Selective X‐ray contrast enhancement of the spleen of living mice mediated by gold nanorods

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. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Gold nanomaterials (AuNPs) represent a promising new class of contrast agents for X‐ray computed tomographic (CT) imaging in both research and clinical settings. Here we demonstrate the utilization of gold nanorods (GNR) as X‐ray CT contrast‐enhancing agent for selective imaging of the spleen. Upon administration of GNR, rapid uptake in spleen was noted 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.
Source: Contrast Media and Molecular Imaging - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Full Paper Source Type: research