RESUMO
Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is emerging as new atherosclerosis treatment. The use of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as the vehicle for a sensitizer delivery improves reactive oxygen species formation. In this study, methyl ester of aminolevulinic acid (MALA) gold nanoparticles (MALA:AuNPs) functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) were synthesized by photoreduction and characterized by ultraviolet/visible optical absorption, zeta potential and electron microscopy. The reactive oxygen species generation induced by ultrasound irradiation of MALA:AuNPs solutions was studied by observing the decrease in the 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran emission band. The potential use of MALA:AuNPs as sensitizer for sonodynamic therapy was investigated on THP-1 macrophages. The cytotoxicity test was also described. The findings suggested that ultrasound combined with MALA:AuNPs provides impressive results in in vitro studies. Sonodynamic therapy with MALA:AuNPs through 2 minutes of ultrasound exposure (1 MHz and 1 W/cm2) culminated with total macrophage reduction. Thus, sonodynamic therapy combined with MALA:AuNPs has potential as a treatment for atherosclerosis.