Self-assembly of magnetite nanocrystals with amphiphilic polyethylenimine: structures and applications in magnetic resonance imaging.
Controlled self-assembly of magnetic nanocrystals has important applications in biomedical fields. In this study, hydrophobic superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanocrystals are self-assembled into small clusters (mean diameter <100 nm) in water phase with the help of partially alkylated hyper-branched polycation, polyethylenimine (PEI). The amphiphilic PEI can wrap one or multiple SPIO nanocrystals inside micelle cores depending on different polycation/SPIO mass ratios. These SPIO nanocrystal containing micelles are superparamagnetic at room temperature. At the magnetic field of 1.5 T, single SPIO nanocrystal containing micelles have a T2 relaxivity of 118 Fe mM(-1)s(-1), while multiple SPIO nanocrystals micelles have relatively higher T2 relaxivities up to 323 Fe mM(-1)s(-1). Next, these potential magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probes are tested for labeling rabbit mesenchymal stem cells. The formulation with a low polymer/SPIO ratio (0.2) is biocompatible and effective in labeling. Under a clinical MRI scanner, 3 x 10(6) labeled cells in gelatin phantom present much darker images than controlled ones. The T2 relaxation rate of the labeled cells is approximately 74.2 s(-1), significantly higher than the control cells of approximately 3.4 s(-1). This new amphiphilic polycation/SPIO nanocomposite may provide opportunities in cell labeling and tracking their behaviors in vivo.
National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, PR China.
Zhiyong
Z
Wang
Gang
G
Liu
Jiayu
J
Sun
Bing
B
Wu
Qiyong
Q
Gong
Bin
B
Song
Hua
H
Ai
Zhongwei
Z
Gu
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000737:chemistry; D011817:Rabbits; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*
D003287:Contrast Media; D011094:Polyethyleneimine; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide