Detection of Vascular Reactive Oxygen Species in Experimental Atherosclerosis by High-Resolution Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging Using VCAM-1-Targeted Liposomes Entrapping a Fluorogenic Redox-Sensitive Probe

Figure 6

Colocalization of ROS production with the lesions in the atherosclerotic aorta of the ApoE-/- mice. VLp-RB700 were delivered via retroorbital injection to C57BL6/J (control) and ApoE-/- mice fed a normal diet (ND) or high-fat diet (HD) for 10 weeks. After 2 hours, the animals were sacrificed and the fluorescent signal of the oxidized RB700 was monitored ex vivo along the aortic segment using a high-resolution fluorescence imaging system. (a, b) Quantitative analysis of epifluorescent emission throughout the aorta of experimental mice. (c, d) Spectral unmixing analysis was performed to delineate the oxidized RB700-derived specific fluorescence signal from the tissue autofluorescence. The colocalization of ROS production with atherosclerotic lesions is depicted by arrows. -5, , . Statistical values were calculated relative to the values obtained for C57BL6/J nonatherosclerotic control mice.

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