title: Nanoparticle transport from mouse vagina to adjacent lymph nodes.
abstract: To test the feasibility of localized intravaginal therapy directed to neighboring lymph nodes, the transport of quantum dots across the vaginal wall was investigated. Quantum dots instilled into the mouse vagina were transported across the vaginal mucosa into draining lymph nodes, but not into distant nodes. Most of the particles were transported to the lumbar nodes; far fewer were transported to the inguinal nodes. A low level of transport was evident at 4 hr after intravaginal instillation, and transport peaked at about 36 hr after instillation. Transport was greatly enhanced by prior vaginal instillation of Nonoxynol-9. Hundreds of micrograms of nanoparticles/kg tissue (ppb) were found in the lumbar lymph nodes at 36 hr post-instillation. Our results imply that targeted transport of microbicides or immunogens from the vagina to local lymph organs is feasible. They also offer an in vivo model for assessing the toxicity of compounds intended for intravaginal use.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biosensor and Imaging Center (MBIC), Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. bbal@andrew.cmu.edu
authors.forename: Byron
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ballou
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Andreko
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Osuna-Highley
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McRaven
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Catalone
authors.forename: Marcel P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Bruchez
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Hope
authors.forename: Mohamed E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Labib
mesh_terms: D000282:Administration, Intravaginal; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D002104:Cadmium; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D007700:Kinetics; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D057054:Molecular Imaging; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage; D045663:Quantum Dots; D014621:Vagina / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D002104:Cadmium