Figure 4.

Transfer of nanoformulated crystalline antiretroviral drugs (nanoART) from mononuclear phagocyte to human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) follows cell cocultivation. Monocytes loaded with 0.1 mM or 0.5 mM rhodamine-labeled indinavir (IDV) (H1013b, A and B) or ritonavir (RTV) (H2013, C and D) nanoformulations were cocultured for 2 hours with HBMEC as described in the Methods section, and the levels of nanoART in monocytes before and after coculture quantified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis. Coculture of monocytes loaded with 0.1 mM IDV (A) or RTV (C) nanoART with HBMEC decreased IDV and RTV nanoART levels in monocytes by 83% (A, dotted line, and E), and 71% (C, dotted line, and E). Coculture of monocytes loaded with 0.5 mM IDV (B) or RTV (D) nanoART with HBMEC decreased IDV and RTV nanoART levels in monocytes by 44.5% (B, dotted line, and E), and 49.6% (D, dotted line, and E).

Notes: ***P < 0.001. Each experimental condition was performed in triplicate, and data shown are representative of four independent experiments.