Preparation of temperature-responsive nanomicelles with AIE property as fluorescence probe for detection of Fe3+ and Fe2.

Temperature-responsive nanomicelles with aggregation induced emission (AIE) property were prepared by the host-guest complexation of ferrocene functionalized tetraphenyl (TPE-Fc) and ß-cyclodextrin-poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (ß-CD-(PNIPAM)7). The AIE chromophore TPE-Fc bound to the hydrophobic cavity of cyclodextrin serves as the core of micelles, and temperature sensitive PNIPAM serves as the shell to give the micelles good solubility. The size of the nanomicelles is about 100 nm. At the excitation wavelength of 340 nm, the strongest fluorescent emission peak was 421 nm. The introduction of cyclodextrin star polymer increased the fluorescence intensity of nanomicelles, thus improving the recognition of probe to Fe3+ and Fe2+. The fluorescent probe can quickly detect Fe3+ and Fe2+ in water within 5 min even in the presence of various interfering ions. The detection limits of Fe3+ and Fe2+ were 1.04 µM and 0.78 µM, respectively in the range of 10-90 µM. The formation of complex between the probe and Fe3+/Fe2+ was supported by Job's plot. The probe was successfully applied to the detection of Fe3+and Fe2+ in actual water sample with a good recovery. In addition, a possible sensing mechanism for the interaction of iron ions with amide bond groups of nanomicelles was proposed.

Biodistribution of 89Zr-oxine-labeled human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells by micro-PET/computed tomography imaging in Sprague-Dawley rats.

PURPOSE: To develop a method for labeling human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) with 89Zr-oxine to characterize the biodistribution characteristics of hMSCs in normal Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats in real-time by micro-PET-computed tomography (micro-PET/CT) imaging. METHODS: 89Zr-oxine complex was synthesized from 89Zr-oxalate and 8-hydroxyquinoline (oxine). After hMSCs were labeled with the 89Zr-oxine complex, the radioactivity retention, viability, proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, morphology, and phenotype of labeled cells were assessed. The biodistribution of 89Zr-oxine-labeled hMSCs in SD rats was tracked in real-time by micro-PET/CT imaging. RESULTS: The cell labeling efficiency was 52.6 ± 0.01%, and 89Zr-oxine was stably retained in cells (66.7 ± 0.9% retention on 7 days after labeling). Compared with the unlabeled hMSCs, 89Zr-oxine labeling did not affect the biological characteristics of cells. Following intravenous administration in SD rats, labeled hMSCs mainly accumulated in the liver (7.35 ± 1.41% ID/g 10 days after labeling, n = 6) and spleen (8.48 ± 1.20% ID/g 10 days after labeling, n = 6), whereas intravenously injected 89Zr-oxalate mainly accumulated in the bone (4.47 ± 0.35% ID/g 10 days after labeling, n = 3). CONCLUSION: 89Zr-oxine labeling and micro-PET/CT imaging provide a useful and non-invasive method of assessing the biodistribution of cell therapy products in SD rats. The platform provides a foundation for us to further understand the mechanism of action and migration dynamics of cell therapy products.

[Effect of different nanophase hydroxyapatite particles on osteoblasts metabolism].

PURPOSE: To compare two different structural nanophase hydroxyapatite(HA) particles on the proliferation activity and functions of osteoblasts. METHODS: Primary culture of osteoblasts from rat calvaria was established and then cultured on the coatings of different size of nano particles (groupI 20-40nm,group II 70-100nm), the HA coatings without nano-particles was used as control group. Proliferation activity, protein content and synthesis of alkaline phosphatase(ALP) by osteoblasts were examined by MTT assay, coomassic brilliant blue method and PNPP test, and statistical significance was assessed by multiple comparison (q test, SNK) in one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with SPSS10.0 software package. RESULTS: Osteoblasts grew well on HA coatings. MTT assay demonstrated that there was significant difference between group I and group II at 6th day and 8th day (P<0.05).At first half stage(5th day and 10th day) ALP activity test showed no significant difference between group I and groupII (P>0.05) and as the culture going on(15th day and 20th day), there was significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Coomassic brilliant blue method showed that there was significant difference between group I and group II from 5th day to 20th day (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The diameter of nano-particles on the HA coatings could influence the proliferation activity and functions of the osteoblasts. The nano-particles of similar size with HA crystal in vivo showed better cytocompatibility.