Figure 1.
Ex vivo samples demonstrating proof of concept that AFM is able to visualise label-free drug-encapsulated NPs in tissues (a) CsA-NPs, (b) blood, (c) blood+NPs, (d) plasma, (e) plasma+NPs, (f) serum (g), serum+NPs, (h) kidney and (i) kidney+NPs.
(representative nanoparticles are marked by yellow arrows).
Figure 2.
Quantitative nano-mechanical properties of nanoparticles only and various ex vivo/in vivo tissues untreated or treated.
Tissue stiffness is measured as Young’s Modulus (GPa) *p<0.05; **p<0.01; ***p<0.001 a vs control, ex vivo & oral (not applicable to serum, liver & kidney).
Figure 3.
Tissue sections (15 µm) of (a) kidney and (b) liver spotted with 5 µl of CsA-NPs.
The numbers in parenthesis represents tissue stiffness (representative nanoparticles are marked by yellow arrows).
Figure 4.
Tissue sections (a) blood, (b) plasma, (c) serum and (d) liver of rats which were dosed iv with 15 mg/Kg CsA-NPs and sacrificed 15 min post-dosing (representative nanoparticles are marked by yellow arrows).
Figure 5.
Tissue sections (a) blood, (b) plasma, (c) serum (d) liver and (e) small intestine of rats which were dosed peroral with 15 mg/Kg CsA-NPs and sacrificed 6 h post-dosing (representative nanoparticles are marked by yellow arrows).