IEEE Trans Magn. 2013 Jan;49(1):398-401

Mejias R, Lazaro FJ, Serna CJ, Barber DF, Morales MP.

The role of anesthesia on magnetic nanoparticle biodistribution among different organs after intravenous injection has been studied in a murine model.

Animals were anesthetized by inhalation with isoflurane (0.5% in oxygen) or by intraperitoneal injection with a mixture of ketamine and xylazine. Then, monodisperse dimercaptosuccinic acid coated magnetic nanoparticles (diameter of 9.2 nm 1.2 nm) were administered intravenously to the animals. Lung and liver tissues were collected after the particle administration and the amount of particles in each tissue was determined by alternating current magnetic susceptibility measurements.

Whereas the amount of particles that reaches the liver seems not to be affected by the anesthesia used, the amount of particles that reaches the lungs for inhaled isoflurane is three times less than for the intraperitoneally injected anesthetic.