Figure 5

Nitric oxide (NO) was delivered to the cultured vascular smooth muscle cells by ELIP with or without NO-scavenging agent, haemoglobin. Vascular smooth muscle cells were transfected with a fluorescent probe, diaminofluorescein-2 diacetate (DFA-2DA), which reacts with NO to produce a fluorescent signal. In the absence of haemoglobin, A: the cultured cells were treated with free NO and in the absence of haemoglobin; B: the cultured cells were treated with NO encapsulated in ELIP. In the presence of haemoglobin, C: the cultured cells were treated with free NO; D: the cultured cells were treated with NO encapsulated in ELIP. NO-loaded ELIP were able to efficiently deliver NO into cultured cells even in the presence of a potent NO-scavenging agent such as haemoglobin [57].