title: Investigating the role of shape on the biological impact of gold nanoparticles in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the influence of gold nanoparticle geometry on the biochemical response of Calu-3 epithelial cells.
  
  
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Pneumology Centre, Institute of Lung Biology & Disease, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany.|Nanolab Research Centre, FOCAS Research Institute, Dublin Institute of Technology, Camden Row, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Furong
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: BioNanomaterials, Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Martin Jd
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Clift
authors.affiliation: Nanolab Research Centre, FOCAS Research Institute, Dublin Institute of Technology, Camden Row, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.affiliation: CIC biomaGUNE, San Sebastian, Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Del Pino
authors.affiliation: Fachbereich Physik, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pelaz
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Harvard-MIT Division for Health Sciences & Technology, E25-449 Cambridge, MA, USA.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Conde
authors.affiliation: Nanolab Research Centre, FOCAS Research Institute, Dublin Institute of Technology, Camden Row, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Hugh J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.affiliation: BioNanomaterials, Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rothen-Rutishauser
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioinformatics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Giovani
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragon CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Pneumology Centre, Institute of Lung Biology & Disease, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stoeger
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010316:Particle Size; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013499:Surface Properties; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C491901:FAS protein, human; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D019014:fas Receptor; D006046:Gold; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C505530:CASP8 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; C533912:CTSB protein, human; D002401:Cathepsin B
keywords: CD95 (APO-1/Fas); Cathepsin-B; biocompatibility; caspases; cell death; gold nanoparticles; lung epithelial cells; nanoparticle shape; nanotoxicology; reactive oxygen species