Figure 1

Chitosan nanoparticles target lung epithelial and monocytic cells. (A) BALB/c mice were treated i.n. with chitosan nanoparticles containing pGFP. After 24 h, mice were sacrificed and their lungs were fixed and sectioned by cryotome. Sections (15 micron) were thaw-mounted to slides and viewed for green fluorescent protein ('Lung'). BAL cells were fixed after cytospin on a slide and visualized by fluorescence microscopy to identify GFP-expressing cells ('BAL'). (B) CIN administration induced IFN-γ production in the lung over a period of 10 days. Lung homogenates were prepared from mice after 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 days of treatment with CIN (25 μg/mouse) or chitosan alone, and IFN-γ levels were determined by ELISA (n = 3).