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Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Voltage‐Gated Human K v 11.1 Potassium Channels Interact through a Novel Mechanism
Author(s) -
Piscopo Stefania,
Brown Euan R.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201703403
Subject(s) - nanoparticle , gating , nanotoxicology , potassium channel , depolarization , biophysics , patch clamp , potassium , nanomaterials , nanotechnology , materials science , chemistry , biochemistry , receptor , biology , metallurgy
Membrane–nanoparticle interactions are important in determining the effects of manufactured nanomaterials on cell physiology and pathology. Here, silica, titanium, zinc, and magnesium oxide nanoparticles are screened against human hERG (K v 11.1) voltage‐gated potassium channels under a whole‐cell voltage clamp. 10 µg mL −1 ZnO uniquely increases the amplitude of the steady‐state current, decreases the rate of hERG current inactivation during steady‐state depolarization, accelerates channel deactivation during resurgent tail currents, and shows no significant alteration of current activation rate or voltage dependence. In contrast, ZnCl 2 causes increased current suppression with increasing concentration and fails to replicate the nanoparticle effect on decreasing inactivation. The results show a novel class of nanoparticle–biomembrane interaction involving channel gating rather than channel block, and have implications for the use of nanoparticles in biomedicine, drug delivery applications, and nanotoxicology.