Preparation of Novel 129Xe Nanoprobe and Its Application in Acupuncture Treatment of Refractory Peripheral Facial Paralysis with fMRI

Abstract

The NMR sensitivity of hyperpolarized 129Xe is much stronger than that of traditional proton, but single Xe has no targeting property. The Xe signal of new “cage” molecule can be obtained by combining it with molecular “cage,” which provides design ideas for the preparation of hyperpolarized 129Xe nanoprobes. A kind of nano material with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons shell is synthesized, and its 129Xe loading, particle size and fluorescence properties are measured by Hyper-CEST. The material is injected into the vein of patients with refractory peripheral facial paralysis in the form of solution. The patients are all treated with acupuncture. AFNI software is used to compare the fMRI data of patients before and after treatment and healthy control group. The average diameter of the prepared nano particles is 130 nm, and the average Z potential of nano materials is 25 mV. The fluorescence effects of monomers and nano materials with the same concentration are compared. Nano materials can emit strong fluorescence, and the assembly of monomers can enhance the fluorescence intensity. The results of Hyper-CEST 129Xe magnetic resonance testing show that the nano materials have strong CEST signal at 208 ppm, which means that the nano materials are suitable to carry Xe molecules, thus forming hyperpolarized 129Xe molecular cages. The nanoprobe solution loaded with 129Xe is injected into the vein of patients with refractory peripheral facial paralysis. Before and after acupuncture and moxibustion treatment, there are obvious signal enhancement in posterior central gyrus, thalamus, paracentral lobe, cerebellum, superior temporal gyrus and other areas of the brain, because the activated brain areas of acupuncture and moxibustion have been significantly enlarged, which proves that nanoprobe + acupuncture treatment is helpful to the analysis of the central operation mechanism of refractory peripheral facial paralysis.