Fig. 4

a A CLSM images of A549/ADR cells after 30 min of incubation with TP/C6 (non-targeted) and TPH/C6 (targeted). *P < 0.05, vs. TPH/C6. b A CLSM images of A549/ADR cells pre-treated with chlorpromazine, genistein and amiloride followed by treatment with TPH/C6 nanomicells. Nucleus were stained by hoechst33342 (blue) dyes. *P < 0.05, vs. PBS. c Merge CLSM image showed lysosomes escape of every nanomicells on A549 and A549/ADR cells. The late endosomes and lysosomes were stained by LysoTracker Red. Green fluorescence indicate C6. Yellow fluorescence indicated the overlay between C6 and lysosomes. Blue fluorescence indicated hoechst33342. *P < 0.05, vs. 12 h; ^$P < 0.05, vs. free C6 in A549/ADR. d CLSM images of A549 and A549/ADR cells showing the homing of HTP/C6 nanomicells into mitochondria for 6 h, 12 h and 24 h time points. Mitochondria were stained with MitoTracker Red dyes. The yellow regions in the merged images indicate the co-localization of HTP/C6 nanomicells in mitochondria. e Co-localization of the Taxol, TP/C6, TPH/C6 into mitochondria at A549 and A549/ADR cells at 24 h observed by CLSM. The mitochondria were stained by MitoTracker Red. C6 emits green fluorescence itself. Yellow fluorescence indicates the overlay between C6 and MitoTracker Red. *^,**P < 0.05, vs. TP/C6 nanomicells. ^$P < 0.05, vs. free C6. f Drug contents determined in the isolated mitochondrial fraction isolated from A549 cells by flow cytometry. *P < 0.05, vs. 12 h or 24 h; ^$P < 0.05, vs. 6 h in A549/ADR, respectively. (1) Image of CLSM; (2) fluorescence intensity of image. Scale bars are 20 μm