast agents.