Abstract
This article aimed to identify and distinguish the various responses to silver nanoparticles (NPs) of endothelial and epithelial cells. We also assessed the significantly increased gene expression levels, as shown by microarray analysis. We evaluated the median lethal dose of NPs in each cell line and found that each value was different. We also confirmed the toxicity of 5 nm silver NPs. Meanwhile, cell death was not observed in cells exposed to 100 nm silver NPs at a high concentration. We verified that 5 nm silver NPs affected the variation in gene expression in cells through microarray analysis and observed a noticeable increase in interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-11 gene expression in early stages. This study showed noticeable variation in the expression of oxidative stress-related genes in early stages. Microarray results showed considerable variation in cell death-, apoptosis-, and cell survival-related gene expression. Of note, IL-11 gene expression was particularly increased following the exposure of endothelial and epithelial cells to 5 nm silver NPs. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that intracellular genes specifically responded to silver NPs in respiratory epithelial cells and endothelial cells. Among cytokine genes, IL-11 expression was noticeably increased. Additionally, we confirmed that NP toxicity was affected by NP size and dose.
Highlights
The ultrafine particle size of nanomaterials is limited to approximately 100 nm, and nanomaterials have been applied in various ways due to this small size [1]
We evaluated the gene expression of endothelial cells and epithelial cells when exposed to silver NPs
The 5 nm silver NPs were comparatively consistent in size, whereas the 100 nm silver NPs varied in size
Summary
The ultrafine particle size of nanomaterials is limited to approximately 100 nm, and nanomaterials have been applied in various ways due to this small size [1]. Nanotechnology represents an emerging dynamic field with approximately 50,000 articles being published each year, and according to the European Patent Office, >2500 patents have been filed recently [3]. Metal nanoparticles (NPs) that contain gold, silver, iron, zinc, and metal oxides have been widely used owing to their large surface-area-to-volume ratio and unique physicochemical properties, including high electrical and thermal conductivity and optical, magnetic, and catalytic activities [4,5]. Silver NPs have been identified as a cause of toxicity in the human body; they are considered dual-natured with both positive and negative aspects. Many toxicity evaluations and risk assessments of NPs are being conducted
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