title: Hydrophobic sodium fluoride-based nanocrystals doped with lanthanide ions: assessment of in vitro toxicity to human blood lymphocytes and phagocytes.
abstract: In vitro immunotoxicity of hydrophobic sodium fluoride-based nanocrystals (NCs) doped with lanthanide ions was examined in this study. Although there is already a significant amount of optical and structural data on NaYF4 NCs, data on safety assessment are missing. Therefore, peripheral whole blood from human volunteers was used to evaluate the effect of 25 and 30 nm hydrophobic NaYF4 NCs dissolved in cyclohexane (CH) on lymphocytes, and of 10 nm NaYF4 NCs on phagocytes. In the concentration range 0.12-75 µg cm(-2) (0.17-106 µg ml(-1) ), both 25 and 30nm NaYF4 NCs did not induce cytotoxicity when measured as incorporation of [(3) H]-thymidine into DNA. Assessment of lymphocyte function showed significant suppression of the proliferative activity of T-lymphocytes and T-dependent B-cell response in peripheral blood cultures (n = 7) stimulated in vitro with mitogens phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweed (PWM) (PHA > PWM). No clear dose-response effect was observed. Phagocytic activity and respiratory burst of leukocytes (n = 5-8) were generally less affected. A dose-dependent suppression of phagocytic activity of granulocytes in cultures treated with 25 nm NCs was observed (vs. medium control). A decrease in phagocytic activity of monocytes was found in cells exposed to higher doses of 10 and 30 nm NCs. The respiratory burst of phagocytes was significantly decreased by exposure to the middle dose of 30 nm NCs only. In conclusion, our results demonstrate immunotoxic effects of hydrophobic NaYF4 NCs doped with lanthanide ions to lymphocytes and to lesser extent to phagocytes. Further research needs to be done, particularly faze transfer of hydrophobic NCs to hydrophilic ones, to eliminate the solvent effect.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics, Wroclaw University of Technology, Wyb. Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Bartlomiej
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sojka
authors.forename: Miroslava
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuricova
authors.forename: Aurelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liskova
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bartusova
authors.forename: Mateusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Banski
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Misiewicz
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dusinska
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horvathova
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jahnova
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ilavska
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szabova
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rollerova
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Podhorodecki
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tulinska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D028581:Lanthanoid Series Elements / Q000633:toxicity*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D012969:Sodium Fluoride / Q000633:toxicity*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D028581:Lanthanoid Series Elements; D008934:Mitogens; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D012969:Sodium Fluoride
keywords: human peripheral blood lymphocytes; hydrophobic; in vitro toxicity; nanocrystals; phagocytes; sodium fluoride-based nanocrystals doped with lanthanide ions