Intravascular photoacoustic imaging of macrophages using molecularly targeted gold nanoparticles

Using contrast agents with desired targeting moiety and optical absorption, intravascular photoacoustic imaging may be used to identify various biomarkers expressed during the progression of atherosclerotic lesions. In this paper, we present intravascular photoacoustic imaging of macrophages in the atherosclerotic lesions using bio-conjugated gold nanoparticles as the contrast agent. Atherosclerotic lesions were created in the aorta of a New Zealand white rabbit subjected to a high cholesterol diet and balloon injury. The rabbit was injected with 20 nm spherical gold nanoparticles conjugated with antibodies. The macrophages with internalized gold nanoparticles were imaged by intravascular photoacoustic imaging in the near infrared range; this was possible because of plasmon resonance coupling between closely spaced gold nanoparticles internalized by macrophages. The multi-wavelength intravascular photoacoustic images of the diseased aorta were analyzed to identify the presence and location of macrophages labeled with gold nanoparticles. Spectroscopic intravascular photoacoustic image showing the distribution of gold nanoparticles was further confirmed by the gold-specific silver staining of the tissue crosssection. The results of our study suggest that molecular intravascular photoacoustic imaging can be used to image macrophages in atherosclerosis.