title: The importance of extracellular speciation and corrosion of copper nanoparticles on lung cell membrane integrity.
abstract: Copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) are increasingly used in various biologically relevant applications and products, e.g., due to their antimicrobial and catalytic properties. This inevitably demands for an improved understanding on their interactions and potential toxic effects on humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the corrosion of copper nanoparticles in various biological media and to elucidate the speciation of released copper in solution. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and lung cell (A549 type II) membrane damage induced by Cu NPs in the various media were studied. The used biological media of different complexity are of relevance for nanotoxicological studies: Dulbecco's modified eagle medium (DMEM), DMEM(+) (includes fetal bovine serum), phosphate buffered saline (PBS), and PBS+histidine. The results show that both copper release and corrosion are enhanced in DMEM(+), DMEM, and PBS+histidine compared with PBS alone. Speciation results show that essentially no free copper ions are present in the released fraction of Cu NPs in neither DMEM(+), DMEM nor histidine, while labile Cu complexes form in PBS. The Cu NPs were substantially more membrane reactive in PBS compared to the other media and the NPs caused larger effects compared to the same mass of Cu ions. Similarly, the Cu NPs caused much more ROS generation compared to the released fraction only. Taken together, the results suggest that membrane damage and ROS formation are stronger induced by Cu NPs and by free or labile Cu ions/complexes compared with Cu bound to biomolecules.
authors: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Division of Surface and Corrosion Science, Drottning Kristinas v. 51, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: jhed@kth.se.
authors: Jonas
authors: J
authors: Hedberg
authors: Karolinska Institutet, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Unit of Biochemical Toxicology, Nobels väg 13, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Hanna L
authors: HL
authors: Karlsson
authors: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Division of Surface and Corrosion Science, Drottning Kristinas v. 51, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Yolanda
authors: Y
authors: Hedberg
authors: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Division of Surface and Corrosion Science, Drottning Kristinas v. 51, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden; SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Chemistry, Materials and Surfaces, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Blomberg
authors: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Division of Surface and Corrosion Science, Drottning Kristinas v. 51, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Inger
authors: I
authors: Odnevall Wallinder
mesh_terms: D000072283:A549 Cells; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010316:Particle Size; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D003300:Copper
keywords: Copper nanoparticles; Corrosion; DMEM; Equilibrium modeling; Lung cells; Membrane damage; Nanotoxicity; Polarography; Speciation; UV–vis spectroscopy