Surface engineering of quantum dots for in vivo imaging.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of gluconic acid (GA) conjugation on the biodistribution of cysteamine-capped quantum dots (amino-QDots) in vivo. Cadmium selenide/zinc sulfide (CdSe/ZnS) was capped with cysteamine through a thiol exchange method, and different amounts of GA were conjugated to the amine groups of cysteamine via the formation of an amide bond. The emission maxima of the synthesized QDots, the amino-QDots and the GA-conjugated amine-QDots (GA-QDots) were located at 720, 600 and 610 nm, respectively. In the cell viability studies, the GA-QDots showed very low toxicity against CHO cells as compared to the cytotoxicity of the amino-QDots. The QDots were next intravenously injected into normal mice and then we performed ex vivo optical imaging. The majority of the amino-QDots were accumulated in the lung. In contrast, the GA-QDots were cleared out of the body through the kidney. Therefore, we expect that the conjugation of GA onto the amino-QDots can create opportunities for using amino-QDots for in vivo imaging.
Lee
Chang-Moon
CM
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 561-712, Republic of Korea.
Jang
Doorye
D
Cheong
Su-Jin
SJ
Kim
Eun-Mi
EM
Jeong
Min-Hee
MH
Kim
Sun-Hee
SH
Kim
Dong Wook
DW
Lim
Seok Tae
ST
Sohn
Myung-Hee
MH
Jeong
Hwan-Jeong
HJ
D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D016923:Cell Death; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D005260:Female; D005942:Gluconates / Q000737:chemistry; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D045663:Quantum Dots; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013440:Sulfides / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000737:chemistry
D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D005942:Gluconates; D018036:Selenium Compounds; D013440:Sulfides; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C058667:cadmium selenide; C031238:zinc sulfide; C030691:gluconic acid