Abstract
BackgroundClarifying the physicochemical properties of nanomaterials is crucial for hazard assessment and the safe application of these substances. With this in mind, we analyzed the relationship between particle size and the in vitro effect of amorphous nanosilica (nSP). Specifically, we evaluated the relationship between particle size of nSP and the in vitro biological effects using human keratinocyte cells (HaCaT).ResultsOur results indicate that exposure to nSP of 70 nm diameter (nSP70) induced an elevated level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to DNA damage. A markedly reduced response was observed using submicron-sized silica particles of 300 and 1000 nm diameter. In addition, cytochalasin D-treatment reduced nSP70-mediated ROS generation and DNA damage, suggesting that endocytosis is involved in nSP70-mediated cellular effects.ConclusionsThus, particle size affects amorphous silica-induced ROS generation and DNA damage of HaCaT cells. We believe clarification of the endocytosis pathway of nSP will provide useful information for hazard assessment as well as the design of safer forms of nSPs.
Highlights
Clarifying the physicochemical properties of nanomaterials is crucial for hazard assessment and the safe application of these substances
Close examination of the silica particles of different particle sizes by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that all the particles used in this study were spherical and the primary particle sizes were approximately uniform (Figure 1A-C)
NSP70-induced DNA damage was significantly reduced by pretreatment with cytochalasin D (Figure 5A and 5B). These findings suggest that the silica particles entered the cells mainly through actin-mediated endocytosis, such as the macropinocytosis pathway, thereby inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and DNA damage
Summary
Clarifying the physicochemical properties of nanomaterials is crucial for hazard assessment and the safe application of these substances With this in mind, we analyzed the relationship between particle size and the in vitro effect of amorphous nanosilica (nSP). Nanomaterials have been widely used in consumer and industrial applications, such as medicine, cosmetics and foods, because they exhibit unique physicochemical properties and innovative functions [1]. Materials such as amorphous silica nanoparticles (nSPs) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) are colorless and reflect ultraviolet light more efficiently than micro-sized particles. Central to the study of nanotoxicology is genotoxicity, the study of genetic aberrations following exposure to nanomaterials, because it is known that an increased genetic instability is associated with the development of cancer
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