As novel engineered nanoparticles such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) are extensively used in nanotechnology due to their superior properties, it becomes critical to fully understand their biodistribution and effect when accidently inhaled. There fore, development of animaging technique which allow longitudinal in vivo follow-up of SWCNT effect based on their intrinsic properties is highly desirable. Non invasive free-breathing hyperpolarized 3He lung MRI protocol was developed complementary to proton systemic MR protocol to allow monitoring SWCNT based on their intrinsic iron impurities after intrapulmonary exposition. Combined toproton lung MRI and ex vivo optical and electron microscopy at different time points, this protocol represents a powerful multimodality imaging techniques which allows a full characterization of the biodistribution and biological impacts of iron containing SWCNT. SWCNT was found to produce granulomatous and inflammatory reactions in a time and dose dependent manner with their bio persistenc eafter intrapulmonary exposition.From biological impact evaluations after intrapulmonary exposition towards biomedical applications, SWCNT hold promise for applications in nanomedicine field with their distinct architecture and their novel physicochemical properties. The biodistribution and pharmacological profile of various well-dispersed pristine and functionalized SWCNT were assessed in blood and target tissues after their intra venous administration by longitudinal in vivo susceptibility weighted MRI and their potential effect on liver metabolism by ex vivo HRMAS 1H NMR. No presence ofacute toxicological effect (variation in liver metabolism) was observed confirmed by the absence of clustering in NMR spectra using Principal Component Analysis (specific biomarkers of toxicity).
