title: Transmission electron microscopy of lipid vesicles for drug delivery: comparison between positive and negative staining.
abstract: Lipid-containing nanostructures, in the form of solid lipid nanoparticles or iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) coated with a lipid shell, were used as case studies for assessing and optimizing staining for transmission electron microscopy structural and compositional characterization. These systems are of paramount importance as drug delivery systems or as bio-compatible contrast agents. In particular, we have treated the systems with a negative (phospshotungstic acid) or with a positive (osmium tetroxide) staining agent. For iron-oxide NPs coated with the lipid shell, negative staining was more efficient with respect to the positive one. Nevertheless, in particular cases the combination of the two staining procedures provided more complete morphological and compositional characterization of the particles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Padova, via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova, Italy. bello@padova.infm.it
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mattei
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mazzoldi
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vivenza
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gasco
authors.forename: Jean Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Idee
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robic
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Borsella
mesh_terms: D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D008055:Lipids; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids