Cellular uptake and toxicity of gold nanoparticles in prostate cancer cells: a comparative study of rods and spheres

Abstract

Using a series of gold nanoparticles with incremental increase in dimensions but varying geometries (spherical vs rods) we have evaluated the infl uence of shape, size, surface properties and concentration on cellular uptake, adsorption of proteins and toxicity in a human prostate cancer cell line (PC-3). In the range of 30-90 nm diameter studied, spherical particles of 50 nm in diameter without polyethylene glycol (PEG) had the highest uptake. Surface attachment of PEG reduced cellular uptake. PEGylated gold nanorods had a net positive charge compared with their spherical counterparts and particle geometry infl uenced cellular uptake. In the absence of serum proteins the uptake of plain spherical GNPs increased. These studies pave the way for the tailoring of gold nanoparticles for targeted tumor therapy applications.

Shape-dependent antibacterial effects of non-cytotoxic gold nanoparticles

“…27,34,35 As with all NPs, AuNPs have varying degrees of cytotoxicity, which is dependent on their size, [36][37][38] surface chemistry, 35,[39][40][41] shape 34,42,43 and most importantly dosage. 18 Various trends in size-dependent cytotoxicity have been observed, most commonly showing an increased cytotoxicity for smaller sized NPs, particularly those ,5 nm.…”

A one-step electrospray-based technique for modulating morphology and surface properties of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microparticles using Pluronics®

“…7 It has been demonstrated that the morphology of micro-/ nanoparticles can influence biodistribution, cellular uptake, cell internalization pathway, and drug release profile. [8][9][10][11][12] Similarly, surface charge and surface hydrophobicity have been shown to influence the stability of micro-/ nanoparticle suspensions, in vivo blood circulation time, biodistribution, protein adsorption, cellular uptake, and immune response. [13][14][15][16] However, the influence of morphology and surface properties has not been well understood due to the limited ability of existing micro-/nanoparticle preparation techniques to modulate these properties.…”

High throughput toxicity screening and intracellular detection of nanomaterials

“…The elements of analyzed particles are ionized and separated by their mass‐to‐charge‐ratio. Predominantly, mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICP‐MS) is used for quantification of NM uptake in cultured cells 16. The specimen to be investigated is either a suspension of cultured cells or a tissue sample, which needs to be dissolved prior to ICP‐MS.…”