NIR-II fluorescence nanoprobe based on Erbium for fallopian tube diseases diagnosis

Abstract

Fallopian tube blockage-related diseases are the main cause of female infertility. Diagnosis of tubal patency and accurate determination of tubal obstruction lesions is of great value for infertility treatment. Conventionally, the common used hysterosalpingogram (HSG) has the disadvantages of radioactive hazard and high false positive rate. Thus, the development of a safe and accurate method which can replace traditional HSG for tubal patency diagnosis is urgently needed. Recently, fluorescence imaging in the second near-infrared region (NIR-II) was widely used in in-vivo imaging research due to its excellent tissue penetration and signal-to noise ratio. With the aid of fluorescence agents, NIR-II imaging has the potential to diagnose tubal patency, which, unfortunately, has not been explored. Herein, a kind of rare-earth Erbium-based nanoprobe (Er-RENPs) with outstanding NIR-II fluorescence property was synthesized. Based on the Er-RENPs, the potential of NIR-II fluorescence imaging was explored. Results show that the outline of fallopian tubes can be clearly visualized with the help of Er-RENPs. And the stenotic, occlusive fallopian tubes and hydrosalpinx can be diagnosed. Additionally, the Er-RENPs exhibit good biocompatibility. In this study, we reported that NIR-II rare-earth fluorescent nanoprobe can serve as a promising fluorescent agent, and exhibits considerable potential application for tubal diagnosis.