Background The use of ALA to identify the parathyroid glands had been investigated both experimentally and clinically with promising results but the side effects from the systemic use of this photosensitizer reduce its widespread in clinical use. The aim of this study is to test the formulation of ALA in nano-stealth liposomes for better photodiagnosis of parathyroid glands intraoperatively with less ALA dose.
Materials and methods: Preparation of ALA nanovesicles and in vitro characterization for the drug encapsulation percentage, vesicle size and Zeta potential then the study of nanovesicles stability and in vitro drug release profile was done. The study compared nano-stealth liposomes and nano-liposomes with the free ALA solution, intraperitoneal administration of these different ALA formulations in rats and observing the ability to identify parathyroids intraoperatively and evaluation of fluorescence differences between these groups.
Results and conclusion: Stealth liposomes were insignificantly higher in drug encapsulation%, in vitro drug release and zeta potential compared to conventional liposomes. Additionally, they needed less time for the start of the photosensitization and recorded the highest signal after spectrometry compared to the other two preparations. These data provide a new evidence of the potentiality of ALA-stealth Liposomes for identification of PTGs intraoperatively and could lead to propose a non-invasive procedure with reduced postoperative side effects.
Keywords: Aminolevulinic acid; Fluorescence; Liposomes; Nanotechnology; Parathyroid glands; Photodiagnosis.
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