title: Selective X-ray contrast enhancement of the spleen of living mice mediated by gold nanorods.
abstract: Gold nanomaterials (AuNPs) represent a promising new class of contrast agents for X-ray computed tomographic (CT) imaging in both research and clinical settings. These materials exhibit superior X-ray absorption properties compared with other iodinated agents, and thus require lower injection doses. Gold is nonimmunogenic and therefore contributes to safety profile in living specimens. Unfortunately, most reports on the use of AuNPs as X-ray CT enhancers only demonstrate marginal enhancement of the intended anatomical structure. In this study, we demonstrate the dramatic properties of gold nanorods (GNR) to serve as robust X-ray CT contrast-enhancing agent for selective imaging of the spleen. These organ-specific uptake properties were delineated by performing longitudinal CT imaging of living mice that were dosed with GNR at 2 day intervals. Rapid uptake in spleen was noted within 12 h of first systemic administration with a change in contrast enhancement of 90 Hounsfield units (ΔHU = 90) and with two subsequent injections a total contrast enhancement of over 200 HU was observed. The resulting images provide excellent contrast that will enable the detailed anatomical visualization and study of a range of pre-clinical models of spleen disease including infection and cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
authors.forename: Connor A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wathen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Engineering, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA.
authors.forename: Chuck
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caldwell
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA.
authors.forename: Nripen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chanda
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA.
authors.forename: Anandhi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Upendran
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA.
authors.forename: Ajit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zambre
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Afrasiabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Notre Dame Integrated Imaging Facility, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Chapaman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Foje
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.|Department of Notre Dame Integrated Imaging Facility, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.|Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
authors.forename: W Matthew
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Leevy
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Engineering, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA.|Department of Radiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA.|Center for Micro/Nano Systems and Nanotechnology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA.
authors.forename: Raghuraman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kannan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000077286:Cetrimonium; D002593:Cetrimonium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry*; D013154:Spleen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002593:Cetrimonium Compounds; D003287:Contrast Media; D006046:Gold; D000077286:Cetrimonium
keywords: X-ray computed tomography; contrast agent; gold nanorod; spleen