Figure 5.

X-ray micrographs showing the microvasculature of normal tissue and tumors at different time after the tumor inoculation, taken with bare-AuNPs and heparin injection. (a) In vivo image of the lateral thigh, 7 days after inoculation. (b) and (c) magnified images of the left square in (a), near the tumor area, and of the right square, corresponding to normal tissue area (medial thigh). The arrowheads in (a) and (b) mark vessels showing AuNP agglomeration while the yellow arrows mark vessels of < 6 μm diameter. (d) In vivo image of the normal lateral thigh. (e) and (f) magnified images the left and right squares in (d). The inset in the lower left corner of (e) is an additionally magnified image of its small square and the yellow arrow marks a < 6 μm diameter vessel. (g) In vivo image of the lateral thigh, 16 days after inoculation. (h) magnified image of the square in (g). (i) image of a 1 mm thick tissue removed from the thigh shown in (g). (j) Magnified image of the rectangle in (i); the yellow arrowheads mark abnormal vessels, the white arrowheads a vessel with ~2 μm diameter and the yellow arrows areas with diffusion of bare-AuNPs. Scale bars: (a), (d) and (g): 2 mm; (b), (c), (e), (f), and (i): 500 μm; inset of (e) and (h): 50 μm and (j): 10 μm