Biodistribution of colloidal gold nanoparticles after intravenous injection: Effects of PEGylation at the same particle size

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Takeuchi, Issei^{a; b; c} | Onaka, Haruhiko^a | Makino, Kimiko^{a; b; c; *}

Affiliations: [a] Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641, Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan | [b] Center for Drug Delivery Research, Tokyo University of Science, 2641, Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan | [c] Center for Physical Pharmaceutics, Tokyo University of Science, 2641, Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Kimiko Makino, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641, Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan. Tel.: +81-4-7121-3662; Fax: +81-4-7121-3662; E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: Background:Recently, polyethylene glycol (PEG) modified gold nanoparticles have been studied to maintaining long-term stability in biological fluids. Its biodistribution was also reported, however, comparison of bare gold nanoparticles and PEGylated gold nanoparticles with equal particle size is not sufficient. Objective:We prepared bare gold nanoparticles and PEGylated gold nanoparticles with diameters of 20-30-nm or 50-nm to avoid the influence of particle diameter, and studied their biodistribution in the mouse. Methods:Gold concentrations in brain, heart, lungs, liver, stomach, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, blood, urine, and feces were measured at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 48 h after administration of gold nanoparticles using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Results:At 48 h after intravenous administration, accumulation in the liver and spleen was significantly reduced by PEGylation, and the gold amounts of PEGylated gold nanoparticles with diameters of 20-30 nm and 50-nm in the brain were 3.6 times and 2.7 times higher than those of bare gold nanoparticles, respectively. Conclusions:These results indicated that the usefulness of PEGylated gold nanoparticles with small particle size for a drug carrier.

Keywords: Gold nanoparticles, biodistribution, intravenous, mice, PEGylation, mPEG-thiol

DOI: 10.3233/BME-171723

Journal: Bio-Medical Materials and Engineering, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 205-215, 2018