Differential toxicity of amorphous silica nanoparticles toward phagocytic and epithelial cells

• Published in: Journal of nanoparticle research : an interdisciplinary forum for nanoscale science and technology Vol. 13; no. 10; pp. 5381 - 5396
• Main Authors: Malugin, Alexander, Herd, Heather, Ghandehari, Hamidreza
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.10.2011; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biotechnology; Cell death; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Inorganic Chemistry; Lasers; Macrophages; Materials Science; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Optical Devices; Optics; Photonics; Physical Chemistry; Research Paper; Silicon dioxide; Surface chemistry; Toxicity; Uptakes; Phagocytes; EHS; Cellular uptake; Environmental and health effects; Nanotoxicology; Epithelial cells; Silica nanoparticles
• ISSN: 1388-0764; 1572-896X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11051-011-0524-7

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of size and surface functionality of amorphous silica nanoparticles (SNPs) on their interaction with cultured cells. The intracellular uptake, phagocytic activity, and possible mechanisms of toxicity induced by SNPs were studied on murine alveolar macrophages and two epithelial cancer cell lines. It was found that phagocytic cells are more susceptible to amorphous SNPs than epithelial cells. SNPs with functionalized surfaces were capable to induce the formation of apoptotic cells to a higher extent than plain particles. Plain SNPs induced plasma membrane damage in phagocytic cells to a higher extent and caused cell death in a shorter period of time than surface-functionalized SNPs. The prevalence of necrotic mode of cell death was observed after treatment with plain SNPs. In the range studied surface functionality played an important role in SNPs toxicity.