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Background: The blood-brain barrier restricts drug penetration to the central nervous system. Targeted nanocarriers are new potential tools to increase the brain entry of drugs. Ligands of endogenous transporters of the blood-brain barrier can be used as targeting vectors for brain delivery of nanoparticles., Objective: We tested biotin-labeled solid nanoparticles for the first time and compared to biotinylated glutathione- labeled nanoparticles in brain endothelial cells., Method: Neutravidin coated fluorescent polystyrene nanoparticles were derivatized with biotin and biotinylated glutathione. As a human in vitro blood-brain barrier model hCMEC/D3 brain endothelial cells were used. Cell viability by MTT test, uptake and transfer of the nanoparticles across the endothelial monolayers were measured. The uptake of the nanoparticles was visualized by confocal microscopy., Results: The tested nanoparticles caused no change in cell viability. The uptake of biotin- and glutathione-labeled nanoparticles by brain endothelial cells was time-dependent and significantly higher compared to non-labeled nanoparticles. The penetration of the glutathione-labeled nanoparticles across the endothelial monolayer was higher than the biotin-targeted ones. Biotin- and glutathione-targeted nanoparticles were visualized in hCMEC/D3 cells. We verified that hCMEC/D3 express mRNA for sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT/SLC5A6) responsible for the blood-brain barrier transport of biotin., Conclusion: Biotin as a ligand increased the uptake and the transfer of nanoparticles across brain endothelial cells. Biotinylated glutathione could further increase nanoparticle permeability through endothelial monolayers supporting its use as a brain targeting vector., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is an asymptomatic benign liver tumor that may be detected accidentally during an abdominal ultrasound examination; it is associated with unspecific complaints, sometimes painful. Diagnosis can be precise using imaging techniques like ultrasonography. The diagnostic criteria are represented by the spatial display of the tumoral vessels and their hemodynamic characteristics. Sometimes differential diagnostic issues occur with other benign or malignant liver tumors. We present the case of a young female patient without a personal pathological history, who complained of intense, diffuse, intermittent, non-systematic abdominal pain and who underwent ultrasound examination, followed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound. With this technique, we evidenced a solid extrahepatic tumor, which was mobile at the patient's change of position and had the hemodynamic features of FNH. The article also tackles the problem of intra-abdominal pedunculated tumors.