Mikhail Papisov

We have previously described a novel monocrystalline iron oxide nanocompound (MION), a stable colloid that enables target specific MR imaging. In this study, the physicochemical properties of MION are reported using a variety of analytical techniques. High resolution electron microscopy indicates that a MION consists of hexagonal shaped electron-dense cores of 4.6 +/- 1.2 nm in diameter. This iron oxide core has an inverse spinel crystal structure which was confirmed by x-ray powder diffraction. Chemical analysis showed that each core has 25 +/- 6 dextran molecules (10 kD) attached, resulting in a unimodal hydrodynamic radius of 20 nm by laser light scattering. Because of the flexibility of the dextran layer, the radius is only 8 nm in nonaqueous reverse micelles. At room temperature, MION exhibit superparamagnetic behavior with an induced magnetization of 68 emu/g Fe at 1.5 T. Mössbauer studies show that the saturation internal magnetic field is 505 KOe, and blocking temperature is at 100 K. The R1 relaxivity of MION is 16.5 (mM.sec)-1 and the R2 relaxivity is 34.8 (mM.sec)-1 in aqueous solution at 37 degrees C and 0.47 T. In vitro phantom studies show that the detectability of MION in liver tissue is less than 50 nmol Fe/g tissue using gradient echo imaging techniques.

The authors developed and evaluated a polymer as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. The agent consists of a monomethoxy ether of poly(ethylene glycol) covalently attached to poly(L-lysine) (PL), with PL serving as the carrier of gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). Immunogenicity and toxicity studies were performed in mice, and biokinetic and metabolic studies were performed in rats. Dose response studies were performed with a three-dimensional time-of-flight sequence in eight rats. No permanent immune response was elicited against Gd-DTPA or the carrier molecule, and accumulation in organs of the reiculoendothelial system was minimal. The blood half-life of the agent was 14 hours. A dose of 20 mumol of gadolinium per kilogram of body weight was sufficient to increase the vessel-muscle ratio by four- to fivefold. Contrast was substantially improved and remained unchanged 2 hours after contrast medium administration, and good visualization of four orders of vasculature was allowed.

The hypothesis is suggested describing the molecular mechanism of protective action of poly(ethylene glycol) on liposomes in vivo on the basis of polymer properties in solvent. The protective layer of polymer on the liposome surface is considered as a “cloud” of possible conformations of macromolecules. If polymer is water-soluble and has flexible main chain, the density of this cloud is high enough to prevent the interaction of opsonins with liposome. At the same time, certain optimal concentration of the protective polymer can be found, when more loose areas in polymeric “clouds” can be used for the immobilization of antibodies on liposomes. As a result, long-circulating targeted liposomes can be obtained.