A three-dimensional reconstruction analysis of localization of phosphodiester and phosphorothioate oligonucleotide antisense to type-1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) mRNA within endothelial cells is described. When EA.hy 926 cells were incubated with fluorescently labelled phosphodiester (PO-16) or phosphorothioate (PS-16) oligonucleotides at low, not cytotoxical concentrations, the relative brightness composition of the images of the particular samples was much higher for PS-16 than PO-16 and dependent upon the extracellular concentration and the incubation time. The 3-D reconstructions based on the series of optical sections of the samples, spaced every 1.5 microns, showed the punctuate accumulation of the oligonucleotides and a striking difference in a spatial distribution between PO-16 and PS-16 within the cytoplasm. Even after 24 h incubation of endothelial cells with 2.5 microM of PO-16 and PS-16 oligonucleotides, there was a predominant oligonucleotide localization within the cytoplasm and only traces of oligonucleotides could be seen in the cell nucleus and/or perinuclear organelles.