This study aims to develop fluorescence labelled polymeric nanoparticle (NP) carrying vancomycin as the targeting agent for in vivo imaging of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacterial infections in animal models. Maleimide functionalized 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[maleimide (polyethylene glycol)-2000] as the main was carrier matrix to prepare the NPs. A fluorescence probe, namely, poly[9,9'-bis (6″-N,N,N-trimethylammonium) hexyl) fluorene-co-alt-4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole) dibromide] was encapsulated within these NPs by ultrasonication successfully. UV-Vis spectro- photometry of the NPs showed the characteristic shifting on the peak of conjugated polymers indicating successful packaging of this compound with lipid bilayers in nanoscales. Zeta-sizer and TEM analysis showed that the prepared NPs have a diameter of 80-100 nm in a narrow size distribution. Thiolated vancomycin was synthesized and attached to the NPs as the targeting agent. FTIR and MALDI-TOF spectroscopy analysis confirmed the immobilization. The specific targeting properties of the vancomycin conjugated NPs to the target bacteria were first confirmed in in vitro bacterial cultures in which Escherichia coli was the non-target bacteria - using confocal microscopy and TEM. Imaging of bacterial infections in vivo was investigated in mice model using a non-invasive live animal fluorescence imaging technique. The results confirmed that bacterial infections can be detected using these novel polymeric NPs carrying fluorescence probes for imaging and vancomycin as the targeting agent - in vivo successfully.
Keywords: Fluorescence probes/dyes; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; in vivo detection of bacterial infections; polymeric nanoparticles; targeting; vancomycin.