Perfluoropentane

Perfluoropentane (96%, boiling point 28.5°C) was purchased from Strem Chemicals (Newburyport, MA, USA). Cholesterol, coconut oil, quercetin, heparin, α-chloralose urethane, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400 were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich Co. (St Louis, MO, USA). Hydrogenated soybean phosphatidylcholine (Phospholipon^® 80H) was supplied by American Lecithin Company (Oxford, CT, USA). Distearoyl phosphatidyl Ethanolamine-PEG with a mean molecular weight of 5,000 (DSPE-PEG 5000) was obtained from Nippon Oil & Fats Co., Ltd (Tokyo, Japan). The cellulose membrane (Cellu-Sep^® T2, molecular weight cut-off 6,000–8,000 Da) was obtained from Membrane Filtration Products Inc. (Seguin, TX, USA). Ethanol, chloroform, ethyl acetate, mEthanol, and acetonitrile were purchased from EMD Millipore (Billerica, MA, USA). Triply deionized water from EMD Millipore) was used in the preparation of all aqueous solutions.
Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (200±30 g body weight) were obtained from the National Yang-Ming University Animal Center, Taipei, Taiwan. The animals were specifically pathogen-free and had free access to food (Laboratory Rodent Diet 5001, PMI Nutrition International LLC, St Louis, MO, USA) and water. All experimental protocols involving animals were performed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (1010613) of National Yang-Ming University.