Fig. 5

In vivo antibacterial activity against a P. aeruginosa murine skin abscess infection model. a In vivo antibacterial experimental time line. b In vivo fluorescence imaging (left) and quantitative analysis (right) of P. aeruginosa-infected mice after subcutaneous injection of NP- ICG/RIF or NM-NP-ICG/RIF (ICG concentration: 5 µg mL^− 1) at different time intervals (The white circles indicate the P. aeruginosa-infected areas, n = 3). c Photothermal heating images of bacterial infection treated with NP-ICG/RIF or NM-NP-ICG/RIF (15 µg mL^− 1 of ICG) under NIR irradiation (808 nm, 1.0 W cm^− 2) for different time periods. (d) Photothermal heating curves and (e) Final temperatures reached after photothermal treatment with NP-ICG/RIF or NM-NP-ICG/RIF (ICG concentration: 15 µg mL^− 1, n = 5). f Plate colony images and (g) quantification results of the bacteria obtained from infected tissues treated under different conditions (n = 5). Quantification of (h) TNF-α and (i) IL-6 in the infected tissues after various treatment (n = 3). j Survival rate of infected mice in 10 days after treatment under different conditions (n = 9). (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001, Student’s t-test)