Superparamagnetic nanoparticle-inclusion microbubbles for ultrasound contrast agents.
We have developed a new type of ultrasound (US) contrast agent, consisting of a gas core, a layer of superparamagnetic iron oxide Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles (SPIO) and an oil in water outermost layer. The newly developed US contrast agent microbubbles have a mean diameter of 760 nm with a polydisperity index (PI) of 0.699. Our in vitro and in vivo experiments have shown that they have the following advantages compared to gas-encapsulated microbbubbles without SPIO inclusion: (1) they provide better contrast for US images; (2) the SPIO-inclusion microbubbles generate a higher backscattering signal; the mean grey scale is 97.9, which is 38.6 higher than that of microbubbles without SPIO; and (3) since SPIO can also serve as a contrast agent of magnetic resonance images (MRI) in vitro, they can be potentially used as contrast agents for double-modality (MRI and US) clinical studies.
State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Jiangsu Laboratory for Biomaterials and Devices, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, Peoples Republic of China. yangfang2080@yahoo.com.cn
Fang
F
Yang
Ling
L
Li
Yixin
Y
Li
Zhongping
Z
Chen
Junru
J
Wu
Ning
N
Gu
D000162:Acoustics; D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media; D004655:Emulsions; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008280:Magnetics; D045423:Microbubbles; D053758:Nanoparticles; D009584:Nitrogen; D011091:Polyesters; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D011817:Rabbits; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D004655:Emulsions; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D011091:Polyesters; C000499:ferric oxide; C033616:poly(lactide); D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D009584:Nitrogen