title: Cytotoxicity and intracellular dissolution of nickel nanowires.
abstract: The assessment of cytotoxicity of nanostructures is a fundamental step for their development as biomedical tools. As widely used nanostructures, nickel nanowires (Ni NWs) seem promising candidates for such applications. In this work, Ni NWs were synthesized and then characterized using vibrating sample magnetometry, energy dispersive X-Ray analysis, and electron microscopy. After exposure to the NWs, cytotoxicity was evaluated in terms of cell viability, cell membrane damage, and induced apoptosis/necrosis on the model human cell line HCT 116. The influence of NW to cell ratio (10:1 to 1000:1) and exposure times up to 72 hours was analyzed for Ni NWs of 5.4 μm in length, as well as for Ni ions. The results show that cytotoxicity markedly increases past 24 hours of incubation. Cellular uptake of NWs takes place through the phagocytosis pathway, with a fraction of the dose of NWs dissolved inside the cells. Cell death results from a combination of apoptosis and necrosis, where the latter is the outcome of the secondary necrosis pathway. The cytotoxicity of Ni ions and Ni NWs dissolution studies suggest a synergistic toxicity between NW aspect ratio and dissolved Ni, with the cytotoxic effects markedly increasing after 24 hours of incubation.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering .|b Division of Computer , Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology , Thuwal , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , and.
authors.forename: Jose E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.affiliation: a Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering .
authors.forename: Maria F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Contreras
authors.affiliation: b Division of Computer , Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology , Thuwal , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , and.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vilanova
authors.affiliation: a Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering .|b Division of Computer , Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology , Thuwal , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , and.
authors.forename: Laura P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.affiliation: a Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering .
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Margineanu
authors.affiliation: c Department of Materials , Imperial College London , London , UK.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luongo
authors.affiliation: c Department of Materials , Imperial College London , London , UK.
authors.forename: Alexandra E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.affiliation: c Department of Materials , Imperial College London , London , UK.
authors.forename: Iain E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Dunlop
authors.affiliation: a Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering .|b Division of Computer , Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology , Thuwal , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , and.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ravasi
authors.affiliation: b Division of Computer , Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology , Thuwal , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , and.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kosel
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D045325:HCT116 Cells; D006801:Humans; D053770:Nanowires / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D009336:Necrosis; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D009532:Nickel
keywords: Magnetic nanowires; nanomedicine; nanoparticles; nanotoxicology; particle charactarization