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Petro Virych,1 Pavlo Virych,2 Volodymyr Prokopiuk,3,4 Anatolii Onishchenko,3 Mykola Ischenko,2 Volodymyr Doroschuk,2 Valentyna Kurovska,5 Anton Tkachenko,4 Nataliya Kutsevol2 1Laboratory of Mechanisms of Drug Resistance, R.E. Kavetsky Institute for Experimental Pathology, Oncology and Radiobiology, Kyiv, Ukraine; 2Faculty of Chemistry, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine; 3Research Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Kharkiv National Medical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine; 4Department of Cryobiochemistry, Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kharkiv, Ukraine; 5Educational and Scientific Center “Institute of Biology and Medicine”, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, UkraineCorrespondence: Pavlo Virych, Faculty of Chemistry, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 60 Volodymyrska str, Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine, Email pavlo.virych@knu.ua Anton Tkachenko, Department of Cryobiochemistry, Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 23 Pereyaslavskaya St, Kharkiv, 61015, Ukraine, Email as.tkachenko@knmu.edu.uaIntroduction: Tumor drug resistance and systemic toxicity are major challenges of modern anticancer therapy. Nanotechnology makes it possible to create new materials with the required properties for anticancer therapy.Methods: In this research, Dextran-graft-Polyacrylamide/ZnO nanoparticles were used. The study was carried out using prostate (DU-145, LNCaP, PC-3), breast (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, MCF-7 Dox) cancer cells and non-malignant (MAEC, BALB/3T3 clone A31) cells. Zinc was visualized with fluorescence in vitro and in vivo. ROS and apoptotic markers were identified by cytometry. Zinc accumulation and histopathological changes in the tumor, liver, kidney, and spleen were evaluated in a rat model.Results: ZnO nanoparticles dissociation and release of Zn2+ into the cytosol occurs in 2– 3 hours for cancerous and non-cancerous cells. ROS upregulation was detected in all cells. For non-malignant cells, the difference between the initial ROS level was insignificant. The rate of carbohydrate metabolism in cancer cells was reduced by nanosystems. Zinc level in the tumor was upregulated by 25% and 39% after treatment with nanosystems and doxorubicin combined, respectively. The tumor Walker-256 carcinosarcoma volume was reduced twice following mono-treatment with the nanocomplex and 65-fold lower when the nanocomplex was combined with doxorubicin compared with controls. In the liver, kidney and spleen, the zinc level increased by 10– 15% but no significant pathological alterations in the tissues were detected.Conclusion: D-PAA/ZnO NPs nanosystems were internalized by prostate, breast cancer cells and non-malignant cells via endocytosis after short time, but cytotoxicity against non-cancer cells were significantly lower in vitro and in vivo. D-PAA/ZnO NPs nanocomplex efficiently promoted cell death of tumor cells without showing cytotoxicity against non-malignant cells making it a promising anti-cancer agent.Keywords: zinc oxide nanoparticles, doxorubicin, prostate cancer, breast cancer, zinc imaging, histopathology

Vasyl Chumachenko,1 Pavlo Virych,1 Guochao Nie,2 Petro Virych,3 Oleg Yeshchenko,4 Pavlo Khort,4 Anton Tkachenko,5 Volodymyr Prokopiuk,5,6 Nataliia Lukianova,3 Taras Zadvornyi,3 Michel Rawiso,7 Liyao Ding,2 Nataliya Kutsevol1,7 1Chemistry Department, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine; 2Guangxi Universities Key Laboratory of Complex System Optimization and Big Data Processing, Yulin Normal University, Yulin, People’s Republic of China; 3Laboratory of Mechanisms of Drug Resistance, R.E. Kavetsky Institute for Experimental Pathology, Oncology and Radiobiology, Kyiv, Ukraine; 4Physics Department, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine; 5Research Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Kharkiv National Medical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine; 6Department of Cryobiochemistry, Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kharkiv, Ukraine; 7Institut Charles Sadron, Strasbourg, FranceCorrespondence: Guochao Nie, Guangxi Universities Key Laboratory of Complex System Optimization and Big Data Processing, Yulin Normal University, Yulin, 537000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-17377071871, Email bccu518@163.com Pavlo Virych, Chemistry Department, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 60 Volodymyrska str., Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine, Tel +380-631172137, Email pavlo.virych@knu.uaIntroduction: Cancer chemotherapy faces two major challenges – high toxicity of active substances and tumor resistance to drugs. Low toxic nanocarriers in combination with anticancer agents can significantly increase the effectiveness of therapy. Modern advances in nanotechnology make it easy to create materials with the necessary physical and chemical properties.Methods: Two hybrid nanosystems of dextran-polyacrylamide/ zinc oxide nanoparticles (D-PAA/ZnO NPs) were synthesized in aqueous solution with zinc sulphate (D-PAA/ZnO NPs (SO42-)) and zinc acetate (D-PAA/ZnO NPs (-OAc)). The light absorption, fluorescence, dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy for nanocomposite characterization were used. MTT, neutral red uptake and scratch assays were selected as fibroblasts cytotoxicity assays. Cytotoxicity was tested in vitro for normal fibroblasts, MAEC, prostate (LNCaP, PC-3, DU-145) and breast (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7) cancer cells lines. Immunocytochemical methods were used for detection of Ki-67, p53, Bcl-2, Bax, e-cadherin, N-cadherin and CD44 expression. Acridine orange was used to detect morphological changes in cells.Results: The radius of ZnO NPs (SO42-) was 1.5 nm and ZnO NPs (-OAc) was 2 nm. The nanosystems were low-toxic to fibroblasts, MAEC. Cells in the last stages of apoptosis with the formation of apoptotic bodies were detected for all investigated cancer cell lines. Proapoptotic proteins expression in cancer cells indicates an apoptotic death. Increased expression of E-cadherin and N-cadherin was registered for cancer cells line LNCaP, PC-3, DU-145 and MCF-7 after 48 h incubation with D-PAA/ZnO NPs (SO42-).Conclusion: The nanosystems were low-toxic to fibroblasts, MAEC. The D-PAA/ZnO NPs nanosystem synthesized using zinc sulphate demonstrates high cytotoxicity due to destruction of various types of cancer cells in vitro and potentially increases adhesion between cells. Thus, our findings indicate the selective cytotoxicity of D-PAA/ZnO NPs against cancer cells and can be potentially used for cancer treatment.Keywords: zinc oxide nanoparticles, polymer nanocarrier, drug delivery, cytotoxicity, prostate cancer, breast cancer

Genital tract infections of various etiologies and anemia remain common in pregnant women. At present, there is a paucity of data on the impact of reproductive tract infections on the development of anemia in pregnant women, with particular emphasis on the contribution of eryptosis. The aim of the current study was to assess the ability of bacterial, viral and fungal reproductive tract infections to trigger eryptosis of circulating erythrocytes in pregnant women. Methods. The study included 47 pregnant women. According to the pathology of the infection, the patients were divided into three groups: 14 women with bacterial, 12 women with viral, 11 women with fungal infections of the reproductive tract and 10 pregnant women without extragenital and obstetric pathology (control subjects). The following methods were used to determine infection: bacteriologic, microscopic, polymerase chain reaction, immunoenzymatic, etc. Flow cytometry-based detection of eryptosis parameters (cell morphology, membrane phospholipid scrambling, and oxidative stress) was performed in pregnant women with reproductive tract infections of bacterial, viral, or fungal origin and in healthy individuals. Annexin V-FITC staining and 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (H2DCFDA) staining were used to quantify phosphatidylserine exposure and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, respectively. Fluorescence was acquired using a BD FACSCanto™ II flow cytometer. ANOVA test was used to compare numerical data of eryptosis assays. Post-hoc Bonferroni test was applied afterwards. Data were processed by Graph Pad Prism 5.0 software (USA). The difference was considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. The research was conducted in accordance with the fundamental principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP, 1996), the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (April 4, 1997), the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association on Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects (1964-2008), as well as the Ministry of Health of Ukraine Order No. 690 dated September 23, 2009 (amended by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine Order No. 523 dated July 12, 2012). The research design was discussed and approved at the meeting of the Medical and Ethical Committee of the Kharkiv National Medical University (Protocol No. 19 dated May 19, 2024). The paper is an excerpt from the scientific research project of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology No. 2 at Kharkiv National Medical University, entitled «Optimisation of diagnostics, treatment of diseases of the reproductive system and pregnancy complications in women with extragenital pathology» (state registration number 0121U110923).) Results. Erythropoiesis parameters were evaluated in pregnant women with bacterial, viral and fungal reproductive tract infections. Pregnancy-associated bacterial reproductive tract infections were associated with increased phosphatidylserine externalization in circulating erythrocytes, without ROS accumulation or cell shrinkage. Erythrocytes from patients with genital tract infections of viral or fungal origin show no signs of eryptosis, such as cell membrane scrambling, oxidative stress, or changes in cell morphology. Conclusions. Reproductive tract infections of bacterial origin in pregnant women are associated with accelerated eryptosis, which may contribute to anemia in these women. Exclusively bacterial genital tract infection was shown to induce lipid membrane scrambling and hence eryptosis in erythrocytes from pregnant women. Phosphatidylserine externalization did not differ significantly between women with viral or fungal infections and healthy controls. Eryptosis induced by bacterial genital tract infection was not associated with cell shrinkage or ROS overproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of the structure investigation of a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells using the carbon nanomaterials. Solar cells were fabricated on the glass with transparent conductive oxide TCO (10Ω/sq). Nanocrystalline titania based photoanode was prepared by spreading TiO2 paste onto TCO glass and subsequently annealed at 450°C for at least 30 min to convert anatase phase and make an interparticle network. After then the nanostructured titania films was immersed into an ethanolic solution of the ruthenium-based dye. As a counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells composite films of carbon nanomaterials and polystyrene sulfonate doped poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) PEDOT-PSS (Sigma-Aldrich) were deposited onto TCO substrates. Because carbon nanoelements and titanium oxide consist of nano-metric structural units to determine the properties of the cells and their parameters several surface sensitive techniques and methods, i.e. Raman spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), and electric properties of conductive layers were used.

In this study titanium dioxide nanopowder has been manufactured and examined. Nanocrystalline TiO2 powder has been obtained by hydrolysis and peptization of a solution of titanium isopropoxide and isopropanol. Subsequently, produced powder has been subjected to structural analysis by using a transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, and Raman spectrometer. For comparison purposes, a commercially available titanium dioxide powder (i.e. titanium white) was also used. Thin layers have been made from this powder and further have been examined by using a UV/VIS spectrometer. Completed research shows the nanocrystalline structure of obtained layers and their good properties such as absorbance at the range of wavelength equal 200 - 1000 nm.

The influence of the carbon nanotubes counter electrode deposited on the FTO glass substrates on the structure and optoelectrical properties of dye-sensitized solar cells counter electrode (CE) was analysed. Carbon materials have been applied in DSSC s in order to produce low-cost solar cells with reasonable efficiency. Platinum is a preferred material for the counter electrode because of its high conductivity and catalytic activity. However, the costs of manufacturing of the platinum counter electrode limit its use to large-scale applications in solar cells. This paper presents the results of examining the structure and properties of the studied layers, defining optical properties of conductive layers and electrical properties of dye-sensitized solar cells manufactured with the use of carbon nanotubes.

Nanostructured materials have been suggested to be used as a source of dietary zinc for livestock animals. In this study, we assessed the cytotoxicity of newly synthesized nanostructured zinc carbonate hydroxide (ZnCH) Zn 5 (CO 3 )(OH) 6 microflakes. Cytotoxicity of the microflakes was assessed against murine L929 cell line and rat mature erythrocytes. Viability, motility, cell death pathways, implication of Ca 2+ , reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) signaling, caspases, and alterations of cell membranes following exposure of L929 cells to the microflakes were assessed. To assess hemocompatibility of the Zn-containing microflakes, osmotic fragility and hemolysis assays were performed, as well as multiple eryptosis parameters were evaluated. Our findings indicate a dose-response cytotoxicity of ZnCH microflakes against L929 cells with no toxicity observed for low concentrations (10 mg l -1 and below). At high concentrations (25 mg l -1 and above), ZnCH microflakes promoted nitrosyl stress, Ca 2+ - and caspase-dependent apoptosis, and altered lipid order of cell membranes in a dose-dependent manner, evidenced by up to 7-fold elevation of RNS-dependent fluorescence, 2.9-fold enhancement of Fura 2-dependent fluorescence, over 20-fold elevation of caspases-dependent fluorescence (caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9), and up to 4.4-fold increase in the ratiometric index of the NR12S probe. Surprisingly, toxicity to enucleated mature erythrocytes was found to be lower compared to L929 cells. ZnCH microflakes induced eryptosis associated with oxidative stress, nitrosyl stress, Ca 2+ signaling and recruitment of caspases at 25-50-100 mg l -1 . Eryptosis assays were found to be more sensitive than evaluation of hemolysis. Zn 5 (CO 3 )(OH) 6 microflakes show no cytotoxicity at low concentrations indicating their potential as a source of zinc for livestock animals., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.)

Synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles-polymer nanocomposites is an emerging strategy in nanotechnology to improve targeted delivery and reduce the toxicity of nanoparticles. In this study, we report biological effects of previously described hybrid nanocomposites containing dextran-graft-polyacrylamide/zinc oxide nanoparticles (D-PAA/ZnO NPs) prepared from zinc sulfate (D-PAA/ZnONPs(SO 4 2- )) and zinc acetate (D-PAA/ZnONPs(-OAc)) focusing primarily on their antimicrobial activity. D-PAA/ZnONPs(SO 4 2- ) and D-PAA/ZnONPs(-OAc) nanosystems were tested in a complex way to assess their antioxidant activity (DPPH assay), antidiabetic potential (α-amylase inhibition), DNA cleavage activity, antimicrobial, and antibiofilm activity. In addition, the toxicity of D-PAA/ZnONPs(SO 4 2- ) and D-PAA/ZnONPs(-OAc) nanosystems against primary murine splenocytes was tested using MTT assay. The studied nanosystems inhibited E.coli growth. For all the investigated strains, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of D-PAA/ZnONPs(SO 4 2- ) and D-PAA/ZnONPs(-OAc) were in the range of 8 mg/L-128 mg/L and 16 mg/L-128 mg/L, respectively. The nanocomposites demonstrated effective antibiofilm properties as 94.27% and 86.43%. The compounds showed good antioxidant, anti-α-amylase, and DNA cleavage activities. D-PAA/ZnONPs(SO 4 2- ) and D-PAA/ZnONPs(-OAc) nanosystems reduced cell viability and promoted cell death of primary murine spleen cells at concentrations higher than those that proved to be antibacterial indicating the presence of therapeutic window. D-PAA/ZnONPs(SO 4 2- ) and D-PAA/ZnONPs(-OAc) nanosystems show antioxidant, antidiabetic, DNA cleavage, antimicrobial, and antibiofilm activity against the background of good biocompatibility suggesting the presence of therapeutic potential, which should be further investigated in vivo., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The therapeutic potential of redox-active nanoscale materials as antioxidant- or reactive oxygen species (ROS)-inducing agents was intensely studied. Herein, we demonstrate that the synthesized and characterized GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ and LaVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles, which have been already shown to have redox-active, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and wound healing properties, both in vitro and in vivo, worsen oxidative stress of L929 cells triggered by hydrogen peroxide or tert -butyl hydroperoxide (tBuOOH) at the concentrations that are safe for intact L929 cells. This effect was observed upon internalization of the investigated nanosized materials and is associated with the cleavage of caspase-3 and caspase-9 without recruitment of caspase-8. Such changes in the caspase cascade indicate activation of the intrinsic caspase-9-dependent mitochondrial but not the extrinsic death, receptor-mediated, and caspase-8-dependent apoptotic pathway. The GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ and LaVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticle-induced apoptosis of oxidatively compromised L929 cells is mediated by ROS overgeneration, Ca 2+ overload, endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase), and DNA damage-inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3). Our findings demonstrate that GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ and LaVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles aggravate the oxidative stress-induced damage to L929 cells, indicating that they might potentially be applied as anti-cancer agents.

Nanoparticles (NPs) with reactive oxygen species (ROS)-regulating ability have recently attracted great attention as promising agents for nanomedicine. In the present study, we have analyzed the effects of TiO 2 defect structure related to the presence of stoichiometric (Ti 4+ ) and non-stoichiometric (Ti 3+ and Ti 2+ ) titanium ions in the crystal lattice and TiO 2 NPs aggregation ability on H 2 O 2 - and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBOOH)-induced ROS production in L929 cells. Synthesized TiO 2 -A, TiO 2 -B, and TiO 2 -C NPs with varying Ti 3+ (Ti 2+ ) content were characterized by x-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, small-angle x-ray scattering, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and optical spectroscopy methods. Given the role of ROS-mediated toxicity for metal oxide NPs, L929 cell viability and changes in the intracellular ROS levels in H 2 O 2 - and tBOOH-treated L929 cells incubated with TiO 2 NPs have been evaluated. Our research shows that both the amount of non-stoichiometric Ti 3+ and Ti 2+ ions in the crystal lattice of TiO 2 NPs and NPs aggregative behavior affect their catalytic activity, in particular, H 2 O 2 decomposition and, consequently, the efficiency of aggravating H 2 O 2 - and tBOOH-induced oxidative damage to L929 cells. TiO 2 -A NPs reveal the strongest H 2 O 2 decomposition activity aligning with their less pronounced additional effects on H 2 O 2 -treated L929 cells due to the highest amount of Ti 3+ (Ti 2+ ) ions. TiO 2 -C NPs with smaller amounts of Ti 3+ ions and a tendency to aggregate in water solutions show lower antioxidant activity and, consequently, some elevation of the level of ROS in H2O2/tBOOH-treated L929 cells. Our findings suggest that synthesized TiO 2 NPs capable of enhancing ROS generation at concentrations non-toxic for normal cells, which should be further investigated to assess their possible application in nanomedicine as ROS-regulating pharmaceutical agents., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.)

Aim In the current study, hemocompatibility of three major commercially available types of carrageenans (ι, κ and λ) was investigated focusing on eryptosis., Materials and Methods: Carrageenans of ι-, κ- and λ-types were incubated with washed erythrocytes (hematocrit 0.4%) at 0-1-5-10 g/L for either 24 h or 48 h. Incubation was followed by flow cytometry-based quantitative analysis of eryptosis parameters, including cell volume, cell membrane scrambling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lipid peroxidation markers and confocal microscopy-based evaluation of intracellular Ca 2+ levels, assessment of lipid order in cell membranes and the glutathione antioxidant system. Confocal microscopy was used to assess carrageenan cellular internalization using rhodamine B isothiocyanate-conjugated carrageenans., Results: All three types of carrageenans were found to trigger eryptosis. Pro-eryptotic properties were type-dependent and λ-carrageenan had the strongest impact inducing phosphatidylserine membrane asymmetry, changes in cell volume, Ca 2+ signaling and oxidative stress characterized by ROS overproduction, activation of lipid peroxidation and severe glutathione system depletion. Eryptosis induction by carrageenans does not require their uptake by erythrocytes. Changes in physicochemical properties of cell membrane were also type-dependent. No carrageenan-induced generation of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals was observed in cell-free milieu., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that ι-, κ- and λ-types trigger eryptosis in a type-dependent manner and indicate that carrageenans can be further investigated as potential eryptosis-regulating therapeutic agents., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

This work is devoted to the comparison of the physical and biological properties of synthesized osteoplastic composites with an experimentally determined content (375 μg/g) of the micro (ZnO MPs ) and nano (ZnO NPs ) particles, immobilized in Hydroxyapatite-Alginate-Chitosan matrix (HA-Alg-CS). ZnO NPs show pronounced antimicrobial activity against E.coli ATCC 25922 and S. aureus ATCC 25923, while ZnO MPs only in the CS presence. Composites containing ZnO NPs/MPs do not have a toxic effect on bone-forming cells - osteoblasts, preserving their ability to biomineralization. ZnO MPs and ZnO NPs to varying degrees, but significantly affect composites' swelling, porosity, shape stability, and prolong vitamin D3 release for 120h, compared to Control. Composites do not demonstrate unwanted "burst release." ZnO NPs/MPs increase Youngs' modulus of the HA-Alg matrix, namely 348 → 419 MPa (ZnO MPs ), 348 → 646 MPa (ZnO NPs ), and weaken the plastic (irreversible) deformations. The compressive strength of HA-Alg and HA-Alg/CS matrixes containing ZnO NPs (178 MPa and 251 MPa, respectively) is in the range of values for native cortical bone (170-193 MPa). Biocompatibility and lack of toxic effect give both composites a perspective for osteoplastic application, but composites doped with ZnO NPs are more attractive., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Search for new antimicrobial agents is of great significance due to the issue of antimicrobial resistance, which nowadays has become more important than many diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity and biological effects of a dextran-graft-polyacrylamide (D-PAA) polymer-nanocarrier with/without silver or gold nanoparticles (AgNPs/D-PAA and AuNPs/D-PAA, respectively) to analyze their potential to replace or supplement conventional antibiotic therapy. The toxicity of nanocomplexes against eukaryotic cells was assessed on primary dermal fibroblasts using scratch, micronucleus and proliferation assays. DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazylradical) assay was used to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of D-PAA, AgNPs/D-PAA and AuNPs/D-PAA. DNA cleavage, antimicrobial and biofilm inhibition effects of nanocomplexes were investigated. Nanocomplexes were found to be of moderate toxicity against fibroblasts with no genotoxicity observed. AgNPs/D-PAA reduced motility and proliferation at lower concentrations compared with the other studied nanomaterials. AgNPs/D-PAA and AuNPs/D-PAA showed radical scavenging capacities in a dose-dependent manner. The antimicrobial activity of AgNPs/D-PAA against various bacteria was found to be much higher compared to D-PAA and AuNPs/D-PAA, especially against E. hirae, E. faecalis and S. aureus, respectively. D-PAA, AgNPs/D-PAA and AuNPs/D-PAA showed DNA-cleaving and biofilm inhibitory activity, while AgNPs/D-PAA displayed the highest anti-biofilm activity. AgNPs/D-PAA and AuNPs/D-PAA were characterized by good antimicrobial activity. According to the findings of the study, AgNPs/D-PAA and AuNPs/D-PAA can be evaluated as alternatives for the preparation of new antimicrobial agents, the fight against biofilms, sterilization and disinfection processes. Our findings confirm the versatility of nanosystems based on dextran-polyacrylamide polymers and indicate that AgNPs/D-PAA and AuNPs/D-PAA can be evaluated as alternatives for the preparation of novel antimicrobial agents., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The development of inexpensive equipment adapted for the study of a specific biological object is very important for cryobiology. In the presented work, we have proposed a simple system for microscopy utilising open-source platform Arduino. Testing this system showed that it had sufficient sensitivity to determine the physical processes occurring in a cryopreserved sample such as intra- and extracellular water crystallisation and salt eutectic. Utilising this system, we investigated the mechanisms of cryoprotection and cryodamage of testis interstitial cells (ICs) in cryoprotective media, which included cryoprotective agents such as dimethyl sulphoxide (Me 2 SO), as well as foetal bovine serum or polymers (dextran, hydroxyethyl starch and polyethylene glycol). It was shown that a serum-/xeno-free medium that included 0.7 M Me 2 SO and 100 mg/mL dextran was able to reduce intracellular water crystallisation in cells, change the structure of extracellular ice, and reduce salt eutectic and recrystallisation. All these effects correlated with better IC survival after cryopreservation in the medium. This medium is potentially less toxic as it has lower concentrations of Me 2 SO compared to serum-containing media developed for cryopreservation of testicular cells. This would pave a way for the creation of nontoxic serum-free compositions that does not require removal before use of cryopreserved living cells for laboratory practice or in clinics., (© 2023 Royal Microscopical Society.)

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles are promising biomedical agents characterized by good biocompatibility. In this study, we explored the cytotoxicity of TiO 2-x nanoparticles with a different Ti 3+ (Ti 2+ )/Ti 4+ ratio and analyzed the efficiency of eryptosis indices as a tool in nanotoxicology. Two types of TiO 2-x nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by the hydrolysis of titanium alkoxide varying the nitric acid content in the hydrolysis mixture. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that 1-TiO 2-x and 2-TiO 2-x NPs are 5 nm in size, whereas X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals different Ti 3+ (Ti 2+ )/Ti 4+ ratios in the crystal lattices of synthesized NPs. 1-TiO 2-x nanoparticles contained 54% Ti 4+ , 38% Ti 3+ , and 8% Ti 2+ , while the relative amount of Ti 4+ and Ti 3+ in the crystal lattice of 2-TiO 2-x nanoparticles was 63% and 37%, respectively. Cell viability and cell motility induced by TiO 2-x nanoparticles were investigated on primary fibroblast cultures. Eryptosis modulation by the nanoparticles along with cell death mechanisms was studied on rat erythrocytes. We report that both TiO 2-x nanoparticles do not decrease the viability of fibroblasts simultaneously stimulating cell migration. Data from in vitro studies on erythrocytes indicate that TiO 2-x nanoparticles trigger eryptosis via ROS- (1-TiO 2-x ) and Ca 2+ -mediated mechanisms (both TiO 2-x nanoparticles) suggesting that evaluation of eryptosis parameters is a more sensitive nanotoxicological approach for TiO 2-x nanoparticles than cultured fibroblast assays. TiO 2-x nanoparticles are characterized by low toxicity against fibroblasts, but they induce eryptosis, which is shown to be a promising tool for nanotoxicity screening. The Ti 3+ (Ti 2+ )/Ti 4+ ratio at least partly determines the cytotoxicity mechanisms for TiO 2-x nanoparticles., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The aim of the present research was to assess the cytotoxicity of gold and silver nanoparticles synthesized into dextran-graft-polyacrylamide (D-PAA) polymer nanocarrier, which were used as a basis for further preparation of multicomponent nanocomposites revealed high efficacy for antitumor therapy. The evaluation of the influence of Me-polymer systems on the viability and metabolic activity of fibroblasts and eryptosis elucidating the mechanisms of the proeryptotic effects has been done in the current research. The nanocomposites investigated in this study did not reduce the survival of fibroblasts even at the highest used concentration. Our findings suggest that hybrid Ag/D-PAA composite activated eryptosis via ROS- and Ca 2+ -mediated pathways at the low concentration, in contrast to other studied materials. Thus, the cytotoxicity of Ag/D-PAA composite against erythrocytes was more pronounced compared with D-PAA and hybrid Au/polymer composite. Eryptosis is a more sensitive tool for assessing the biocompatibility of nanomaterials compared with fibroblast viability assays., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Anton Tkachenko et al.)

The search for novel antimicrobial agents is of huge importance. Nanomaterials can come to the rescue in this case. The aim of this study was to assess the cytotoxicity and antimicrobial effects of rare-earth-based orthovanadate nanoparticles. The cytotoxicity against host cells and antimicrobial activity of LaVO 4 :Eu 3+ and GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles were analyzed. Effects of nanomaterials on fibroblasts were assessed by MTT, neutral red uptake and scratch assays. The antimicrobial effects were evaluated by the micro-dilution method estimating the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of nanoparticles against various strains of microorganisms, DNA cleavage and biofilm inhibition. GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles were found to be less toxic against eukaryotic cells compared with LaVO 4 :Eu 3+ . Both nanoparticles exhibited antimicrobial activity and the highest MIC values were 64 mg/L for E. hirae, E. faecalis and S. aureus shown by GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles. Nanoparticles demonstrated good DNA cleavage activity and induction of double-strand breaks in supercoiled plasmid DNA even at the lowest concentrations used. Both nanoparticles showed the biofilm inhibition activity against S. aureus at 500 mg/L and reduced the microbial cell viability. Taken the results of host toxicity and antimicrobial activity studies, it can be assumed that GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles are more promising antibacterial agents compared with LaVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)