title: Ultrasound-triggered phase transition sensitive magnetic fluorescent nanodroplets as a multimodal imaging contrast agent in rat and mouse model.
abstract: Ultrasound-triggered phase transition sensitive nanodroplets with multimodal imaging functionality were prepared via premix Shirasu porous glass (SPG) membrane emulsification method. The nanodroplets with fluorescence dye DiR and SPIO nanoparticles (DiR-SPIO-NDs) had a polymer shell and a liquid perfluoropentane (PFP) core. The as-formed DiR-SPIO-NDs have a uniform size of 385 ± 5.0 nm with PDI of 0.169 ± 0.011. The TEM and microscopy imaging showed that the DiR-SPIO-NDs existed as core-shell spheres, and DiR and SPIO nanoparticles dispersed in the shell or core. The MTT and hemolysis studies demonstrated that the nanodroplets were biocompatible and safe. Moreover, the proposed nanodroplets exhibited significant ultrasound-triggered phase transition property under clinical diagnostic ultrasound irradiation due to the vaporization of PFP inside. Meanwhile, the high stability and R2 relaxivity of the DiR-SPIO-NDs suggested its applicability in MRI. The in vivo T2-weighted images of MRI and fluorescence images both showed that the image contrast in liver and spleen of rats and mice model were enhanced after the intravenous injection of DiR-SPIO-NDs. Furthermore, the ultrasound imaging (US) in mice tumor as well as MRI and fluorescence imaging in liver of rats and mice showed that the DiR-SPIO-NDs had long-lasting contrast ability in vivo. These in vitro and in vivo findings suggested that DiR-SPIO-NDs could potentially be a great MRI/US/fluorescence multimodal imaging contrast agent in the diagnosis of liver tissue diseases.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China ; National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China ; College of Pharmacy, Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Yunchao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China ; National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Binhua
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China ; National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Xuhan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China ; National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Haibo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China ; National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Xiangliang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000737:chemistry*; D006461:Hemolysis; D051379:Mice; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D044367:Phase Transition; D051381:Rats; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D014463:Ultrasonography; D010420:Pentanes
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; C008806:perfluoropentane; D010420:Pentanes; C022616:thiazolyl blue