Assessment of embolization effect with temperature-sensitive p(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-butyl methylacrylate) nanogels in rabbit renal artery by CT perfusion and pathology

Abstract The temperature-sensitive p(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-butyl methylacrylate) (PIB) nanogel is a novel embolic agent, but methods to assess its performance are limited. The study aimed to assess the effect of embolization with PIB nanogels in rabbit renal artery by non-invasive computed tomography (CT) perfusion and pathology to evaluate the feasibility of the nanogel as a blood vessel embolization agent. Ten healthy adult Japanese rabbits underwent right renal arterial embolization with PIB nanogels. CT perfusion scans were performed pre- and post-treatment at different time points (1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks). Two rabbits were euthanized and histologically examined each time, and the remaining rabbits were sacrificed at 12 weeks after the embolization. The efficacy of the nanogels was further confirmed by pathological examination. The renal volume and renal blood flow of the right kidney significantly decreased post-treatment during the 12-week CT re-examination (both P