Figure 7.

Confocal microscopy images of primary cultured rat LCs: cell nuclei (blue); F-actin cytoskeleton network (red); and FITC–nano-TiO₂ (green).

Notes: (A) LCs were treated with 0, 10, and 40 µg/mL FITC–nano-TiO₂ for 24 hours. (B) After treatment of LCs with 10 µg/mL FITC–nano-TiO₂ for 24 hours, nanoparticles were distributed in the F-actin cytoskeleton network. (C) After treatment with 40 µg/mL FITC–nano-TiO₂ for 24 hours, nanoparticles were distributed in both the F-actin cytoskeleton network and nuclei of LCs, indicating entry into both cytoplasm and nuclei.

Abbreviations: LCs, Leydig cells; FITC, fluorescein isothiocyanate; nano-TiO₂, nanoparticulate TiO₂.