title: In vitro toxicity of serum protein-adsorbed citrate-reduced gold nanoparticles in human lung adenocarcinoma cells.
abstract: We examined the cytotoxicity effect of the serum protein coated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the A549 cells. Negatively charged AuNPs were prepared by chemical reduction using citrate. The dimension and surface charge of AuNPs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential measurements. The AuNPs modified by the citrate anion were presumed to adsorb the serum proteins as indicated from the visible absorption spectroscopy, DLS, and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) data. The QCM results indicated that among the constituents, fetal bovine serum (FBS) should be the major adsorbate species on the AuNPs incubated in the RPMI medium. The internalization of AuNPs into the A549 cells was also monitored using TEM and dark-field microscopy (DFM). Both methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays revealed that AuNPs were toxic as determined by their half-maximal inhibitory concentration. A flow cytometric and real-time PCR analysis of apoptotic genes along with the ATP depletion measurements suggested that AuNPs induce cell damages through extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, 599 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seon Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Saeromi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Soo Hwa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jin Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Kwang Su
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Ock
authors.forename: So Yeong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang-Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Joo
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000077192:Adenocarcinoma of Lung; D000327:Adsorption; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D002417:Cattle; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D019343:Citric Acid; D006046:Gold