Magnetic nanoparticles modified with DTPA-AMC-rare earth for fluorescent and magnetic resonance dual mode imaging.

In the present study, we report new water-soluble cell fluorescence imaging and contrast agents that are based on DTPA-AMC(7-amino-4-methyl coumarin)-Eu(3+) and DTPA-AMC(7-amino-4-methyl coumarin)-Gd(3+) compounds conjugated to Fe(3)O(4) NPs via a PEG-NH(2) linker. The novel Fe(3)O(4) NP-conjugates present two main advantages for cell fluorescence labelling: water solubility and targeting ability. The in vitro experiments demonstrate that water-soluble Fe(3)O(4) NPs-DBI-PEG-NH-DTPA-AMC(7-amino-4-methyl coumarin)-Eu(3+) has excellent cell permeating activity. Moreover, the relaxation rate test of Fe(3)O(4) NPs-DBI-PEG-NH-DTPA-AMC(7-amino-4-methyl coumarin)-Gd(3+) shows a higher T1 relaxation effect than traditional DTPA-Gd(3+) MRI agents. According to in vivo liver MRI experiments, better contrast of the liver was achieved after addition of Fe(3)O(4) NPs-DBI-PEG-NH-DTPA-AMC(7-amino-4-methyl coumarin)-Gd(3+). The results will provide a significant guide for researchers exploring the biomedical applications of superparamagnetic Fe(3)O(4) NPs.