Biodistribution of doxorubicin and nanostructured ferrocarbon carrier particles in organism during magnetically controlled drug delivery

Biodistribution of doxorubicin and ferrocarbon carrier particles in organism during and after magnetically controlled anti-tumor drug delivery and deposition was studied. Animal tests show high concentration of the cytostatic drug in the target zone, while its concentration is three orders of magnitude lower in bloodstream and other organs. A significant depot of the drug remains on the deposited particles days after the procedure. Macrophages actively phagocytose the ferrocarbon (FeC) particles and remain viable long enough to carry them to the lymph nodes.     

Facile fabrication of mesoporous ZnO nanospheres for the controlled delivery of captopril

We numerically investigate the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) mode patterns in periodic silver-shell nanopearl arrays and its dimer arrays with the core relative permittivities filled inside the dielectric holes (DHs) by means of finite element method with three-dimensional calculations. Numerical results of resonant wavelengths corresponding to the effects of different period of unit cells, radii of DHs, illumination wavelengths, field propagation, electrical field stream lines, charge distributions, charge densities, half- body charge densities, and the DH core relative permittivities of periodic silver-shell nanopearls are also reported. It can be seen that the periodic silver-shell nanopearl arrays and its dimer arrays with DHs exhibit tunable SPR modes corresponding to the bonding and anti-bonding modes, respectively, that are not observed for the solid silver cases with the same volume. These results are crucial in designing localized SPR sensors and other optical devices based on periodic metal nanoparticle array structures.     

Naproxen drug delivery using periodic mesoporous silica SBA-15

In this paper, we present the release of naproxen from hexagonal periodic mesoporous silica SBA-15, which serves as a drug delivery system. Naproxen, the well-known nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), was loaded into the pores of SBA-15 silica modified with aminopropyl groups. The physicochemical properties of the modified sample (A-SBA-15/napro) were compared with the unmodified SBA-15 mesoporous silica loaded with the drug (SBA-15/napro). The kinetic of the naproxen release into the physiological solution was studied. The released amount of naproxen represented 90.7% from the unmodified SBA-15 in 72 h, while from the sample A-SBA-15/napro the released amount represented about 80.9%. The prepared materials were characterized by nitrogen adsorption/desorption, Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and the thermoanalytical methods (TG/DTA). Thin layer chromatography (TLC) was used for quantitative determination of the released naproxen.     

Optical properties of serum albumin water solutions,containing mesoporous silicon particles

The interaction of molecules of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) was studied in water solutions of them at different pH values. The data of photon correlation spectroscopy and IR spectroscopy of studied solutions indicate the absence of interaction between BSA and SiNPs in the pH range 3–7, which is attested to by the experimentally obtained character of the pH dependence of the translational diffusion coefficient D _t and by the absence of hydrogen bonds between the protein carbonyl groups and the OH groups on the surface of mesoporous silicon nanoparticles. The obtained data may play a leading role in further in vivo application of silicon nanoparticles.     

Biocompatible polymeric implants for controlled drug delivery produced by MAPLE

Implants consisting of drug cores coated with polymeric films were developed for delivering drugs in a controlled manner. The polymeric films were produced using matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) and consist of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), used individually as well as blended with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Indomethacin (INC) was used as model drug. The implants were tested in vitro (i.e. in conditions similar with those encountered inside the body), for predicting their behavior after implantation at the site of action. To this end, they were immersed in physiological media (i.e. phosphate buffered saline PBS pH 7.4 and blood). At various intervals of PBS immersion (and respectively in blood), the polymeric films coating the drug cores were studied in terms of morphology, chemistry, wettability and blood compatibility. PEG:PLGA film exhibited superior properties as compared to PLGA film, the corresponding implant being thus more suitable for internal use in the human body. In addition, the implant containing PEG:PLGA film provided an efficient and sustained release of the drug. The kinetics of the drug release was consistent with a diffusion mediated mechanism (as revealed by fitting the data with Higuchi's model); the drug was gradually released through the pores formed during PBS immersion. In contrast, the implant containing PLGA film showed poor drug delivery rates and mechanical failure. In this case, fitting the data with Hixson-Crowell model indicated a release mechanism dominated by polymer erosion.     

Computer controlled spreading resistance system for measurement of carrier concentration profiles of silicon structures

A new computer controlled equipment for carrier concentration profile determination of silicon structures by a spreading resistance technique is presented. The required data and plots can easily be obtained by means of a new software package, which has been specially developed for this purpose. Measurements have been performed on different structures in order to verify the suitability of both the measuring system and the software package. The reproducibility has been found to be within 5% for the investigated structures.     

Theoretical analysis of a transdermal ferromagnetic implant for retention of magnetic drug carrier particles

The use of a ferromagnetic wire implant placed near an artery to assist the collection of magnetic drug carrier particles (MDCPs) using an external magnet is theoretically studied. Three magnetic drug targeting (MDT) systems are evaluated in terms of their MDCP collection efficiency (CE): a permanent magnet and wire is better than a permanent magnet alone, which is better than a homogeneous magnetic field and wire.     

Preparation and characterization of L-Leucine-modified amphiprotic bifunctional mesoporous SBA-15 molecular sieve as a drug carrier for ribavirin

In this study, an amphiphilic bifunctional mesoporous SBA-15 material (AMPBIF-SBA-15) was synthesized through post-synthesis method as a drug carrier. Ribavirin was selected as the model drug and whose release from both unmodified and functionalized SBA-15 was evaluated in four media solutions with different pH or ionic strength. The release process indicated that AMPBIF-SBA-15 was a pH-sensitive drug carrier, which showed a phased low-release effect to ribavirin in the simulated body fluid (PBS, pH 7.4) solution. The materials were further characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements and elemental analysis. This study provided a novel drug carrier for ribavirin to improve curative effect of ribavirin.     

Controllable fabrication and characterization of biocompatible core-shell particles and hollow capsules as drug carrier

SiO₂@CdSe core-shell particles were fabricated by controllable deposition CdSe nanoparticles on silica colloidal spheres. Step-wise coating process was tracked by the TEM and XRD measurements. In addition, SiO₂@CdSe/polypyrrole(PPy) multi-composite particles were synthesized based on the as-prepared SiO₂@CdSe particles by cationic polymerization. The direct electrochemistry of myoglobin (Mb) could be performed by immobilizing Mb on the surface of SiO₂@CdSe particles. Immobilized with Mb, SiO₂@CdSe/PPy-Mb also displayed good bioelectrochemical activity. It confirmed the good biocompatible property of the materials with protein. CdSe hollow capsules were further obtained as the removal of the cores of SiO₂@CdSe spheres. Hollow and porous character of CdSe sub-meter size capsules made them becoming hopeful candidates as drug carriers. Doxorubicin, a typical an antineoplastic drug, was introduced into the capsules. A good sustained drug release behavior of the loading capsules was discovered via performing a release test in the PBS buffer (pH 7.4) solution at 310 k. Furthermore, SiO₂@CdSe/PPy could be converted to various smart hollow capsules via selectively removal of their relevant components.     

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle-hollow mesoporous silica Spheres:Fabrication and potential application in drug delivery

A facile method is developed for the fabrication of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle-hollow mesoporous silica spheres (IONP-HMSs) and explored their potential application in drug delivery. Through the self-assembling process of IONPs and the formation of mesoporous silica shells, the IONP-HMSs with hollow interior cavity were obtained. The cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) encapsulated IONP-containing spheres served as the template to establish the mesoporous silica shells. Typical anti-cancer drug, doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) was applied for drug loading and release process of IONP-HMSs, which demonstrated the IONP-HMSs have a high drug loading efficiency and allow pH-trigged release of DOX in vitro. Moreover, the IONP-HMSs exhibited excellent biocompatibility and enhanced DOX therapeutic efficacy to HeLa cells. Compared with traditional methods, the reported microemulsion-based method for the synthesis of IONP-HMSs enables the formation of hollow-structured nanocomposite without any complex template-removing process, which could pave the way to improving the therapeutic efficacy in drug delivery system.     

Development of large-area quadrant silicon detector for charged particles

The quadrant silicon detector, a kind of passivated implanted planar silicon detector with quadrant structure on the junction side, gained its wide application in charged particle detection. In this paper, the manufacturing procedure, performance test and results of the quadrant silicon detector developed recently at the China Institute of Atomic Energy are presented. The detector is about 300 μm thick with a 48 mm×48 mm active area. The leakage current under the full depletion bias voltage of -16 V is about 2.5 nA, and the rise time is better than 160 ns. The energy resolution for a 5.157 MeV α-particle is around the level of 1%. Charge sharing effects between the neighboring quads, leading to complicated correlations between two quads, were observed when α particles illuminated on the junction side. It is explained as a result of distortion of the electric field of the inter-quad region. Such an event is only about 0.6% of all events and can be neglected in an actual application.     

Porphyrin-like porous nanomaterials as drug delivery systems for ibuprofen drug

In recent years, nanomaterial-based drug delivery carriers have become some of the most attractive to be studied. The purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction of C60 fullerene, carbon nanotube and graphene having porphyrin-like FeN4 clusters with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (ibuprofen) by means of the density functional theory. Results showed that the graphene with FeN4 clusters could remarkably increase the tendency of graphene for adsorption of ibuprofen drug. Also, our ultraviolet–visible results show that the electronic spectra of the complexes exhibit a blue shift toward lower wavelengths (higher energies). It was found that Ibp/FeN4-graphene had high chemical reactivity, which was important for binding of the drug onto the target site. In order to go further and gain insight into the binding features of considered systems with ibuprofen drug, the Atoms in Molecules analysis was performed. Our results determine the electrostatic features of the Ibp/FeN4-graphene bonding. Consequently, the results demonstrated that the FeN4-graphene could be used as potential carriers for the delivery of ibuprofen drug.     

Study of the response of silicon detectors for alpha particles

Numerous radon measurements are carried out using silicon detectors directly in the environment. This new kind of alpha radiation measurement has been developed because the reduced cost makes it possible to replace the usual plastic track detectors. At our laboratory, an alpha particle detector has been designed from a commercial silicon photodiode. This type of detector can determine the device response perfectly in any kind of environment. Different spectrum analyses have been conducted in the laboratory and field to define the exact origin of counted alpha particles. We studied the response for different radon and thoron concentration levels and observed the energy of the detected alpha particles. We carried out some of these experiments with gas flux, and some without, to show the effects of interactions with surfaces to obtain thermodynamic equilibrium in the detection chamber. Finally, the silicon diodes that we tested measure the alpha particles of the decay products (polonium) from the radon and the thoron, but very weakly from the gases themselves. Thus, it is possible to make mistakes when measuring the radon if the count of alpha particles is performed without spectrum analysis. One reason for this is that the decay progenies of the radon are solid radio-elements with thermodynamic proprieties different from gases.     

Glutathione-responsive core cross-linked micelles for controlled cabazitaxel delivery

Stimulus-responsive polymeric micelles (PMs) have recently received attention due to the controlled delivery of drug or gene for application in cancer diagnosis and treatment. In this work, novel glutathione-responsive PMs were prepared to encapsulate hydrophobic antineoplastic drug, cabazitaxel (CTX), to improve its solubility and toxicity. These CTX-loaded micelles core cross-linked by disulfide bonds (DCL-CTX micelles) were prepared by a novel copolymer, lipoic acid grafted mPEG-PLA. These micelles had regular spherical shape, homogeneous diameter of 18.97?±?0.23 nm, and a narrow size distribution. The DCL-CTX micelles showed high encapsulation efficiency of 98.65?±?1.77%, and the aqueous solubility of CTX was improved by a factor of 1:1200. In vitro release investigation showed that DCL-CTX micelles were stable in the medium without glutathione (GSH), whereas the micelles had burst CTX release in the medium with 10 mM GSH. Cell uptake results implied that DCL-CTX micelles were internalized into MCF-7 cells through clathrin-mediated endocytosis and released cargo more effectively than Jevtana (commercially available CTX) owing to GSH-stimulated degradation. In MTT assay against MCF-7 cells, these micelles inhibited tumor cell proliferation more effectively than Jevtana due to their GSH-responsive CTX release. All results revealed the potency of GSH-responsive DCL-CTX micelles for stable delivery in blood circulation and for intracellular GSH-trigged release of CTX. Therefore, DCL-CTX micelles show potential as safe and effective CTX delivery carriers and as a cancer chemotherapy formulation.     

Colloidal particles of silicon dioxide for the formation of opal-like structures

The conditions of synthesis of silicon dioxide particles with a high degree of monodispersity have been investigated. The particles have been synthesized using both the hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane in the presence of L-arginine and a combination of this technique with the traditional Stöber method. It has been shown that the use of SiO₂ particles synthesized by the heterogeneous hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane in the presence of the amino acid for their further growth according to the Stöber method makes it possible to obtain particles 100 nm and more in size with a narrow size distribution (the deviation of the diameter is less than 3%), a nearly perfect spherical shape, and a smooth surface.     

Formation of SERS-active silver structures on the surface of mesoporous silicon

We have optimized the procedure for preparation of nanostructured silver films on the surface of mesoporous silicon (PSi) to use them as active substrates in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. The greatest enhancement of the SERS signal was observed for samples obtained when the silver was deposited on PSi from an aqueous AgNO₃ solution with concentration 1⋅10^–2 M over a 10–15 minute period. The detection limit for rhodamine 6G on SERS-active substrates prepared by the optimized procedure was 1⋅10^–10 M. The enhancement factor for the SERS signal on these surfaces was estimated as ≈2⋅10⁸. We have shown that SERS-active substrates based on mesoporous silicon are promising for detection and study of complex organic compounds, in particular tetrapyrrole molecules. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 76, No. 2, pp. 298–306, March–April, 2009.     

Engineering and characterization of mesoporous silica-coated magnetic particles for mercury removal from industrial effluents

Mesoporous silica coatings were synthesized on dense liquid silica-coated magnetite particles using cetyl-trimethyl-ammonium chloride (CTAC) as molecular templates, followed by sol-gel process. A specific surface area of the synthesized particles as high as 150 m²/g was obtained. After functionalization with mercapto-propyl-trimethoxy-silane (MPTS) through silanation reaction, the particles exhibited high affinity of mercury in aqueous solutions. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), zeta potential measurement, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) were used to characterize the synthesis processes, surface functionalization, and mercury adsorption on the synthesized magnetite particles. The loading capacity of the particles for mercury was determined to be as high as 14 mg/g at pH 2. A unique feature of strong magnetism of the synthesized nanocomposite particles makes the subsequent separation of the magnetic sorbents from complex multiphase suspensions convenient and effective.     

Influence of heat treatment of silicon on minority carrier lifetime

The influence of annealing on the lifetime of minority carriers has been investigated in a temperature range from 600 °C to 1200 °C. The annealing introduces the recombiation and trapping centres into Si. The process of recombination can be explained on a two-level model where one level acts as a recombination one and the other acts either as a recombination or as a trapping level, depending on the Fermi level position. The ways of preventing the diffusion of impurities from the surface into Si material were sought because this diffusion is the main cause of variations of due to annealing.