Figure 1.
Schematic of the preparation of stealth MPLs and the conjugation of TAT peptide to MPLs.
Figure 2.
(A) UV/Vis spectra of the reaction solutions (conjugation of TAT to MPLs). (B) UV/Vis spectra of blank NPs and TAT-MPLs.
Figure 3.
AFM micrographs of TAT-MPLs.
Figure 4.
XRD spectrum and Magnetization curve.
(A) XRD spectrum of TAT-MPLs. (B) Magnetization curve of Fe3O4 ferrofluid (1) and TAT-MPLs (2).
Table 1.
Physical characterization of TAT-conjugated MPLs.
Figure 5.
Particle-size-distribution and Zeta potential.
(A) Particle-size-distribution based intensity of MPLs (1) and TAT-conjugated MPLs (2) in PBS. (B) Zeta potential of MPLs (1) and TAT-conjugated MPLs (2) in PBS.
Figure 6.
Drug release profiles of the TAT-conjugated MPLs in PBS (pH 7.4) at 37±0.5°C in
vitro.
Figure 7.
Cytotoxicity of MPLs and drug-loaded TAT-MPLs measured using MTT assays after.
(A) 12, (B) 24, and (C) 48 h incubation with bEnd.3 cells. (GSH: glutathione, HES: hesperidin, NAR: naringin).
Figure 8.
Localization and distribution of QDs encapsulated in TAT-MPLs in bEnd.3 cells.
Cells were cultured in FITC-labeled NP-containing medium (1 µM QDs) on a glass-bottomed culture plate for 0.5, 3, and 12 h, treated with DAPI for 5–10 min, and then examined by confocal microscopy.
Figure 9.
Flow cytometry analysis of bEnd.3 cells.
Cells incubated with free FITC and QDs (1), MPLs (2), and TAT-MPLs (3) for 0.5 h, 3 h and 12 h at a NP concentration of 20 µg/mL. The NPs were labeled with FITC. The FITC (A and B) and QD fluorescence intensity (C and D) are shown.
Figure 10.
Quantitative analysis of QD-loaded FITC-MPLs and FITC-TAT-MPLs in bEnd.3 cells.
Cells were cultured in a 24-well plate for 0.5 h, 3 h and 12 h, lysed, and the FITC and QDs fluorescence were measured by a microplate spectrophotometer to determine FITC (A) and QDs (B) contents in the cells.