Premium
Surface‐Charge Induced Cellular Uptake and Cytotoxicity of Gold Nanoparticles
Author(s) -
Choi Seonyoung,
Park Jin Ho,
Jang Soo Hwa,
Lee Hosub,
Lee Kangtaek,
Ryu Pan Dong,
Yang Sung Ik,
Joo SangWoo,
Lee So Yeong
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.658.12
Nanoparticles (NPs) have been extensively utilized for industrial and biomedical purposes. However, the potential cytotoxic effects of surface charge of Au NPs have not yet been fully understood. In the present study, we examined the effect of the surface charge of Au NPs on their cytotoxicity by using A549 cells. Au NP uptake into A549 cells was characterized using transmission electron microscopy and dark‐field microscopy. Methylthiazol tetrazolium and lactate dehydrogenase assays revealed that positively charged gold nanoparticles (Au(+) NPs) were more toxic than were negatively charged gold nanoparticles (Au(−) NPs), as determined by their half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ). Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that the population of sub‐G 1 phase cells increased for A549 cells treated with either Au(+) or Au(−) NPs. Real‐time PCR analysis of apoptosis genes also showed that the Au NPs could decrease cell viability by inducing apoptotic effects maybe through different apoptotic pathway. Taken together, these effects of the surface charge of Au NPs causing dissimilar cytotoxicity and apoptosis should be significant for their potential application in biological systems. This work is supported by National Research Foundation of Korea (2010‐0017216).