Investigating the role of shape on the biological impact of gold nanoparticles in vitro

[Aim]: To investigate the influence of gold nanoparticle geometry on the biochemical response of Calu-3 epithelial cells. [Materials & methods]: Spherical, triangular and hexagonal gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were used. The GNP-cell interaction was assessed via atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The biochemical impact of GNPs was determined over 72 h at (0.0001-1 mg/ml). [Results]: At 1 mg/ml, hexagonal GNPs reduced Calu-3 viability below 60%, showed increased reactive oxygen species production and higher expression of proapoptotic markers. A cell mass burden of 1:2:12 as well as number of GNPs per cell (2:1:3) was observed for spherical:triangular:hexagonal GNPs. [Conclusion]: These findings do not suggest a direct shape-toxicity effect. However, do highlight the contribution of shape towards the GNP-cell interaction which impacts upon their intracellular number, mass and volume dose.
This study was partially financed by the European Commission via ERA-NanoScience, project ‘NanoTruck’ awarded to JM de la Fuente and F Tian. F Tian and J Conde are currently Marie Curie Fellows. A Casey and HJ Byrne received fund from Science Foundation Ireland 11/PI/1108. JM de la Fuente was funded by MAT2011–26851-CO2–01 project of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and Fondo Social Europeo (FSE; Gobierno de Aragón), for partially financing this research. B Pelaz acknowledges to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for her fellowship. MJD Clift and BR Rutishauser acknowledge the funding received from the European Respiratory Society (Fellowship LTRF-MC1572–2010 to MJDC), the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Adolphe Merkle Foundation.