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BACKGROUND: In recent years, molecular imaging combined with medical imaging technology and targeted molecular probes have gradually become a research focus. The targeted tissues at the molecular level can be observed using molecular imaging, medical imaging technology, and targeted molecular probes in combination to realize non-invasive imaging of the occurrence and development of the diseases. OBJECTIVE: To develop the magnetic targeted nanoparticle probes, observe the ultrasound/CT/MRI imaging properties in vitro, and investigate their targeting ability to rat hepatic stellate cells in vitro. METHODS: Taking poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) polymer as the shell, cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (eRGO) octapeptide as the ligand, targeted magnetic nanoparticles with superparamagnetic Fe3O4 embedded in the shell and perfluorooctyl bromide(PFOB) loaded in the core were prepared by double emulsion evaporation method. The physical and chemical properties of the nanoparticles were detected. The ultrasound/CT/MRI multi-modal imaging properties of the nanoparticles at different concentrations diluted with double-distilled water were tested in vitro. Cyclic RGD peptide immobilization on PLGA-Fe3O4-PFOB NPs was completed through the amide condensation reaction. The conjugation efficiency of the eRGO on PLGA-Fe3O4-PFOB NPs and targeting ability of targeted magnetic nanoparticles in vitro were verified. Cytotoxicity experiments were used to measure the toxic effects of nanoparticles at different concentrations on BRL-3A cells in each group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The targeted magnetic nanoparticles with the average size of (221.5±60.3) nm were uniform in dispersion and size. The prepared individual nanoparticle was spherical with the superparamagnetic Fe3O4 scattered on the shell. The encapsulation rate of Fe3O4 was 38%. In vitro ultrasound imaging and CT imaging signal decreased gradually as the concentrations of the nanoparticle suspension decreased. The T2-weighted signal of MRI decreased gradually with the increase of the concentrations of magnetic particle Fe3O4. Flow cytometry results showed that 94.13% of the eRGD was bound to the nanoparticles. In vitro cell targeting experiments showed that compared to PLGA-Fe3O4-PFOB NPs, cRGD-PLGA-Fe3O4-PFOB NPs exhibited greater cell targeting and affinity efficiency to hepatic stellate cells. Cytotoxicity experiments results showed the nanoparticles had no significant influence on cell viability of the BRL-3A cells. These results suggest that targeted magnetic nanoprobe cannot only be used as a multi-modal imaging contrast agent for ultrasound/CT/MRI, but also exhibits a strong specific affinity to rat hepatic stellate cells in vitro. It has great potential for the early diagnosis of liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Curcumae Radix decoction pieces have multiple sources, it is difficult to distinguish depending on traditional cha-racters, and the mixed use of multi-source Curcumae Radix will affect its clinical efficacy. Heracles Neo ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose was used in this study to quickly identify and analyze the odor components of 40 batches of Curcumae Radix samples from Sichuan, Zhejiang, and Guangxi. Based on the odor fingerprints established for Curcumae Radix decoction pieces of multiple sources, the odor components was identified and analyzed, and the chromatographic peaks were processed and analyzed to establish a rapid identification method. Principal component analysis(PCA), discriminant factor analysis(DFA), and soft independent modeling cluster analysis(SIMCA) were constructed for verification. At the same time, one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA) combined with variable importance in projection(VIP) was employed to screen out the odor components with P<0.05 and VIP>1, and 13 odor components such as β-caryophyllene and limonene were hypothesized as the odor differential markers of Curcumae Radix decoction pieces of diffe-rent sources. The results showed that Heracles Neo ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose can well analyze the odor characteristics and rapidly and accurately discriminate Curcumae Radix decoction pieces of different sources. It can be applied to the quality control(e.g., online detection) in the production of Curcumae Radix decoction pieces. This study provides a new method and idea for the rapid identification and quality control of Curcumae Radix decoction pieces.