Nanobubbles based on repeated compression for contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging of renal fibrosis

State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Devices, School of Biological Sciences and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P. R. China

^* yangfang2080@seu.edu.cn

Abstract

Renal fibrosis, a crucial pathological process in chronic kidney disease, requires early precise diagnosis to delay renal failure. Traditional ultrasound has limitations in sensitivity and specificity. In this study, SF₆-loaded phospholipid nanobubbles (SF₆-NBs) were prepared by the repeated compression method and contain, which is used for renal fibrosis diagnosis. Results show that the optimized nanobubbles maintain good stability and biocompatibility. In renal fibrosis mouse models, after tail vein injection, the nanobubbles can effectively perfuse renal vessels at different levels, including interlobar arteries and cortical micro-arteries, thereby enhancing kidney ultrasound signals and clearly showing kidney structure and blood perfusion. Further experiments, including hemolysis tests, confirm the safety of nanobubbles, with no significant hemolysis or endothelial cell apoptosis. Our results show that this technology can enhance the visualization of renal micro-arteries, offering a reference for valid diagnosis of renal fibrosis.