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Abstract
Different methodological settings can influence particle characteristics and toxicity in nanotoxicology. The aim of this study was to investigate how serum proteins and sonication of Cu nanoparticle suspensions influence the properties of the nanoparticles and toxicological responses on human lung epithelial cells. This was investigated by using methods for particle characterization (photon correlation spectroscopy and TEM) and Cu release (atomic absorption spectroscopy) in combination with assays for analyzing cell toxicity (MTT-, trypan blue- and Comet assay). The results showed that sonication of Cu nanoparticles caused decreased cell viability and increased Cu release compared to non-sonicated particles. Furthermore, serum in the cell medium resulted in less particle agglomeration and increased Cu release compared with medium without serum, but no clear difference in toxicity was detected. Few cells showed intracellular Cu nanoparticles due to fast release/dissolution processes of Cu. In conclusion; sonication can affect the toxicity of nanoparticles.
Declaration of interest: The authors of this paper are members of the Stockholm Particle Group (SPG), an operative network between three universities in Stockholm: The Karolinska Institutet, the Royal Institute of Technology, and Stockholm University. Financial support from the Swedish Research Council (VR) is greatly acknowledged. This work was partly supported by the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences, and Spatial Planning (FORMAS), ÅForsk (Ångpanneföreningen's Foundation for Research and Development), and Environmental Cancer Risk, Nutrition, and Individual Susceptibility (ECNIS), a Network of Excellence operating within the European Union 6th Framework Program, Priority 5: “Food, Quality and Safety” (Contract No. 513943). The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.