Use of Indium-111–Labeled Hepatocytes to Determine the Biodistribution of Transplanted Hepatocytes Through Portal Vein Infusion

Purpose Hepatocyte transplantation is useful for ex vivo gene therapy and liver repopulation. Methods for hepatic reconstitution were recently developed, but hepatocyte transplantation systems must be optimized. The authors report their experience with In-111 oxyquinolone labeling of a test dose of hepatocytes (108 cells) for noninvasive assessment of the biodistribution of transplanted hepatocytes in a 5-year-old child with ornithine transcarbamoylase deficiency. Materials and Methods Donor hepatocytes (approximately 108) were radiolabeled using a commercially available In-111 oxyquinolone solution (specific activity of 1 mCi/ml). Results The overall labeling efficiency was 36.4%. A final dose of approximately 290 μCi of the In-111–labeled hepatocytes in 10 ml serum-free phosphate-buffered saline was infused percutaneously into the portal vein approximately 2.5 hours after their preparation. The study was performed 3 hours before cell transplantation (109 cells). Quantitative analysis of the biodistribution of In-111–labeled hepatocytes indicated that cells were predominantly localized in the liver immediately after portal vein–infused transplantation. The predominant hepatic distribution was persistent for as long as 7 days after the procedure, with an average liver-to-spleen ratio of 9.5 to 1. No significant pulmonary radiotracer uptake was present. Conclusion These results indicate that In-111 labeling of hepatocytes is useful for the short-term noninvasive analysis of the biodistribution of transplanted hepatocytes.