Figure 2.

In vivo blood perfusion, microvascular permeability and vessel dilation. (A) In vivo fluorescence imaging at 20 min after 2,000-kDa-isothiocyanate-fluorescein-labeled dextran injection (n = 5 for each group). (B) The quantitative analysis of the fluorescence intensity in tumor tissues (n = 5 for each group). (C) Ex vivo fluorescence imaging at 20 min after 2,000-kDa-isothiocyanate-fluorescein-labeled dextran injection (n = 5 for each group). (D) Micrographs of CD31⁺ microvessels (red) in association with DAPI⁺ nuclei (blue in left panels), perfusion of 2,000-kDa dextran (green in middle panels), and leakiness of 70-kDa dextran (green in right panels). Arrows in middle panels indicate perfused tumor vessels. Arrowheads in right panels indicate leaked dextran signals. (Scale bar: 50 μm). (E–G) Quantification of CD31⁺ tumor vessels, perfusion of 2,000-kDa dextran, and extravasated 70-kDa dextran signals in LLC cancers (n = 5 for each group). (H) Calculation of NO expression levels in tumor tissues (n = 5 for each group). ^*p < 0.05; ^**p < 0.01; ^***p < 0.001. ns, not significant.