Cytotoxicity of vanadium oxide nanoparticles and titanium dioxide‐coated vanadium oxide nanoparticles to human lung cells

Abstract

Due to excellent metal-insulator transition property, vanadium dioxide nanoparticles (VO 2 NPs)-based nanomaterials are extensively studied and applied in various fields, and thus draw safety concerns of VO 2 NPs exposure through various routes. Herein, the cytotoxicity of VO 2 NPs (N-VO 2 ) and titanium dioxide-coated VO 2 NPs (T-VO 2 ) to typical human lung cell lines (A549 and BEAS-2B) was studied by using a series of biological assays. It was found that both VO 2 NPs induced a dose-dependent cytotoxicity, and the two cell lines displayed similar sensitivity to VO 2 NPs. Under the same conditions, T-VO 2 NPs showed slightly lower cytotoxicity than N-VO 2 in both cells, indicating the surface coating of titanium dioxide mitigated the toxicity of VO 2 NPs. Titanium dioxide coating changed the surface property of VO 2 NPs and reduced the vanadium release of particles, and thus helped lowing the toxicity of VO 2 NPs. The induced cell viability loss was attributed to apoptosis and proliferation inhibition, which were supported by the assays of apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane damage, caspase-3 level, and cell cycle arrest. The oxidative stress, i.e., enhanced reactive oxygen species generation and suppressed reduced glutathione , in A549 and BEAS-2B cells was one of the major mechanisms of the cytotoxicity of VO 2 NPs. These findings provide safety guidance for the practical applications of vanadium dioxide-based materials.

The Effect of Vanadium Inhalation on the Tumor Progression of Urethane-Induced Lung Adenomas in a Mice Model

“…demonstrated that some synthetic V complexes showed pro-apoptotic activities in MGC803 (human gastric cancer cell line) cells related to the increase in proteins such as Bax, caspases 3 and 9, as well as the decrease in Bcl2 [31]. On the other hand, Xi et al reported the induction of apoptotic cell death in A549 and BEAS-2B lung cancer lines associated with the overexpression of caspase 3 induced by the exposure to V nanoparticles [32].…”

“…Vanadium has been reported as a possible chemotherapeutic agent for different types of neoplasms. Some antineoplastic drugs have been administered by aerosol delivery with promising results [20,32]. Here, we propose V as a potential antineoplastic agent for lung cancer by aerosol delivery that will reduce the number of tumor cells and possibly the systemic side effects reported for V. Other V compounds need further analysis to find the dose and the best protocol for the administration for this element, which opens another possible treatment for NSCLC.…”

Copper Oxide Nanoparticle Diameter Mediates Serum‐Sensitive Toxicity in BEAS‐2B Cells

“…[ 47–49 ] BEAS‐2B cells were observed to undergo squamous differentiation in the presence of 2% FBS, spurring the development of serum‐free culture media such as LHC‐9 and BEGM. [ 21 ] Even so, many reports utilize RPMI [ 31,50–52 ] or DMEM [ 32,41,53,54 ] with up to 10% FBS. These FBS concentrations raise concerns about squamous differentiation in BEAS‐2B cells.…”

“…[ 20,21 ] Even so, many studies with BEAS‐2B cells and nanotoxicity utilize over 2% serum in the cell culture medium, potentially causing conflicting results ( Figure 1 ). [ 22–44 ]…”

Environmental Hazards of Boron and Vanadium Nanoparticles in the Terrestrial Ecosystem—A Case Study with Enchytraeus crypticus

“…BNPs, after 24 h exposure, induced 100% of Daphnia magna mortality for concentrations above 80 mg/L [ 13 ]. For VNPs, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial damage and apoptosis were observed in human lung cells [ 14 , 15 ]. Wörle-Knirsch et al (2007) [ 16 ] also reported cell viability reduction and lipid peroxidation.…”