Perfluorocarbon Emulsion Contrast Agents: A Mini Review

Perfluorocarbon emulsions offer a variety of applications in medical imaging. The substances can be useful for most radiological imaging modalities; including, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography, computed tomography, and positron emission tomography. Recently, the substance has gained much interest for theranostics, with both imaging and therapeutic potential. As MRI sequences improve and more widespread access to 19F-MRI coils become available, perfluorocarbon emulsions have great potential for new commercial imaging agents, due to high fluorine content and previous regulatory approval as antihypoxants and blood substitutes. This mini review aims to discuss the chemistry and physics of these contrast agents, in addition to highlighting some of the past, recent, and potential applications.

Hemocorrectors Based on Perfluorocarbon Gas-Transport Blood-Substituting Emulsions

Hemocorrectors based on perfluorocarbon gas-transport blood-substituting emulsions are complex multiphase systems used in the biomedical field as multifunctional drugs, in particular, as gas-transport substitutes for a blood donor. The aim of this review was to discuss their physicochemical and medico-biological properties. A number of preparations from both Russian and foreign manufacturers based on chemically inert perfluorocarbon blood-substituting emulsions of a nano-size level as hemocorrectors with a gas transport function are shown. The analysis of the effect of perfluorocarbon emulsion on the blood gas transport indicators showed that perfluorocarbon particles in the bloodstream will significantly improve the conditions of gas exchange in tissues. The most important issue is the concentration of perfluorocarbon blood-substituting emulsions. The perfluorocarbon emulsions can be considered as a means of correcting the gas transport properties of blood, increasing the reserve capacity of blood cells-red blood cells to deliver oxygen to the tissues. Taking into account all facts about perfluorocarbon hemocorrectors, it can be concluded that they can be used as universal nanocarriers for the transdermal delivery of oxygen and biologically active compounds in various fields of biomedicine and cosmetology.

Behaviors of Perfluorocarbon Emulsion during Dissolution of Oxide Layers

This study investigates the dissolution behavior of oxide layers containing radionuclides using perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsion as a reusable medium. Chemicals such as PFC, anionic surfactant, and H2SO4 are used for preparing the PFC emulsion, and emulsified using an ultrasonication process. The FTIR results show O–H stretching that is formed by the interaction of the carboxyl group of the anionic surfactant with the hydroxyl group of water containing H2SO4, and find that the H2SO4 can be homogeneously dispersed in the PFC–anionic surfactant–H2SO4 emulsion. The dissolution test of the simulated Cr2O3 specimen is conducted using PFC emulsion containing KMnO4. Through the weight losses of specimens and Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer (SEM-EDS) analysis, it is confirmed that the Cr2O3 layer on the SUS304 specimen is easily dissolved using PFC emulsion. During the dissolution of the Cr2O3, it is observed that the dispersed H2SO4–KMnO4 became unstable and separated from PFC emulsion. Based on these results, the behavior of the PFC emulsion during the dissolution of the oxide layer is explained.

Exploring the transition of polydopamine-shelled perfluorohexane emulsion droplets into microbubbles using small- and ultra-small-angle neutron scattering

Perfluorocarbon emulsion droplets are interesting colloidal systems with applications in biomedicine. This work describes the use of small- and ultra-small-angle neutron scattering in studying their heat-induced phase transition into microbubbles.

Treatment of Swine Closed Head Injury with Perfluorocarbon NVX-428

Pre-hospital treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) with co-existing polytrauma is complicated by requirements for intravenous fluid volume vs. hypotensive resuscitation. A low volume, small particle-size-oxygen-carrier perfluorocarbon emulsion NVX-428 (dodecafluoropentane emulsion; 2% w/v) could improve brain tissue with minimal additional fluid volume. This study examined whether the oxygen-carrier NVX-428 shows safety and efficacy for pre-hospital treatment of TBI. Anesthetized swine underwent fluid percussion injury TBI and received 1 mL/kg IV NVX-428 (TBI-NVX) at 15 min (T15) or normal saline (no-treatment) (TBI-NON). Similarly, uninjured swine received NVX-428 (SHAM-NVX) or normal saline (SHAM-NON). Animals were monitored and measurements were taken for physiological and neurological parameters before euthanasia at the six-hour mark (T360). Histopathological analysis was performed on paraffin embedded tissues. Physiological, biochemical and blood gas parameters were not different, with the exception of a significant but transient increase in mean pulmonary artery pressure observed in the TBI-experimental group immediately after drug administration. There were no initial differences in brain oxygenation at baseline, but over time oxygen decreased ~50% in both TBI groups. Histological brain injury scores were similar between TBI-NVX and TBI-NON, although a number of subcategories (spongiosis-ischemic/dead neurons-hemorrhage-edema) in TBI-NVX had a tendency for lower scores. The cerebellum showed significantly lower spongiosis and ischemic/dead neuron injury scores and a lower number of Fluoro-Jade-B-positive cerebellar-Purkinje-cells after NVX-428 treatment compared to controls. NVX-428 may assist in mitigating secondary cellular brain damage.