Cytotoxic Effects of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on Hep G2 Cells

Abstract

Iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3-NPs) are being used in an increasing number of fields such as molecular imaging in the context of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, ultrasound, optical imaging, and X-ray imaging. This widespread application of different sized of Fe2O3-NP in the biomedical field raises concerns over their increasing expose to tissues and organs of the human and animals. This study investigated molecular and cytotoxic effects of Fe2O3-NP (20 nm) on Hep G2 cells (human liver cancer cell line). Nanoparticles are containing high surface area to volume ratio that converted them to reactive molecules; therefore we evaluated oxidative stress biomarkers by standard biochemical methods. Results showed cells treated by Fe2O3-NP produced high concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Assessment of ROS content in different concentration of Fe2O3-NP approved increased ROS level directly accompanied by doubled nanoparticle does. ROS overproduction is accompanied by lactate dehydrogenase enzyme (LDH) leakage from the cells revealed to membrane damages in the presence of toxicant nanoparticle. Mentioned molecular effects increase cell death in does dependent manner that evaluated by MTT assay. Possibly due to small size of nanoparticle which allows fast and easy entry into the cells and increased ROS overproduction attack to the membrane and intracellular organelles that finally lead to cell death.