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Fluorescence Imaging and Whole-Body Biodistribution of Near-Infrared-Emitting Quantum Dots after Subcutaneous Injection for Regional Lymph Node Mapping in Mice

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Abstract

Purpose

This study compares fluorescence imaging to mass spectroscopy (inductively coupled plasma–mass spectroscopy, ICP–MS) for detection of quantum dots (QDs) in sentinel lymph node (LN) mapping of breast cancer.

Procedures

We study the accumulation of near-infrared-emitting QDs into regional LNs and their whole-body biodistribution in mice after subcutaneous injection, using in vivo fluorescence imaging and ex vivo elemental analysis by ICP–MS.

Results

We show that the QD accumulation in regional LNs is detectable by fluorescence imaging as early as 5 min post-delivery. Their concentration reaches a maximum at 4 h then decreases over a 10-day observation period. These data are confirmed by ICP–MS. The QD uptake in other organs, assessed by ICP–MS, increases steadily over time; however, its overall level remains rather low.

Conclusions

Fluorescence imaging can be used as a non-invasive alternative to ICP–MS to follow the QD accumulation kinetics into regional LNs.

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Abbreviations

% ID:

Percentage of injected dose

Abs:

Absorbance

ALN:

Axillary lymph node

ALND:

Axillary lymph node dissection

AU:

Arbitrary unit

DLS:

Dynamic light scattering

DPPE:

Dipalmitoyl phosphotidylethanolamine

H&E:

Hematoxylin and eosin

HD:

Hydrodynamic diameter

ICP–AES:

Inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectroscopy

ICP–MS:

Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectroscopy

i.v.:

Intravenous

LALN:

Left axillary lymph node

LED:

Light-emitting diode

LLTLN:

Left lateral thoracic lymph node

LN:

Lymph node

LTLN:

Lateral thoracic lymph node

Me:

Methyl ether

microPET:

Micro-positron emission tomography

NIR:

Near-infrared

PBS:

Phosphate buffered saline

PEG:

Polyethylene glycol

PL:

Photoluminescence

QD:

Quantum dot

RALN:

Right axillary lymph node

RLTLN:

Right lateral thoracic lymph node

ROI:

Region of interest

s.c.:

Subcutaneous

SD:

Standard deviation

SLN:

Sentinel lymph node

SLNB:

Sentinel lymph node biopsy

TEM:

Transmission electron microscopy

TOP:

Trioctylphosphine

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Institut National du Cancer (INCa), the Comités départementaux (54, 57) of the Ligue Contre le Cancer, the Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, and the Région Lorraine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Recherche en Automatique de Nancy—Nancy-University—CNRS—Centre Alexis Vautrin, avenue de Bourgogne, 54511, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France

    Emilie Pic, Lina Bezdetnaya, François Guillemin & Frédéric Marchal

  2. Laboratoire Photons et Matière, CNRS UPRA0005, ESPCI, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005, Paris, France

    Thomas Pons & Benoît Dubertret

  3. Department of Pathology, Centre Alexis Vautrin, avenue de Bourgogne, 54511, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France

    Agnès Leroux

Authors
  1. Emilie Pic
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  2. Thomas Pons
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  3. Lina Bezdetnaya
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  4. Agnès Leroux
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  5. François Guillemin
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  6. Benoît Dubertret
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  7. Frédéric Marchal
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Correspondence to Frédéric Marchal.

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Manuscript category and significance

The present “research article” addresses near-infrared-emitting quantum dots detection by fluorescence imaging as a non-invasive and reliable method for identification of regional lymph nodes for their eventual use in breast tumor patients.

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Pic, E., Pons, T., Bezdetnaya, L. et al. Fluorescence Imaging and Whole-Body Biodistribution of Near-Infrared-Emitting Quantum Dots after Subcutaneous Injection for Regional Lymph Node Mapping in Mice. Mol Imaging Biol 12, 394–405 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11307-009-0288-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11307-009-0288-y

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