Contrast enhanced CT and MRI interchangeably reflect tumor characteristics in murine pancreatic cancer

Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) are commonly used for tissue characterization, with CE-CT typically preferred in human studies and DCE-MRI in murine models. This raises the question of comparability of intra-and cross-species study results, as techniques differ and signal intensities following contrast agent (CA) administration reflect a complex interplay of systemic physiology and local tissue characteristics.This study investigates and compares in vivo signal intensities from CE-CT and DCE-MRI and assesses ex vivo CA distribution using laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MSI). A genetically engineered mouse model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) served as the experimental system.Image-derived regional Hounsfield unit ratios (HU) and area under the curve at 60 seconds (AUC₆₀) were correlated with local iodine (iomeprol) and gadolinium (gadopentetic acid) concentrations. Both imaging modalities enabled excellent distinction of histologically defined tumor regions with low versus high tumor cellularity (p < 0.0001 for both). A strong intermodal correlation was observed between regional HU and AUC₆₀ values (r = 0.91, CI = 0.78–0.97), as well as between iodine and gadolinium ion concentrations (r = 0.86, CI = 0.55–0.96)).These findings support the interchangeability of CA-enhanced preclinical CE-CT and DCE-MRI studies in murine pancreatic cancer.