Imaging of macrophages by Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Malek, Kamilla^{; ;} | Jaworska, Aleksandra^; | Krala, Paulina | Kachamakova-Trojanowska, Neli | Baranska, Malgorzata^;

Affiliations: Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland | Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland

Note: [] Corresponding author: Dr. K. Malek, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 3 Ingardena Str., 30-060 Krakow, Poland. Tel.: +48 12 663 2064; Fax: +48 12 634 0515; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Fluorescent dyes attached to gold nanoparticles have been shown to be efficient SERS nanosensors in studies on intracellular composition. OBJECTIVE: The cells of macrophages were incubated with gold nanoparticles (45 nm of the diameter) with the attached three fluorescent dyes, i.e. rhodamine 6G, rhodamine B or green malachite. METHODS: Surface enhanced Raman scattering effect was recorded for cells using imaging technique with an excitation wavelength at 632.8 nm. For the analysis hierarchical K-means methods were employed. RESULTS: The nanosensors were introduced to the interior of the cells showing different distribution specific for each Raman reporter. Intracellular chemical information along with SERS response of the reporter was observed for both rhodamine dyes. CONCLUSIONS: The type of the reporter plays a crucial role in the cellular uptake of nanosensors and strongly affects the detection of biomacromolecules.

Keywords: SERS imaging, macrophages, gold nanoparticles, Raman reporters, fluorescent dyes

DOI: 10.3233/BSI-130052

Journal: Biomedical Spectroscopy and Imaging, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 349-357, 2013