Temperature-controlled power modulation compensates for heterogeneous nanoparticle distributions: a computational optimization analysis for magnetic hyperthermia

Purpose: To study, with computational models, the utility of power modulation to reduce tissue temperature heterogeneity for variable nanoparticle distributions in magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia.

Methods: Tumour and surrounding tissue were modeled by elliptical two- and three-dimensional computational phantoms having six different nanoparticle distributions. Nanoparticles were modeled as point heat sources having amplitude-dependent loss power. The total number of nanoparticles was fixed, and their spatial distribution and heat output were varied. Heat transfer was computed by solving the Pennes’ bioheat equation using finite element methods (FEM) with temperature-dependent blood perfusion. Local temperature was regulated using a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller. Tissue temperature, thermal dose and tissue damage were calculated. The required minimum thermal dose delivered to the tumor was kept constant, and heating power was adjusted for comparison of both the heating methods.

Results: Modulated power heating produced lower and more homogeneous temperature distributions than did constant power heating for all studied nanoparticle distributions. For a concentrated nanoparticle distribution, located off-center within the tumor, the maximum temperatures inside the tumor were 16% lower for modulated power heating when compared to constant power heating. This resulted in less damage to surrounding normal tissue. Modulated power heating reached target thermal doses up to nine-fold more rapidly when compared to constant power heating.

Conclusions: Controlling the temperature at the tumor-healthy tissue boundary by modulating the heating power of magnetic nanoparticles demonstrably compensates for a variable nanoparticle distribution to deliver effective treatment.     

外加磁场对半乳糖化白蛋白磁性阿霉素纳米粒在大鼠体内分布影响的研究

目的观察半乳糖化白蛋白磁性阿霉素纳米粒(ADR-GHMN)在正常肝脏中的靶向性,并观察ADR-GHMN在全身各脏器的分布特征及外加磁场对其分布的影响.方法大鼠正中开腹,肝动脉插管并固定,肝动脉注射125I-ADR-GHMN(相当于阿霉素0.5 mg/kg),左外叶加磁场,磁场应用30 min,移去磁场后,动物立即处死;对照组:肝动脉注射ADR-GHMN,左外叶不加磁场,30min后,移去磁场后,动物立即处死,立即取靶区肝、非靶区肝、肾、心、肺、小肠、脾及周围血作γ计数.肝组织作病理切片.结果注入的纳米粒75～85%分布于肝脏,其它脏器极少.病理切片显示磁区小动脉见大量纳米粒存在,对照组及非磁区肝中纳米粒很少见.结论ADR-GHMN在正常肝组织中有明显的磁靶向性;在磁场作用下,ADR-GHMN主要分布于肝脏,其它脏器含量很少;试验组肾、心、肺、小肠、脾及外周血于对照组的放射活性比较明显降低,表明磁性物质的存在使这些脏器的相对药物暴露明显减少.     

神经化组织工程骨构建的初步观察

目的评估两种组织工程骨体内神经化重建方法的成骨效果,研究神经化与成骨的相互关系。方法26只新西兰大白兔,其中24只随机分成四组:组织工程骨组(A组),感觉神经束植入组(B组),运动神经束植入组(C组),血管束植入组(D组);另2只为空白对照组。每只动物均制备左侧股骨长1.5cm的段缺性骨与骨膜缺损,钢板固定后骨缺损处分别植入用四种方法制备的组织工程骨。植入的神经分别是隐神经和股神经肌支。术后4、8、12周摄股骨正位X线片,用放射影像学评分和X线阻射影分析比较骨缺损修复情况。结果在组织工程骨中植入感觉神经束后,比单纯组织工程骨和运动神经束植入的修复效果均有明显提高,而在组织工程骨中植入运动神经束与单纯组织工程骨修复骨缺损的效果相比较无明显差异,感觉神经束植入与血管束植入的成骨效果比较无明显差异,血管束植入组的成骨效果优于其它两组。结论利用感觉神经束植入的方法可以提高组织工程骨的成骨作用,而植入运动神经束却无此作用。     

生物衍生骨复合骨髓基质干细胞修复山羊胫骨缺损的血管化研究

目的研究生物衍生骨与骨髓基质干细胞(marrow stromal stem cells, MSCs)复合修复山羊胫骨缺损的血管化过程,了解其修复长段管状负重骨缺损的血管化情况. 方法制备生物衍生骨作为支架材料,培养、诱导MSCs作为种子细胞,二者在体外复合构建组织工程骨.20只山羊双侧胫骨中段制备成20 mm长的骨-骨膜缺损模型,采取自身左右侧对照,实验侧(右侧)缺损处植入组织工程骨,对照侧(左侧)植入单纯支架材料,采用钢板内固定.术后2、4、6及8周用墨汁灌注透明标本及血管面积图像分析方法观察血管化过程,组织学观察血管形成及成骨情况. 结果术后2、4周,实验侧血管形成较对照侧少(P<0.05);术后8周,两侧均完全血管化,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05).实验侧于术后6、8周新骨形成逐渐增加,材料降解吸收较对照组快;对照侧术后8周材料孔隙内仍无明显新骨形成. 结论生物衍生骨作为骨组织工程的支架材料,能够较快发生血管化;组织工程骨成骨能力较单纯支架材料强.     

Anti-microbial active composite nanoparticles with magnetic core and photocatalytic shell: TiO2-NiFe2O4 biomaterial system

Reverse micelle and chemical hydrolysis techniques have been successfully combined to synthesize composite nanoparticles consisting of a photocatalytic shell of titania and a magnetic core of nickel ferrite. The nature of titania shell, i.e. anatase or brookite, depends on the TiO₂ and NiFe₂O₄ molar ratio. The work presented here describes the photocatalytic and anti-microbial activity of the composite nanoparticles together with the magnetic characteristics of the nickel ferrite core. The TiO₂-coated NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles retain the magnetic characteristics of uncoated nanocrystalline nickel ferrites (superparamagnetism; absence of hysteresis, remanence and coercivity at 300 K) encouraging their application as removable anti-microbial photocatalyst nanoparticles that can be extracted from the sprayed surface (human body or environment) after exposure.     

壳聚糖纳米颗粒包裹对鼠白细胞介素2基因表达和调节小鼠免疫效应的影响

本实验制备壳聚糖纳米颗粒 (CNP) ,包裹小鼠白细胞介素 2基因 (mIL 2 )真核表达质粒 (VRMIL 2 ) ,肌注接种 2 1d昆明小鼠 ,观察mIL 2基因体内表达及其对免疫应答和免疫保护的影响。实验结果发现 :CNP包裹VRMIL 2注射小鼠血液中IgG、IgM和IgA不同程度地增多 ,均显著高于CNP包裹空白质粒组 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;其血清中IL 2、IL 4和IL 6的含量明显升高 ,与对照组差异显著 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;外周血液的白细胞和淋巴细胞数量也较对照组显著增加。免疫后 35d以大肠杆菌口服攻毒实验小鼠 ,检测发现 :CNP包裹VRMIL 2组小鼠的上述免疫指标除中性粒细胞外均显著多于对照小鼠 ,VRMIL 2接种小鼠均健康存活 ,而对照小鼠均发病 ;尽管CNP包裹VRMIL 2接种小鼠的体液和细胞免疫指标与未包裹VRMIL 2免疫鼠差异不显著 (P >0 .0 5 ) ,但剂量仅为后者的 1/ 5。这些结果表明 :壳聚糖纳米颗粒包裹VRMIL 2可显著提高外源IL 2基因体内表达水平 ,明显增强体液和细胞免疫水平的效应 ,增强对大肠杆菌的抗病力 ,提示壳聚糖纳米颗粒包裹IL 2基因可明显增强动物的体液和细胞免疫 ,可作为有效的抗感染免疫调节剂。     

磁性阿霉素纳米微球的制备及在高频磁场中的发热研究

制备一种在高频磁场中能感应发热的用于治疗肿瘤的阿霉素纳米微球，研究其在磁场中的热效应。用超声搅拌冷冻干燥的方法制备药物微球，平均粒径200nm左右。电镜观察其形态为球囊状。将其置于不同介质中于高频磁场中测其温度变化值，实验表明该微球在交变磁场中使介质升温。升温速度与平稳时的温度和微球的量及磁场强度成正比，介质流动性好，升温快。     

一种新型的脱细胞组织工程血管支架的构建和评价

本研究的目的是制备一种免疫原性较小、生物相容性较好、力学性能优良的组织工程血管支架。新鲜获得的犬主动脉,置于三蒸水中4℃过夜，使血管细胞由于渗透压差较大而破裂；随后经过多聚环氧化合物家族的乙二醇缩水甘油醚（EX-810）的作用。进一步促进细胞破裂的同时。对血管支架的纤维结构起交联作用；最后应用物理超声的方法清除支架内的细胞碎片残留。用这种方法处理的犬主动脉内几乎没有可见的核染，基本消除了血管支架的免疫原性。同新鲜的血管相比较。这种组织工程血管支架的各种力学指标与新鲜的犬主动脉没有显著差异。说明处理后的支架仍然保持新鲜血管的力学特征。同时它还表现出极低的细胞毒性。分别在支架上种植内皮细胞和平滑肌细胞，扫描电镜检测结果表明，两种细胞在支架上生长良好，且局部已经融合成片。 相容性     

Oral Administration of Ginger-Derived Lipid Nanoparticles and Dmt1 siRNA Potentiates the Effect of Dietary Iron Restriction and Mitigates Pre-Existing Iron Overload in Hamp KO Mice

Intestinal iron transport requires an iron importer (Dmt1) and an iron exporter (Fpn1). The hormone hepcidin regulates iron absorption by modulating Fpn1 protein levels on the basolateral surface of duodenal enterocytes. In the genetic, iron-loading disorder hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), hepcidin production is low and Fpn1 protein expression is elevated. High Fpn1-mediated iron export depletes intracellular iron, causing a paradoxical increase in Dmt1-mediated iron import. Increased activity of both transporters causes excessive iron absorption, thus initiating body iron loading. Logically then, silencing of intestinal Dmt1 or Fpn1 could be an effective therapeutic intervention in HH. It was previously established that Dmt1 knock down prevented iron-loading in weanling Hamp (encoding hepcidin) KO mice (modeling type 2B HH). Here, we tested the hypothesis that Dmt1 silencing combined with dietary iron restriction (which may be recommended for HH patients) will mitigate iron loading once already established. Accordingly, adult Hamp KO mice were switched to a low-iron (LFe) diet and (non-toxic) folic acid-coupled, ginger nanoparticle-derived lipid vectors (FA-GDLVs) were used to deliver negative-control (NC) or Dmt1 siRNA by oral, intragastric gavage daily for 21 days. The LFe diet reduced body iron burden, and experimental interventions potentiated iron losses. For example, Dmt1 siRNA treatment suppressed duodenal Dmt1 mRNA expression (by ~50%) and reduced serum and liver non-heme iron levels (by ~60% and >85%, respectively). Interestingly, some iron-related parameters were repressed similarly by FA-GDLVs carrying either siRNA, including ⁵⁹Fe (as FeCl₃) absorption (~20% lower), pancreatic non-heme iron (reduced by ~65%), and serum ferritin (decreased 40–50%). Ginger may thus contain bioactive lipids that also influence iron homeostasis. In conclusion, the combinatorial approach of FA-GDLV and Dmt1 siRNA treatment, with dietary iron restriction, mitigated pre-existing iron overload in a murine model of HH.     

The protective effect of Kombucha against silver nanoparticles-induced toxicity on testicular tissue in NMRI mice

Silver nanoparticles (SNPs) can pass from the cell membrane and testicular blood barrier due to their small size, and by increasing oxidative stress they cause disorder in the male reproductive system. Kombucha is a traditional fermented drink with detoxification and potent antioxidant properties. We aimed to examine the protective effect of Kombucha against the damages due to SNPs on the testis tissue. In this experimental study, NMRI mice were randomly separated into four groups (n = 6), namely control (distilled water), SNPs (500 mg/kg), Kombucha extract (9 ml/kg) and SNPs + Kombucha, and were treated with gavage for 35 days. A significant decrease in testosterone level and total antioxidant capacity, and a significant increase in malondialdehyde concentration was observed in the SNPs group in comparison with the control group. Histological studies on the testis of mice treated with SNPs showed vacuolation, decrease in generational epithelium thickness, seminiferous tubules diameter, testis volume and the number of spermatozoa in lumen of the seminiferous tubule and increase in the volume of interstitial space while the mentioned parameters were improved in the SNPs + Kombucha group compared to the SNPs group. Kombucha reduces the adverse effects of SNPs on testis tissue and improves the function of the male reproductive system.