title: Contribution of hydrophobicity, DNA and proteins to the cytotoxicity of cationic PAMAM dendrimers.
abstract: In most articles, cytotoxicity of cationic polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers toward red blood cells has been exclusively explained by their surface charge. We have focused on dendrimer hydrophobicity as a second possible factor that determines this cytotoxicity. Using PAMAM-NH2 dendrimers from the 3rd to the 6th generations and PAMAM-NH2-C12(25%) dendrimer of the 4th generation bearing 25% acyl groups, these induced hemolysis that increased with their surface charge and hydrophobicity. Interaction of PAMAM-NH2-C12(25%) G4 dendrimer with blood proteins (γ-globulin, α-thrombin, human serum albumin) and calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) significantly reduced their cytotoxicity toward red blood cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics and Cell Engineering of NASB, Minsk, Belarus.
authors.forename: Inessa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Halets
authors.forename: Dzmitry
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shcharbin
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Klajnert
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bryszewska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D050091:Dendrimers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D050091:Dendrimers; C104700:PAMAM Starburst; D004247:DNA; C427203:calf thymus DNA
keywords: DNA; Dendrimer; Hemolysis; Hydrophobicity; Protein