Phototoxicity and luminescence of the upconversion nanoparticles embedded in the cells

The present work demonstrates the visualization of the intracellular distribution of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) by microscopy with excitation in the NIR spectral range and detection of upconversion luminescence in the VIS range. The cell viability is scored for cytotoxic effects of UCNPs at dark and light exposed conditions. Non-functionalized UCNPs incubated with the cells are found to be endocytosed by cells. The obtained results confirm a high sensitivity of the luminescent UCNPs to the concentration variations within cells. UCNPs are promising alternatives to traditional fluorescent labels for cell imaging and possess prominent potentials in biological and clinical applications

Fast method for computer simulation of luminescence characteristics of multilayer biological tissues with embedded luminescent nanoparticles

We report a fast and computationally stable method for computer simulation of optical properties of layered scattering systems containing luminescent layers. The method is based on the solution of one-dimensional scalar radiative transfer equations and makes it possible to calculate spectral and angular characteristics of luminescent radiation emerging from the system under various conditions of luminescence excitation. The method is used to estimate the parameters necessary for determining temperature in subcutaneous layers from luminescence spectra of up-conversion nanoparticles embedded in these layers during transcutaneous optical probing

Effect of light scattering on biological tissue thermometry from photoluminescence spectra of up-conversion nanoparticles

Photoluminescence spectra of the up-conversion nanoparticles NaYF4 : Y³⁺, Er³⁺ arranged under a layer of an adipose tissue have been recorded in a wide temperature range. It is shown that if nanoparticle temperature is determined from the photoluminescence spectra, an error arises related to spectrum distortion due to light scattering in a sample. A correction algorithm for reducing this error is develope

Comparison of temperature sensing of the luminescent upconversion and ZnCdS nanoparticles

The luminescence spectra of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and ZnCdS nanoparticles (ZnCdSNPs) were measured and analyzed in a wide temperature range: from room to human body and further to a hyperthermic temperature resulting in tissue morphology change. The results show that the luminescence signal of UCNPs and ZnCdSNPs placed within the tissue is reasonably good sensitive to temperature change and accompanied by phase transitions of lipid structures of adipose tissue. The most likely that the multiple phase transitions are associated with the different components of fat cells, such as phospholipids of cell membrane and lipids of fat droplets. In the course of fat cell heating, lipids of fat droplet first transit from a crystalline form to a liquid crystal form and then to a liquid form, which is characterized by much less scattering. The results of phase transitions of lipids were observed as the changes in the slope of the temperature dependence of the intensity of luminescence of the film with nanoparticles embedded into tissue. The obtained results confirm a high sensitivity of the luminescent UCNPs and ZnCdSNPs to the temperature variations within thin tissue samples and show a strong potential for the controllable tissue thermolysis