J0203-2-1 Transvascular drug delivery to target tissue by the use of photomechanical waves

Abstract

In this study, we examined the use of photomechanical waves (PMWs) to transiently enhance the permeability of blood vessels for drug delivery to target tissues. PMWs were generated by irradiating a laser target (a rubber disk covered with a transparent plastic sheet) with 532-nm, nanosecond laser pulses; a laser target was placed on target tissue. As a test drug, Evans Blue (EB) was injected into a tail vein of a rat, and thereafter PMWs were applied to the dorsal skin, tibial muscle and brain. For brain, a cranial window was made. After perfusion fixation, distributions of fluorescence originating from EB in tissues were analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. The fluorescence was observed in the extravascular spaces in all tissues exposed to PMWs, and in addition, EB molecules were found to be introduced to cells in the tissues. In most cases, tissue damage was not observed. These results demonstrate the capability of PMWs for transvascular drug delivery to target tissue.