title: Aggregation and protein corona formation on gold nanoparticles affect viability and liver functions of primary rat hepatocytes.
abstract: We examined the impact of aggregation and protein corona formation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the cytotoxicity, uptake and metabolism, specifically urea and albumin synthesis, of primary rat hepatocytes.
  
  
  
  The AuNPs were synthesized via citrate reduction and the human serum protein corona was preformed on the AuNPs. Primary hepatocytes were isolated from male Wistar rats via two-step in situ collagenase perfusion method, and were dosed with both citrate-capped (AuNP-Cit) and protein corona coated AuNPs (AuNP-Cor).
  
  
  
  The AuNP-Cor showed higher cell uptake and reduced cell viability compared with aggregated AuNP-Cit. Urea and albumin secretions showed AuNP dose dependency. Both AuNP-Cit and AuNP-Cor exerted only an acute effect on the albumin synthesis of hepatocytes with no chronic impact.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Wee Ling
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Graduate School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
authors.forename: Phoebe Huijun
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Tham
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore.|NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.|Institute of Bioengineering & Nanotechnology, Agency for Science, Technology & Research, Singapore.|Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Hanry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.|NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Hwa Liang
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Leo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.|NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: James Chen
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yong Kah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008958:Models, Molecular; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D000066970:Protein Corona / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000066970:Protein Corona; D019343:Citric Acid; D006046:Gold
keywords: gold nanoparticles; hepatotoxicity; liver toxicology; primary rat hepatocytes