Fig. 3

Cellular uptake and mechanisms of SC-NEs in HCECs. A Cellular uptake of SC-NEs with varying SC modification ratios observed by fluorescence microscope (scale bar = 20 μm); B Quantitative cellular uptake of SC-NEs with varying SC modification ratios (n = 3, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, compared with NEs); C Quantitative cellular uptake of NEs and 10% SC-NEs in different buffers: NaCl buffer, Na⁺ free buffer, Cl⁻ free buffer, NaCl buffer with L-carnitine, and NaCl buffer with α-methyl-DL-tryptophan (α-MT) (n = 3, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, compared with 10% SC-NEs in NaCl buffer); D Influence of endocytosis inhibitors on the cellular uptake of NEs and 10% SC-NEs (n = 3, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, compared with Control)