Original ArticleGold nanoparticles: Distribution, bioaccumulation and toxicity. In vitro and in vivo studies
Graphical Abstract
10, 30 and 60 nm diameter gold nanoparticles were administered to cell cultures and Wistar rats. Size-dependent biodistribution and excretion routes were observed in vivo. The accumulation of gold in the organs and the subcellular distribution caused an overproduction of free radicals and reactive oxygen species that originated protein carbonylation, lipid peroxidation and DNA damage. The smallest nanoparticles showed the most deleterious effects.
Section snippets
Gold nanoparticles
Citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles with 10, 30 or 60 nm of diameter size, suspended in ultrapure water at 50 mg/L, were purchased at the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST RM 8011, 8012 and 8013, Gaithersburg, USA). The reference values obtained by TEM were 8.9 ± 0.1, 27.6 ± 2.1, and 56.0 ± 0.5 nm respectively. In order to confirm the presence of monodisperse Au nanoparticles, the purchased materials were regularly checked in our laboratory. The lowest dose of AuNPs used in the
Cell viability assay
Figure 1 shows lactate dehydrogenase assay in HepG2 cells. The AuNPs provoked a decrease in viability at 16 h, compared to the control group. This viability tended to normalize after 32 h. No significant differences were found regarding the size of the nanoparticles.
ROS production
The effect of AuNPs on the generation of ROS was confirmed after observing an increase in every sample treated with 10 ppm AuNPs at 16 h, as shown in Figure 2. This overproduction was normalized after 32 h of treatment. As expected,
Discussion
Gold nanoparticles have been found to be useful in a wide range of applications, like the delivery and controlled release of a variety of chemical agents including anticancer drugs, antibiotics, amino acids, peptides, glucose, antioxidants, nucleic acids, and isotopes.13 However, the increase in their use has raised concerns about the possible interactions in vivo and the unexpected responses inside humans and other living organisms.31 Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the tissue
References (49)
- et al.
A low-cost optical transducer utilizing common electronics components for the gold nanoparticle-based immunosensing application
Sensors Actuators B Chem
(2015) - et al.
Performance improvement of inverted polymer solar cells by incorporating au and ZnO nanoparticles bilayer plasmonic nanostructure
Synth Met
(2015) - et al.
Kinetic analysis of the hydrolysis of methyl parathion using citrate-stabilized 10 nm gold nanoparticles
Chemosphere
(2016) - et al.
Current trends in using polymer coated gold nanoparticles for cancer therapy
Int J Pharm
(2015) - et al.
Particle size-dependent organ distribution of gold nanoparticles after intravenous administration
Biomaterials
(2008) - et al.
Autophagy and oxidative stress associated with gold nanoparticles
Biomaterials
(2010) - et al.
Comparative evaluation of immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR for measuring proinflammatory cytokines gene expression in livers of rats treated with gold nanoparticles
Exp Toxicol Pathol
(2016) - et al.
The gold nanoparticle size and exposure duration effect on the liver and kidney function of rats: in vivo
Saudi J Biol Sci
(2013) - et al.
AIN-93 purified diets for laboratory rodents: final report of the American Institute of Nutrition ad hoc writing committee on the reformulation of the AIN-76A rodent diet
J Nutr
(1993) - et al.
Assay for lipid peroxides in animal tissues by thiobarbituric acid reaction
Anal Biochem
(1979)
Biodistribution of colloidal gold nanoparticles after intravenous administration: effect of particle size
Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces
Cyto and genotoxicity of gold nanoparticles in human hepatocellular carcinoma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells
Toxicol Lett
Differential cytotoxic effects of gold nanoparticles in different mammalian cell lines
J Hazard Mater
Protracted elimination of gold nanoparticles from mouse liver
Nanomedicine
In vivo toxicity, biodistribution, and clearance of glutathione-coated gold nanoparticles
Nanomedicine
Silica nanoparticles administered at the maximum tolerated dose induce genotoxic effects through an inflammatory reaction while gold nanoparticles do not
Mutat Res Toxicol Environ Mutagen
No overt structural or functional changes associated with PEG-coated gold nanoparticles accumulation with acute exposure in the mouse heart
Toxicol Lett
Targeted radiotherapy with gold nanoparticles: current status and future perspectives
Nanomedicine
In vivo degeneration and the fate of inorganic nanoparticles
Chem Soc Rev
Therapeutic gold, silver, and platinum nanoparticles
Wiley Interdiscip Rev Nanomed Nanobiotechnol
Oxidative stress mediates the effects of Raman-active gold nanoparticles in human cells
Small
Gold nanoparticles are taken up by human cells but do not cause acute cytotoxicity
Small
The effects of intraperitoneal administration of gold nanoparticles size and exposure duration on oxidative and antioxidants levels in various rat organs
Pak J Pharm Sci
Ultrafine particles cross cellular membranes by nonphagocytic mechanisms in lungs and in cultured cells
Environ Health Perspect
Cited by (230)
A comprehensive review on potential applications of metallic nanoparticles as antifungal therapies to combat human fungal diseases
2023, Saudi Pharmaceutical JournalExploring the potential of nanofertilizers for a sustainable agriculture
2023, Plant Nano BiologyMesoporous Fe<inf>3</inf>O<inf>4</inf> nanoparticle: A prospective nano heat generator for thermo-therapeutic cancer treatment modality
2023, Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic MaterialsSynthesis of low toxic silver-cobalt nanoparticles using Annona muricata leaf extract: Antimicrobial evaluation
2023, Inorganic Chemistry Communications
This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation (Grant Number CTQ2011-23038) and the Spanish Ministry for Education, Culture and Sports (Grant Number FPU13/00062). These results are included in the PhD thesis of Carlos López Chaves from the University of Granada, Nutrition and Food Sciences doctoral program.
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
- 1
These authors contributed equally in this work.