title: Aminolevulinic acid with gold nanoparticles: a novel theranostic agent for atherosclerosis.
abstract: In this study, 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) gold nanoparticles (ALA:AuNPs) functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) were synthesized and administered to rabbits to evaluate their use in clinical practice as theranostic agents for atherosclerosis. This was done by measuring the porphyrin fluorescence extracted from the rabbits' blood and feces. An increase in blood and feces porphyrin emission after ALA:AuNP administration suggests that ALA was incorporated by gold nanoparticles, its structure was preserved, and a rapid conversion into endogenous porphyrins occurred, overloading the synthetic pathway that led to protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) accumulation. This finding indicated that this method can aid in the early diagnosis and therapy of atherosclerosis with high sensitivity.
authors: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Laboratório de Lasers e Óptica Biomédica Aplicada (LOBA) Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas (ICAQF), Departamento de Ciências Exatas e da Terra (DCET), Rua Artur Riedel, 275 Eldorado, 09972-270 - Diadema, SP, Brazil. lccourrol@gmail.com.
authors: Karina
authors: K
authors: de Oliveira Gonçalves
authors: Monica Nascimento
authors: MN
authors: da Silva
authors: Letícia Bonfante
authors: LB
authors: Sicchieri
authors: Flávia Rodrigues
authors: FR
authors: de Oliveira Silva
authors: Ricardo Almeida
authors: RA
authors: de Matos
authors: Lilia Coronato
authors: LC
authors: Courrol
mesh_terms: D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D005453:Fluorescence; D006046:Gold / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000032:analysis; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011524:Protoporphyrins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D006046:Gold; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid; C028025:protoporphyrin IX