title: Functional L-lysine dendritic macromolecules as liver-imaging probes.
abstract: Liver-imaging probes are prepared through the conjugation of Gd chelates and galactosyl moieties to peptide dendrimers. The dendritic probes possessing highly controlled structures and a single molecular weight have a two-fold increase in T(1) relaxivity to 9.1 x 10(3) (Gd M)(-1) s(-1) compared to Gd-DTPA. No obvious cytotoxicity of this multifunctional dendritic agent is discovered in vitro. The dendrimer bearing galactosyl moieties leads to a much-higher hepatocyte-cell uptake in vitro and provides good signal-intensity enhancement (35%) of mouse liver in vivo especially at 60 min after intravenous injection. In comparison, non-targeting Gd dendrimers provide only an 11% enhancement of imaging contrast at the same time point. Overall, the dendrimers bearing galactosyl moieties may be used as liver-imaging probes.
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, PR China.
authors.forename: Kui
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wenchuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: She
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Zhirong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qiyong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Fabao
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ai
authors.forename: Zhongwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050091:Dendrimers / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D050091:Dendrimers; D008239:Lysine