Figure 4

Complete protection from mortality induced by Vibrio vulnificus infection in mice by systemic administration of AuNP-Apt^His-HPA3P^His (A) Distribution of V. vulnificus in the organs of mice after subcutaneous inoculation of V. vulnificus (5 × 10⁴ CFU). The mice were sacrificed at indicated time points. Each data point represents the mean ± SEM of two mice. (B) Schematic illustration of in vivo mice experiment is presented at the top. The percent survival of V. vulnificus-infection mice after treatment with buffer, AuNP-Apt^His (5 nM), HPA3P^His (2 mg/kg), or AuNP-Apt^His-HPA3P^His (~1 mg/kg of AMP loaded on 5 nM of AuNP-Apt^His) until 120 h after infection has been presented. Five mice were used for each group. (C) The in vivo bactericidal efficacy of AuNP-Apt^His-HPA3P^His was confirmed by examining the viable V. vulnificus counts in the spleen, inguinal lymph node (ILN), and liver isolated from the V. vulnificus-infected mice treated with buffer, AuNP-Apt^His, HPA3P^His, or AuNP-Apt^His- HPA3P^His. Four mice were used for each group, and mice were sacrificed 18 h after V. vulnificus infection. Data are expressed as the number of CFUs/g organ. Asterisks indicate statistically significant values (*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001).