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Nano Research 2018, 11(4): 2265-2276 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1848-0
Research Article | Issue | Published: 19 March 2018

Flow behavior of liquid metal in the connected fascial space: Intervaginal space injection in the rat wrist and mice with tumor

Show Author's Information Nan Hu1,2,3,§,  Yupeng Cao1,2,§,  Zhuo Ao1,  Xinxiao Han1,2,  Qiang Zhang1,2,  Wentao Liu1,  Sidi Liu1,  Fulong Liao1,4,  Dong Han1,2( )
CAS Center for Excellence in NanoscienceNational Center for Nanoscience and TechnologyBeijing100190China
School of Future TechnologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
Department of Traditional Chinese MedicineChengde Medical UniversityChengde066000China
Institute of Chinese Materia MedicaChina Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesBeijing100700China

§ Nan Hu and Yupeng Cao contributed equally to this work.

Keywords:
tumor, liquid metal, hierarchical multiphase porous medium, fascia and fascial space, intervaginal space injection (ISI)
Cite this article:
Hu N, Cao Y, Ao Z, et al. Flow behavior of liquid metal in the connected fascial space: Intervaginal space injection in the rat wrist and mice with tumor. Nano Research, 2018, 11(4): 2265-2276. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1848-0
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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

The fascia and the fascial space can help provide a better understanding of the body. An intervaginal space injection (ISI) provides unique advantages that require further investigation. An upper limb model including physiological conditions and the tumor process was chosen to determine the flow behavior of liquid metal after ISI. In normal rats, after the injection of liquid metal into the intervaginal space comprising tendons, vessels, and nerves, magnetic resonance imaging and an anatomy experiment indicated that the liquid metal wrapped around the fascial space and finally reached the fingertip downstream and the armpit upstream in addition to the neurovascular bundle without vessels or lymph nodes. Using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) images, we discovered that the liquid metal was wrapped around the fibers of the fascia and moved forward in microscale or nanoscale areas. These data confirmed a fascia-based pathway. In tumors, the liquid metal moved to the tumor capsule through the damaged spot, where cancer cells destroy the integrity of the fascia between the normal cells and cancer cells. The liquid metal partly wrapped around the tumor and separated the tumor from the surrounding normal muscle. The ESEM images showed that fibers of the fascia penetrated the tumor, thus forming a network through which the liquid metal penetrated the tumor. Our study illustrated the physiological and pathological flow behavior of liquid metal in the upper limb after ISI and demonstrated a nonvascular pathway in the fascia. ISI may be useful for clinical treatment in the fascial pathway.


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Abstract
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Electronic supplementary material
About this article

Flow behavior of liquid metal in the connected fascial space: Intervaginal space injection in the rat wrist and mice with tumor

Show Author's information Nan Hu1,2,3,§, Yupeng Cao1,2,§, Zhuo Ao1, Xinxiao Han1,2, Qiang Zhang1,2, Wentao Liu1, Sidi Liu1, Fulong Liao1,4, Dong Han1,2( )
CAS Center for Excellence in NanoscienceNational Center for Nanoscience and TechnologyBeijing100190China
School of Future TechnologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
Department of Traditional Chinese MedicineChengde Medical UniversityChengde066000China
Institute of Chinese Materia MedicaChina Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesBeijing100700China

§ Nan Hu and Yupeng Cao contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

The fascia and the fascial space can help provide a better understanding of the body. An intervaginal space injection (ISI) provides unique advantages that require further investigation. An upper limb model including physiological conditions and the tumor process was chosen to determine the flow behavior of liquid metal after ISI. In normal rats, after the injection of liquid metal into the intervaginal space comprising tendons, vessels, and nerves, magnetic resonance imaging and an anatomy experiment indicated that the liquid metal wrapped around the fascial space and finally reached the fingertip downstream and the armpit upstream in addition to the neurovascular bundle without vessels or lymph nodes. Using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) images, we discovered that the liquid metal was wrapped around the fibers of the fascia and moved forward in microscale or nanoscale areas. These data confirmed a fascia-based pathway. In tumors, the liquid metal moved to the tumor capsule through the damaged spot, where cancer cells destroy the integrity of the fascia between the normal cells and cancer cells. The liquid metal partly wrapped around the tumor and separated the tumor from the surrounding normal muscle. The ESEM images showed that fibers of the fascia penetrated the tumor, thus forming a network through which the liquid metal penetrated the tumor. Our study illustrated the physiological and pathological flow behavior of liquid metal in the upper limb after ISI and demonstrated a nonvascular pathway in the fascia. ISI may be useful for clinical treatment in the fascial pathway.

Keywords: tumor, liquid metal, hierarchical multiphase porous medium, fascia and fascial space, intervaginal space injection (ISI)

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Publication history
Copyright
Acknowledgements

Publication history

Received: 31 July 2017
Revised: 30 August 2017
Accepted: 08 September 2017
Published: 19 March 2018
Issue date: April 2018

Copyright

© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany 2017

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

We are sincerely thankful to Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences for providing the liquid metal. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (No. 31470905).

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