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Gadolinium Containing Photochromic Micelles as Potential Magnetic Resonance Imaging Traceable Drug Carriers
Author(s) -
Heta Yushi,
Kumaki Kentaro,
Hifumi Hiroki,
Citterio Daniel,
Tanimoto Akihiro,
Suzuki Koji
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-1097.2012.01124.x
Subject(s) - gadolinium , photochromism , chemistry , micelle , azobenzene , photoisomerization , mri contrast agent , amphiphile , molecule , aqueous solution , photochemistry , nuclear magnetic resonance , organic chemistry , copolymer , polymer , isomerization , catalysis , physics
Novel photochromic amphipathic molecules, KMR‐AZn (Gd‐DTPA‐AZCn), composed of hydrophilic Gd‐DTPA and hydrophobic alkylated azobenzene were prepared. In aqueous environment, KMR‐AZn indicated self‐assembly. The resulting aggregates were demonstrated to be able to include a hydrophobic drug substitute (hydrophobic fluorescent dye) into the internal core, and to release the included compound upon photoirradiation within 10 min through the influence of azobenzene photoisomerization. This micellar MRI contrast agent exhibited three‐ to four‐fold higher r 1 relaxivity ( r 1 = 14.5–16.5 m m −1 s −1 , 0.47 T at 40°C) than the widely applied small molecule contrast agent Gd‐DTPA (Magnevist ® r 1 = 4.1 m m −1 s −1 , 0.47 T at 40°C). This dual functionality of encapsulated compound release and increased MR imaging contrast indicates that KMR‐AZn is a potential candidate for application as a lipid‐based MRI‐traceable drug carrier.