A new agent for contrast-enhanced intravascular ultrasound imaging in vitro: polybutylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles with drug-carrying capacity

Abstract

This study prepared and evaluated polymeric polybutylcyanoacrylate (PBCA) nanoparticles (NPs) that can be used as a new agent for contrast-enhanced intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging with drug delivery capacity. The nanoformulation was successfully developed using suspension polymerisation and characterised in terms of size, size distribution, zeta potential, morphology, stability, toxicity effects, imaging effects and drug release study. The results showed that the nanoparticles were round and hollow, with a particle diameter of 215.8 ± 25.3 nm and a zeta potential of −22.2 ± 4.1 mV. In vitro experiments, the nanoparticles were safe, non-toxic, and stable in nature with the capacity to carry and release drug (ant-miR-126). Moreover, the nanoparticles can match the high-frequency probe of commercially IVUS as a contrast agent to improve the resolution of imaging (the mean echo intensity ratio in the vascular wall increased significantly from 10.89 ± 1.10 at baseline, to 24.51 ± 1.91 during injection and 43.70 ± 0.88 after injection, respectively p < .0001). Overall, a new nano agent with drug-carrying capacity was prepared, which can be used in combination with IVUS for simultaneous diagnosis and targeted therapy of coronary atherosclerosis.

Keywords:

• Polybutylcyanoacrylate
• nanoparticle
• intravascular ultrasound
• contrast agent
• drug delivery

Acknowledgments

Not applicable.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contributions

Congying Wang: Conceptualisation, Methodology, Writing – Original draft, Implementation research, Data acquisition, processing, and analysis; Haodong Jiang: Data visualisation, Writing – Original draft, Implementation research, Data acquisition, processing, and analysis; Jia Zhu: Experimental assistance, Data analysis, Validation, Data visualisation; Yunpeng Jin: Conceptualisation, Experimental guidance, Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Resources. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Yunpeng Jin, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Foundation of Zhejiang Provincial Education Department (Grant No. Y202249328), Foundation of The fourth Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Grant No. JG20230203). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, the decision to publish or the preparation of the manuscript.