Ultrasonography is a reliable diagnostic modality for muscle and tendon injuries, but it has been challenging to find right diagnosis of minor musculoskeletal injuries by conventional ultrasonographic imaging. A large amount of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) are known to be generated during tissue damages such as mechanical injury and therefore H₂O₂ holds great potential as a diagnostic and therapeutic marker for mechanical injuries in the musculoskeletal system. We previously developed poly(vanillyl alcohol-co-oxalate) (PVAX), which rapidly scavenges H₂O₂ and exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in H₂O₂-associated diseases. Based on the notion that PVAX nanoparticles generate CO₂ bubbles through H₂O₂-triggered hydrolysis, we postulated that PVAX nanoparticles could serve as ultrasonographic contrast agents and therapeutic agents for musculoskeletal injuries associated with overproduction of H₂O₂. In the agarose gel phantom study, PVAX nanoparticles continuously generated CO₂ bubbles to enhance ultrasonographic echogenicity significantly. Contusion injury significantly elevated the level of H₂O₂ in skeletal muscles and Achilles tendons. Upon intramuscular injection, PVAX nanoparticles significantly elevated the ultrasound contrast and suppressed inflammation and apoptosis in the contusion injury of musculoskeletal systems. We anticipate that PVAX nanoparticles hold great translational potential as theranostic agents for musculoskeletal injuries.

中文翻译：

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使用聚合物纳米颗粒对肌肉和肌腱损伤进行超声成像和抗炎治疗

超声检查是肌肉和肌腱损伤的可靠诊断方式，但通过传统超声成像对轻微肌肉骨骼损伤进行正确诊断一直具有挑战性。众所周知，在机械损伤等组织损伤过程中会产生大量的过氧化氢（H ₂ O _{2 ），因此H 2} O ₂作为肌肉骨骼系统机械损伤的诊断和治疗标记物具有巨大的潜力。我们之前开发了聚香草醇草酸酯(PVAX)，它可以快速清除 H ₂ O _{2并在 H 2} O ₂相关疾病中发挥抗氧化和抗炎活性。基于PVAX纳米粒子通过H ₂ O _{2引发的水解产生CO 2}气泡的概念，我们推测PVAX纳米粒子可以用作超声造影剂和与H ₂ O ₂过量产生相关的肌肉骨骼损伤的治疗剂。在琼脂糖凝胶体模研究中，PVAX纳米粒子不断产生CO ₂气泡，显着增强超声回声性。挫伤显着升高了骨骼肌和跟腱中的H ₂ O ₂水平。肌肉注射后，PVAX 纳米颗粒显着提高了肌肉骨骼系统挫伤中的超声对比度并抑制了炎症和细胞凋亡。我们预计 PVAX 纳米粒子作为肌肉骨骼损伤的治疗诊断剂具​​有巨大的转化潜力。