Fig. 6

Internalization mechanism of SSe@ZIF-8. (A) Schematic illustration of internalization of SSe@ZIF-8. (B) TEM images of PC12 cells treated with SSe@ZIF-8 for 6 h. white arrow: SSe@ZIF-8 in lysosomes; black arrow: SSe@ZIF-8 in autophagic vesicles. (C) CLSM images of intracelluar uptake of SSe@ZIF-8 at 0, 1, 2, and 6 h. SSe@ZIF-8 (C6: green), lysosomes (Lyso Tracker: red), and nuclei (DAPI, blue). Scale bar: 100 μm. (D) Quantitative analysis of intracellular uptake of SSe@ZIF-8 in PC12 cells. (E) Intracellular uptake of SSe@ZIF-8 in PC12 cells inhibited by different endocytosis inhibitors. Chlorpromazine (CPZ, an inhibitor of CDE), Methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD, an inhibitor of CIE), chloroquine (CHL, an inhibitor of CDE), and LY294002 (an inhibitor of macropinocytosis). Data are presented as means ± SD (n = 3). Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001