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Cytotoxicity of InP/ZnS quantum dots related to reactive oxygen species generation.
- Source :
-
Nanoscale [Nanoscale] 2011 Jun; Vol. 3 (6), pp. 2552-9. Date of Electronic Publication: 2011 Apr 21. - Publication Year :
- 2011
-
Abstract
- Indium phosphide (InP) quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as a presumably less hazardous alternative to cadmium-based particles, but their cytotoxicity has not been well examined. Although their constituent elements are of very low toxicity to cells in culture, they nonetheless exhibit phototoxicity related to generation of reactive oxygen species by excited electrons and/or holes interacting with water and molecular oxygen. Using spin-trap electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and reporter assays, we find a considerable amount of superoxide and a small amount of hydroxyl radical formed under visible illumination of biocompatible InP QDs with a single ZnS shell, comparable to what is seen with CdTe. A double thickness shell reduces the reactive oxygen species concentration approximately two-fold. Survival assays in five cell lines correspondingly indicate a distinct reduction in toxicity with the double-shell InP QDs. Toxicity varies significantly across cell lines according to the efficiency of uptake, being overall significantly less than what is seen with CdTe or CdSe/ZnS. This indicates that InP QDs are a useful alternative to cadmium-containing QDs, while remaining capable of electron-transfer processes that may be undesirable or which may be exploited for photosensitization applications.
- Subjects :
- Animals
Cell Line, Tumor
Cell Survival drug effects
Humans
Hydroxyl Radical chemistry
Indium chemistry
Mice
NIH 3T3 Cells
Oxidation-Reduction
Phosphines chemistry
Rhodamines chemistry
Rhodamines pharmacology
Sulfides chemistry
Superoxides chemistry
Zinc Compounds chemistry
Hydroxyl Radical metabolism
Indium pharmacology
Phosphines pharmacology
Quantum Dots
Sulfides pharmacology
Superoxides metabolism
Zinc Compounds pharmacology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 2040-3372
- Volume :
- 3
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Nanoscale
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 21509403
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1039/c1nr10131e