Effects of poly lacticoglycolic acid ultrasound contrast agent on tumor lymph node imaging / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the effects of poly lacticoglycolic acid(PLGA) ultrasound contrast agent on tumor lymph node imaging and its mechanism.Methods PLGA ultrasound contrast agent was made by double emulsion method; VX2 tumor cells were harvested from carrier rabbits and inoculated in the thigh of healthy New Zealand White rabbits. Implants were allowed to grow for 14 to 18 days before imaging. Popliteal lymph nodes were imaged as the injection sites were massaged. And macrophages were used to investigate the mechanism for lymph node enhancement. Results PLGA ultrasound contrast agent had a tight size distribution. Tumor lymph node was significantly enhanced by PLGA ultrasound contrast agent. Macrophages experiment showed that macrophages could phagocyte lots of PLGA ultrasound contrast agents.Conclusions PLGA ultrasound contrast agent is good for lymph node imaging. The possible mechanism for lymph node enhancement is that macrophages in lymph node can phagocyte lots of PLGA contrast agents, which causes the concentration of PLGA contrast agent in lymph node.