title: Uptake of bright fluorophore core-silica shell nanoparticles by biological systems.
abstract: Nanoparticles are used in a variety of consumer applications. Silica nanoparticles in particular are common, including as a component of foods. There are concerns that ingested nano-silica particles can cross the intestinal epithelium, enter the circulation, and accumulate in tissues and organs. Thus, tracking these particles is of interest, and fluorescence spectroscopic methods are well-suited for this purpose. However, nanosilica is not fluorescent. In this article, we focus on core-silica shell nanoparticles, using fluorescent Rhodamine 6G, Rhodamine 800, or CdSe/CdS/ZnS quantum dots as the core. These stable fluorophore/silica nanoparticles had surface characteristics similar to those of commercial silica particles. Thus, they were used as model particles to examine internalization by cultured cells, including an epithelial cell line relevant to the gastrointestinal tract. Finally, these particles were administered to mice by gavage, and their presence in various organs, including stomach, small intestine, cecum, colon, kidney, lung, brain, and spleen, was examined. By combining confocal fluorescence microscopy with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the presence of nanoparticles, rather than their dissolved form, was established in liver tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zane
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Christie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McCracken
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Anthony D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Lutton
authors.affiliation: School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Olesik
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: W James
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Waldman
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Prabir K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Dutta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D045663:Quantum Dots; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
keywords: Caco-2; NMR; dyes; macrophages; mouse model; nanoparticles in foods; optical spectroscopy; quantum dots; zeta potential