• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.420-427
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• 2015

It is necessary to understand the cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of food-grade delivery systems, such as ${\beta}$-lactoglobulin (${\beta}$-lg) nanoparticles, for the application of bioactive compounds to functional foods. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationships between the physicochemical properties of ${\beta}$-lg nanoparticles, such as particle size and zeta-potential value, and their cellular uptakes and cytotoxicity in Caco-2 cells. Physicochemical properties of ${\beta}$-lg nanoparticles were evaluated using particle size analyzer. Flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy were used to investigate cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of ${\beta}$-lg nanoparticles. The ${\beta}$-lg nanoparticles with various particle sizes (98 to 192 nm) and zeta-potential values (-14.8 to -17.6 mV) were successfully formed. A decrease in heating temperature from $70^{\circ}C$ to $60^{\circ}C$ resulted in a decrease in the particle size and an increase in the zeta-potential value of ${\beta}$-lg nanoparticles. Non-cytotoxicity was observed in Caco-2 cells treated with ${\beta}$-lg nanoparticles. There was an increase in cellular uptake of ${\beta}$-lg nanoparticles with a decrease in particle size and an increase in zeta-potential value. Cellular uptake ${\beta}$-lg nanoparticles was negatively correlated with particle size and positively correlated with zeta-potential value. Therefore, these results suggest that the particle size and zeta-potential value of ${\beta}$-lg nanoparticles play an important role in the cellular uptake. The ${\beta}$-lg nanoparticles can be used as a delivery system in foods due to its high cellular uptake and non-cytotoxicity.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.303-307
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• 2005

Nanomaterials, which ranges in size from 1 to 100 nm, have been used to create uqnique devices at the nanoscale level possessing novel physical and chemical functional properties. However, the toxicities of nanomaterials have not been fully tested and the risk of nanomaterials is emerging issues in these days. In this study, the cytotoxicity of copper nanoparticles was tested in cultured human bronchial epithelial cells. As a results, copper nanoparticles showed cytotoxicity similar with cupric ion and the apoptotic mechanisms of DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activation were involved. Induction of heme oxygenase-1 and thioredoxin reductase by copper nanoparticles indicated that cytotoxicity of copper nanoparticles is likely to be mediated through oxidative stress.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.1573-1578
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• 2007

An increasing number of applications is being developed for the use of nanoparticles in various fields. We investigated possible toxicities of nanoparticles in cell culture and in mice. Nanoparticles tested were Zn (300 nm), Fe (100 nm), and Si (10-20, 40-50, and 90-110 nm). The cell lines used were brain, liver, stomach, and lung from humans. In the presence of nanopaticles, mitochodrial activity decreased zero to 15%. DNA contents decreased zero to 20%, and glutathione production increased zero to 15%. None of them showed a dose dependency. Plasma membrane permeability was not altered by nanoparticles. In the case of Si, different sizes of the nanoparticles did not affect cytotoxicity. The cytotoxicity was also shown to be similar in the presence of micro-sized ($45\;{\mu}m$) Si particles. Organs from mice fed with nanoparticles showed nonspecific hemorrhage, lymphocytic infiltration, and medullary congestion. A treatment with the micro-sized particle showed similar results, suggesting that the acute in vivo toxicity was not altered by nano-sized particles.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.3998-4002
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• 2012

With continuing progress of nanotechnologies and various applications of nanoparticles, one needs to develop a quick and fairly standard assessment tool to evaluate cytotoxicity of nanoparticles. However, much cytotoxicity studies on the interpretation of the interaction between nanoparticles and cells are non-mechanistic and time-consuming. Here, we propose a simple screening method for the analysis of the interaction between several AgNPs (5.3 to 64 nm) and fluorescence-dye containing vesicles ($12{\mu}m$) acting as a biomimetic cell-membrane. Fluorescence-dye containing vesicle was prepared using a fluorescence probe (1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatryene), which was intercalated into the lipid bilayer due to their hydrophobicity. Zeta potential of all materials except for bare-AgNPs (+32.8 mV) was negative (-26 to -54 mV). The morphological change (i.e., rupture and fusion of vesicle, and release of dye) after mixing of the vesicle and AgNPs was observed by fluorescence microscopy, and fluorescence image were different with coating materials and surface charge of x-AgNPs. In the results, we found that the surface charge of nanoparticles is the key factor for vesicle rupture and fusion. This proposed method might be useful for analyzing the cytotoxicity of nanoparticles with cell-membranes instead of in vitro or in vivo cytotoxicity tests.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.872-879
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• 2002

One of the improtant characteristics of core-shell type nanoparticles is the long-term storage and reuse as an aqueous injection solution when required. For this reason, reconstruction of lyophilized core-shell type nanoparticles is considered to be essential . BAB type triblock copolymers differ from AB type diblock copolymers, which contain the A block as a hydrophilic part and the B block as a hydrophobic part. by not being easily redistributed into phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4, 0.1 M). Therefore, lyophilized core-shell type nanoparticles of CEC triblock copolymer were reconstituted using a somication process with a bar-type sonicator in combination with a freezing-thawing process. Soncation for 30s only resuspended CEC nanoparticles in PBS; their particle size distribution showed a monomodal pattern with narrow size distribution. The bimodal size distribution pattern and the aggregates were reduced by further sonication for 120 s but these nanoparticles showed a wide size distribution. The initial burst of drug release was increased by reconstitution process. The reconstitution of CEC core-shell type nanoparticles by freezing-thawing resulted in trimodal distribution pattern and formed aggregates, although freezing-thawing process was easier than sonication . Drug release form CEC nanoparticles prepared by freezing-thawing was slower than from the original dialysis solution. Although core-shell typenanoparticles of CEC triblock copolymers were not easily performed. Cytotoxicity testing of core-shell type nanoparticles of CEC-2 triblock copolymers containing clonazepam (CNZ) was performed using L929 cells. Cytotoxicity of CNZ was decreased by incorporation into nanoparticles.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1617-1620
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• 2012

Background: Gold nanoparticles have recently been investigated with respect to biocompatibility according to their interactions with cells. The purpose of this study was to examine cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction by well-characterized gold nanoparticles in human breast epithelial MCF-7 cells. Methods: Apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL, cytotoxicity by MTT assay and caspase 3, 9, p53, Bax and Bcl expression by real-time PCR assays. Results: Gold nanoparticles at up to $200\;{\mu}g/mL$ for 24 hours exerted concentration-dependent cytotoxicity and significant upregulation of mRNA expression of p53, bax, caspase-3 & caspase-9, whereas expression of antiapoptotic bcl-2 was down-regulated. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge this is the first report showing that gold nanoparticles induce apoptosis in MCF-7cells via p53, bax/bcl-2 and caspase pathways.

• Biomaterials and Biomechanics in Bioengineering
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.95-104
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• 2014

The objective of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) nanoparticles. We used a water-soluble, amphiphilic phospholipid polymer, poly (2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine-co-n-butyl methacrylate) (PMB30W), as a stabilizer for the PLA nanoparticles. The PLA nanoparticles and PMB30W-modified PLA (PLA/PMB30W) nanoparticles were prepared by evaporating tetrahydrofuran (THF) from its aqueous solution. Precipitation of the polymers from the aqueous solution produced PLA and PLA/PMB30W nanoparticles with a size distribution of $0.4-0.5{\mu}m$. The partial coverage of PMB30W on the surface of the PLA/PMB30W nanoparticles was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and dynamic light-scattering (DLS). A high-content automated screening assay (240 random fields per group) revealed that the PLA nanoparticles induced apoptosis in a mouse macrophage-like cell line (apoptotic population: 73.9% in 0.8 mg PLA/mL), while the PLA/PMB30W nanoparticles remained relatively non-hazardous in vitro (apoptotic population: 13.8% in 0.8 mg PLA/mL). The reduction of the apoptotic population was attributed to the phosphorylcholine groups in the PMB30W bound to the surface of the nanoparticle. In conclusion, precipitation of PLA in THF aqueous solution enabled the preparation of PLA nanoparticles with similar shapes and size distribution but different surface characteristics. PMB30W was an effective stabilizer and surface modifier, which reduced the cytotoxicity of PLA nanoparticles by enabling their avoidance of the mononuclear phagocyte system.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.231-236
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• 2013

Some cytotoxicity studies for the interpretation of the interaction between nanoparticles and cells are non-mechanistic and time-consuming. Therefore, non-biological screening methods, which are faster and simpler than in-vivo and in-vitro methods, are required as alternatives to current cytotoxicity tests. Here, we proposed a simple screening method for the analysis of the interaction between several AgNPs (bare-, citrate-, and polyvinylpyrrolidone-coating) and dye-containing vesicles acting as a biomimetic cell-membrane. The interaction between AgNPs and vesicles could be evaluated readily by UV-vis spectra. Absorbance deviation in UV-vis spectra revealed a large attraction between neighboring particles and vesicles. This was confirmed by (Derjagin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek) theory and DMF (dark-field microscopy) analysis. This proposed method might be useful for analyzing the cytotoxicity of nanoparticles with cell-membranes instead of in vitro or in vivo cytotoxicity tests.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.513-519
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• 2007

Self-assembled nanoparticles have great potential to act as vehicles for hydrophobic drug delivery. Understanding nanoparticle cellular internalization is essential for designing drugs intended for intracellular delivery. Here, the endocytosis and exocytosis of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated glycol chitosan (FGC) self-assembled nanoparticles were investigated by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. The cellular internalization of FGC nanoparticles was initiated by nonspecific interactions between nanoparticles and cell membranes. Although adsorptive endocytosis of the nanoparticles occurred quickly, significant amounts of FGC nanoparticles were exocytosed, particularly in the early stage of endocytosis. The amount of exocytosed nanoparticles was dependent on the pre-incubation time with nanoparticles, suggesting that exocytosis is dependent on the progress of endocytosis. FGC nanoparticles internalized by adsorptive endocytosis were distributed in the cytoplasm, but not in the nucleus. In vitro cell cycle analysis demonstrated that FGC nanoparticles delivered paclitaxel into the cytoplasm and were effective in arresting cancer cell growth.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.287-294
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• 2019

The possibility of eye exposure for workers participating in manufacturing of nanoparticles or consumers using products containing nanoparticles has been reported, but toxicity studies on the eye are scarce. In this study, cytotoxicity of five nanoparticles including silver, ceria, silica, titanium and zinc were tested using Statens Seruminstitut Rabbit Cornea (SIRC) cells. When cells were treated with nanoparticles with concentrations of $1-100{\mu}g/mL$ for 24 hr, zinc oxide nanoparticles showed higher toxicity to cornea cells. $LC_{50}$ of zinc oxide nanoparticles was less than $25{\mu}g/mL$ but those of other nanoparticles could not be calculated in this test, which means more than $100{\mu}g/mL$. Generation of reactive oxygen species was observed, and expression of apoptosis related biomarkers including Bax and Bcl-2 were changed after treatment of zinc oxide nanoparticles, while no other significant toxicity-related changes were observed in cornea cells treated with Ag, $CeO_2$, $SiO_2$ and $TiO_2$ nanoparticles.