Fig. 9: In vivo toxicity.

a In vivo ROS detection in the sections from major organs and tumors by dihydroethidium (DHE) via fluorescence microscopy. The major organs and tumors were collected from the HepG2 xenograft-tumor-bearing mice after different treatments with PBS, NSs, or NSs + 658 nm NIR irradiation (irradiation was performed only within tumor areas). Scar bar = 200 µm. b Quantification of the in vivo ROS signals from the major organs and tumors calculated from the section studies in (a). The data show mean ± s.d., n = 3 biologically independent mice, and significance was determined using a two-tailed t-test (****P < 0.0001). c H&E staining and immunofluorescence (IF) staining in the sections from the major organs and tumors, which were collected from the HepG2 xenograft-tumor-bearing mice after different treatments with PBS, NSs, or NSs + 658 nm NIR irradiation (the irradiations were only performed within tumor areas). The nucleus was stained by DAPI (blue), damaged DNA was stained by γH2AX foci (red), and apoptotic cells were stained by apoptosis marker C-CAS3 (green). Scar bar = 500 µm. Three times each experiment was repeated independently with similar results. d In vivo DNA damage of the major organs and tumors after different treatments was measured by 8-OHdG assay. The data show mean ± s.d., n = 3 biologically independent mice, and significance was determined using a two-tailed t-test (****P < 0.0001).