Evaluation of acoustic cavitation in terephthalic acid solutions containing gold nanoparticles by the spectrofluorometry method

Abstract

Background. When a liquid is irradiated with high intensity and low-frequency ultrasound, acoustic cavitation occurs. The existence of particles in a liquid provides nucleation sites for cavitation bubbles and leads to a decrease in the ultrasonic intensity threshold needed for cavitation onset. Materials and Methods. The study was designed to measure hydroxyl radicals in terephthalic acid solutions containing gold nanoparticles in a near field of a 1 MHz sonotherapy probe. The effect of ultrasound irradiation parameters containing mode of sonication and ultrasound intensity in hydroxyl radicals production have been investigated by the spectrofluorometry method. Results. Recorded fluorescence signal in terephthalic acid solution containing gold nanoparticles was higher than the terephthalic acid solution without gold nanoparticles. Also, the results showed that any increase in intensity of the sonication would be associated with an increase in the fluorescence intensity. Conclusion. Acoustic cavitation in the presence of gold nanoparticles has been introduced as a way for improving therapeutic effects on the tumors in sonodynamic therapy. Also, the terephthalic acid dosimetry is suitable for detecting and quantifying free hydroxyl radicals as a criterion of cavitation production over a certain range of conditions in medical ultrasound fields. © 2012 Ameneh Sazgarnia and Ahmad Shanei.