Inorganic nanoparticles have been introduced into biological systems as useful probes for in vitro diagnosis and in vivo imaging, due to their relatively small size and exceptional physical and chemical properties. A ...Inorganic nanoparticles have been introduced into biological systems as useful probes for in vitro diagnosis and in vivo imaging, due to their relatively small size and exceptional physical and chemical properties. A new kind of color- tunable Gd-Zn-Cu-In-S/ZnS （GZCIS/ZnS） quantum dots （QDs） with stable crystal structure has been successfully synthesized and utilized for magnetic resonance （MR） and fluorescence dual modality imaging. This strategy allows successful fabrication of GZCIS/ZnS QDs by incorporating Gd into ZCIS/ZnS QDs to achieve great MR enhancement without compromising the fluorescence properties of the initial ZCIS/ZnS QDs. The as-prepared GZCIS/ZnS QDs show high T1 MR contrast as well as ＂color-tunable＂ photoluminescence （PL） in the range of 550-725 nm by adjusting the Zn/Cu feeding ratio with high PL quantum yield （QY）. The GZCIS/ZnS QDs were transferred into water via a bovine serum albumin （BSA） coating strategy. The resulting Cd-free GZCIS/ZnS QDs reveal negligible cytotoxicity on both HeLa and A549 cells. Both fluorescence and MR imaging studies were successfully performed in vitro and in vivo. The results demonstrated that GZCIS/ZnS QDs could be a dual-modal contrast agent to simultaneously produce strong MR contrast enhancement as well as fluorescence emission for in vivo imaging.展开更多
BACKGROUND： The oncogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma（HCC） is not clear. The current methods of the pertinent studies are not precise and sensitive. The present study was to use liver cancer cell line to explore ...BACKGROUND： The oncogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma（HCC） is not clear. The current methods of the pertinent studies are not precise and sensitive. The present study was to use liver cancer cell line to explore the bio-compatibility and cytotoxicity of ternary quantum dots（QDs） probe and to evaluate the possible application of QDs in HCC.METHODS： CuInS_2-ZnS-AFP fluorescence probe was designed and synthesized to label the liver cancer cell HepG 2. The cytotoxicity of CuInS_2-ZnS-AFP probe was evaluated by MTT experiments and flow cytometry. RESULTS： The labeling experiments indicated that CuInS_2-ZnS QDs conjugated with AFP antibody could enter HepG 2 cells effectively and emit intensive yellow fluorescence by ultraviolet excitation without changing cellular morphology. Toxicity tests suggested that the cytotoxicity of CuInS_2-ZnS-AFP probe was significantly lower than that of CdT e-ZnS-AFP probe（t test, F=0.8, T=-69.326, P〈0.001）. For CuInS_2-ZnS-AFP probe, timeeffect relationship was presented in intermediate concentration（〉20%） groups（P〈0.05） and dose-effect relationship was presented in almost all of the groups（P〈0.05）. CONCLUSION： CuInS_2-ZnS-AFP QDs probe had better biocompatibility and lower cytotoxicity compared with CdT e-ZnS-AFP probe, and could be used for imaging the living cells in vitro.展开更多
文摘Inorganic nanoparticles have been introduced into biological systems as useful probes for in vitro diagnosis and in vivo imaging, due to their relatively small size and exceptional physical and chemical properties. A new kind of color- tunable Gd-Zn-Cu-In-S/ZnS （GZCIS/ZnS） quantum dots （QDs） with stable crystal structure has been successfully synthesized and utilized for magnetic resonance （MR） and fluorescence dual modality imaging. This strategy allows successful fabrication of GZCIS/ZnS QDs by incorporating Gd into ZCIS/ZnS QDs to achieve great MR enhancement without compromising the fluorescence properties of the initial ZCIS/ZnS QDs. The as-prepared GZCIS/ZnS QDs show high T1 MR contrast as well as ＂color-tunable＂ photoluminescence （PL） in the range of 550-725 nm by adjusting the Zn/Cu feeding ratio with high PL quantum yield （QY）. The GZCIS/ZnS QDs were transferred into water via a bovine serum albumin （BSA） coating strategy. The resulting Cd-free GZCIS/ZnS QDs reveal negligible cytotoxicity on both HeLa and A549 cells. Both fluorescence and MR imaging studies were successfully performed in vitro and in vivo. The results demonstrated that GZCIS/ZnS QDs could be a dual-modal contrast agent to simultaneously produce strong MR contrast enhancement as well as fluorescence emission for in vivo imaging.
基金supported by grants from the Nation al Natural Science Foundation of China(51272246 and 81172082)
文摘BACKGROUND： The oncogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma（HCC） is not clear. The current methods of the pertinent studies are not precise and sensitive. The present study was to use liver cancer cell line to explore the bio-compatibility and cytotoxicity of ternary quantum dots（QDs） probe and to evaluate the possible application of QDs in HCC.METHODS： CuInS_2-ZnS-AFP fluorescence probe was designed and synthesized to label the liver cancer cell HepG 2. The cytotoxicity of CuInS_2-ZnS-AFP probe was evaluated by MTT experiments and flow cytometry. RESULTS： The labeling experiments indicated that CuInS_2-ZnS QDs conjugated with AFP antibody could enter HepG 2 cells effectively and emit intensive yellow fluorescence by ultraviolet excitation without changing cellular morphology. Toxicity tests suggested that the cytotoxicity of CuInS_2-ZnS-AFP probe was significantly lower than that of CdT e-ZnS-AFP probe（t test, F=0.8, T=-69.326, P〈0.001）. For CuInS_2-ZnS-AFP probe, timeeffect relationship was presented in intermediate concentration（〉20%） groups（P〈0.05） and dose-effect relationship was presented in almost all of the groups（P〈0.05）. CONCLUSION： CuInS_2-ZnS-AFP QDs probe had better biocompatibility and lower cytotoxicity compared with CdT e-ZnS-AFP probe, and could be used for imaging the living cells in vitro.
