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Figure 5 β₃-Targeted Nanoparticles Bind to the Advential Vasculature

Routine light microscopy and fluorescence microscopy of β₃-targeted rhodamine nanoparticles and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled lectin, a vascular endothelial marker, enables localization of nanoparticle binding with respect to normal and pathological vascular structures. (A) Hematoxylin and eosin staining of aorta shows small plaque, media and adventia (x10). (B) High-power fluorescent image demonstrates colocalization of rhodamine-labeled β₃-targeted nanoparticles (C, x60) with FITC-labeled lectin (D, x60), indicating that the nanoparticles are vascularly constrained to the neovessels of the adventitia. No rhodamine-labeled β₃-targeted nanoparticles were detected in the lumen plaque (not shown).