The inflammation markers in serum of tumor-bearing rats after plasmonic photothermal therapy

We report on plasmonic photothermal therapy of rats with inoculated cholangiocarcinoma through the intratumoral injection of PEG-coated gold nanorods followed by CW laser light irradiation. The length and diameter of gold nanorods were 41±8 nm and 10±2 nm, respectively; the particle mass-volume concentration was 400 μg/mL, which corresponds to the optical density of 20 at the wavelength 808 nm. The tumor-bearing rats were randomly divided into three groups: (1) without any treatment (control); (2) with only laser irradiation of tumor; (3) with intratumoral administration of gold nanorods and laser irradiation of tumors. An hour before laser irradiation, the animals were injected intratumorally with gold nanorod solutions in the amount of 30% of the tumor volume. The infrared 808-nm laser with power density of 2.3 W/cm2 was used for plasmonic photothermal therapy (PTT). The withdraw of animals from the experiment was performed 24 h after laser exposure. The content of lipid peroxidation products and molecular markers of inflammation (TNF-α, IGF-1, VEGF-C) was determined by ELISA test in serum of rats. The standard histological techniques with hematoxylin and eosin staining were used for morphological examination of tumor tissues. It was revealed that the significant necrotic changes were noted in tumor tissue after plasmonic photothermal therapy, which were accompanied by formation of inflammatory reaction with release of proinflammatory cytokines and lipid peroxidation products into the bloodstream

Photothermal and photodynamic therapy of tumors with plasmonic nanoparticles: challenges and prospects

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the world. For a number of neo-plasms, the efficiency of conventional chemo-and radiation therapies is insufficient because of drug resistance and marked toxicity. Plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPT) using local hyperthermia induced by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has recently been extensively explored in tumor treatment. However, despite attractive promises, the current PPT status is limited by laboratory experiments, academic papers, and only a few preclinical studies. Unfortunately, most nanoformulations still share a similar fate: great laboratory promises and fair preclinical trials. This review discusses the current challenges and prospects of plasmonic nanomedicine based on PPT and photodynamic therapy (PDT). We start with consideration of the fundamental principles underlying plasmonic properties of AuNPs to tune their plasmon resonance for the desired NIR-I, NIR-2, and SWIR optical windows. The basic principles for simulation of optical cross-sections and plasmonic heating under CW and pulsed irradiation are discussed. Then, we consider the state-of-the-art methods for wet chemical synthesis of the most popular PPPT AuNPs such as silica/gold nanoshells, Au nanostars, nanorods, and nanocages. The photothermal efficiencies of these nanoparticles are compared, and their applications to current nanomedicine are shortly discussed. In a separate section, we discuss the fabrication of gold and other nanoparticles by the pulsed laser ablation in liquid method. The second part of the review is devoted to our recent experimental results on laser-activated interaction of AuNPs with tumor and healthy tissues and current achievements of other research groups in this application area. The unresolved issues of PPT are the significant accumulation of AuNPs in the organs of the mononuclear phagocyte system, causing potential toxic effects of nanoparticles, and the possibility of tumor recurrence due to the presence of survived tumor cells. The prospective ways of solving these problems are discussed, including developing combined antitumor therapy based on combined PPT and PDT. In the conclusion section, we summarize the most urgent needs of current PPT-based nanomedicine

The assessment of effectiveness of plasmonic resonance photothermal therapy in tumor-bearing rats after multiple intravenous administration of gold nanorods

To assess the effectiveness of plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPT) multiple intravenous strategy of gold nanorods (GNRs) administration was used before laser exposure. The model of alveolar liver cancer PC-1 was used in male outbred albino rats, which were intravenously administrated by single and multiple injections of GNRs and then were treated by PPT. The gold dosage was 400 μg (single injection group), 800 μg (double injection group), 1200 μg (triple injection group), and absorption maximum of gold nanorods suspension was at the wavelength of 808 nm. 24 hours after last injection the tumors were irradiated by the 808-nm diode laser during 15 min at power density 2.3 W/cm2. Temperature control of the tumor heating was provided by IR imager. 24 hours after the PPT the half of animals from each group was withdrawn from the experiments and the sampling tumor tissue for morphological study was performed. In survived animals the growth of tumors was evaluated during 21 days after the PPT. The antitumor effects of PPT after triple intravenous injection were comparable with those obtained at direct intratumoral administration of similar total dose of GNRs. The effectiveness of PPT depended on gold accumulation in tumor, probably, due to sufficient vascularizTation of tumor tissue

The morphological changes in transplanted tumors of rats at plasmonic photothermal therapy

The aim of work was to study the morphological changes in transplanted liver tumors of rats after plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT). The gold nanorods functionalized with thiolated polyethylene glycol were injected intravenously to rats with transplanted liver cancer PC-1. A day after injection the tumors were irradiated by the infrared 808-nm diode laser. The withdrawal of the animals from the experiment and sampling of tumor tissue for morphological study were performed 24 hours after the laser exposure. The standard histological and immunohistochemical staining with antibodies to proliferation marker Ki-67 and apoptosis marker BAX were used for morphological study of transplanted tumors. The plasmonic photothermal therapy had pronounced damaging effect in rats with transplanted liver tumors expressed in degenerative and necrotic changes in the tumor cells. The decrease of proliferation marker Ki-67 and increase of expression of apoptosis marker BAX were observed in tumor cells after PPTT

The effects of prolonged oral administration of gold nanoparticles on the morphology of hematopoietic and lymphoid organs

Currently, the usage of gold nanoparticles as photosensitizers and immunomodulators for plasmonic photothermal therapy has attracted a great attention of researches and end-users. In our work, the influence of prolonged peroral administration of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with different sizes on the morphological changes of hematopoietic and lymphoid organs was investigated. The 24 white outbred male rats weighing 180-220 g were randomly divided into groups and administered orally for 30 days the suspension of gold nanospheres with diameters of 2, 15 and 50 nm at a dosage of 190 μg/kg of animal body weight. To prevent GNPs aggregation in a tissue and enhance biocompatibility, they were functionalized with thiolated polyethylene glycol. The withdrawal of the animals from the experiment and sampling of spleen, lymph nodes and bone marrow tissues for morphological study were performed a day after the last administration. In the spleen the boundary between the red and white pulp was not clearly differ in all experimental groups, lymphoid follicles were significantly increased in size, containing bright germinative centers represented by large blast cells. The stimulation of lymphocyte and myelocytic series of hematopoiesis was recorded at morphological study of the bone marrow. The number of immunoblasts and large lymphocytes was increased in all structural zones of lymph nodes. The more pronounced changes were found in the group with administration of 15 nm nanoparticles. Thus, the morphological changes of cellular components of hematopoietic organs have size-dependent character and indicate the activation of the migration, proliferation and differentiation of immune cells after prolonged oral administration of GNPs

In vivo optical monitoring of transcutaneous delivery of calcium carbonate microcontainers

We have developed a method for delivery of biocompatible CaCO3 microcontainers (4.0 ± 0.8 µm) containing Fe3O4 nanoparticles (14 ± 5 nm) into skin in vivo using fractional laser microablation (FLMA) provided by a pulsed Er:YAG laser system. Six laboratory rats have been used for the microcontainer delivery and weekly monitoring implemented using an optical coherence tomography and a standard histological analysis. The use of FLMA allowed for delivery of the microcontainers to the depth about 300 μm and creation of a depot in dermis. On the seventh day we have observed the dissolving of the microcontainers and the release of nanoparticles into dermis

Immunohistochemical characteristics in diagnostics of prostate diseases

The comparative assessment of molecular markers expression during prostate gland diseases of dishormonal and tumorous nature was carried out and peculiarities of histochemical characteristics have been revealed on the basis of physical examination of 57 patients, which have been treated at the Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Uronephrology of Saratov State Medical University n.a. V.I. Rasumovsky

Functional and morphological changes in the mother-placenta-fetus system during chronic hypoxia (experimental study)

The aim of work was to study the characteristics of uteroplacental blood flow in pregnant rats, tissue oxygenation and the morphological features of the main internal organs (heart, liver, kidneys) of newborns during chronic intrauterine hypoxia. The rats (8 animals) were divided into 2 experimental groups. The first (hypoxia) group was subjected to hypoxia throughout pregnancy (21 days). The second (control) group was not exposed to any effect throughout the pregnancy. On the 20th day of gestation in both groups, a Doppler ultrasound study of uterine-fetal blood flow and measurement of the placenta was performed. Newborn rat pups of the first day of life were subjected to oxygenation degree measurement. After delivery, the number of rats in the litter was counted and their body weight was measured. After the measurements the laboratory animals were withdrawn from the experiments and morphological study of their internal organs was performed. The studies have shown a clear relationship between the characteristics of uterine blood flow and the presence or absence of hypoxia. In chronic hypoxia, there were low rates of arterial blood flow, an increase in the peripheral resistance of uterine vessels. All this indicates the defective formation of the placenta and impaired blood flow with the development of placental insufficiency. It was also found that hypoxia in the antenatal period adversely affects the number and somatometric indicators of newborn rats in the offspring. Histological examination of the tissues of the heart, liver and kidney of newborn rat pups showed signs of impaired blood circulation, dystrophic and necrobiotic changes in the parenchyma

Influence of chronic intrauterine hypoxia on development of testicles of newborns

Аim ― to assess the effect of chronic hypoxia on the development of the reproductive glands of the fetus of rats in experiment. Material and Methods ― In the work, 10 white outbred female rats aged 4 to 10 months with a weight of 200 ± 30 g were used. Laboratory animals were divided into 2 experimental groups, 5 rats in each. The first (experimental) group underwent hypoxia throughout the entire pregnancy (21 days). Modeling of hypoxia was carried out in accordance with the technique of N.N. Karkischenko (2010). The second (control) group was not exposed to any treatment throughout the entire pregnancy. Results ― There was a decrease in body weight in the offspring of the experimental group as compared to the control group.Histological examination of testicular tissue showed a significant decrease in the number of tubules in the field of vision, a decrease in the diameter and area of the tubules, with a simultaneous increase in the stroma area, a decrease in the proliferative potential, and an increase in the apoptosis of gonocytes, Leydig and Sertoli cells in the experimental group. Conclusion ― as a result of the conducted studies it was found that hypoxia in the antenatal period adversely affects the number and somatometric parameters of newborn rats in the offspring. Histological examination of testicular tissue showed a significant decrease in the number of tubules in the field of vision, a decrease in the diameter and area of the tubules, with a simultaneous increase in the stromal area, a decrease in the proliferative potential, and an increase in the apoptosis of gonocytes, Leydig and Sertoli cells in the test group rats. This indicates a delay and impaired tissue development testicles in conditions of hypoxia already in the antenatal period