title: Preparation, properties and anticancer effects of mixed As4S4/ZnS nanoparticles capped by Poloxamer 407.
abstract: Arsenic sulfide compounds have a long history of application in a traditional medicine. In recent years, realgar has been studied as a promising drug in cancer treatment. In this study, the arsenic sulfide (As4S4) nanoparticles combined with zinc sulfide (ZnS) ones in different molar ratio have been prepared by a simple mechanochemical route in a planetary mill. The successful synthesis and structural properties were confirmed and followed via X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements. The morphology of the particles was studied via scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy methods and the presence of nanocrystallites was verified. For biological tests, the prepared As4S4/ZnS nanoparticles were further milled in a circulation mill in a water solution of Poloxamer 407 (0.5wt%), in order to cover the particles with this biocompatible copolymer and to obtain stable nanosuspensions with unimodal distribution. The average size of the particles in the nanosuspensions (~120nm) was determined by photon cross-correlation spectroscopy method. Stability of the nanosuspensions was determined via particle size distribution and zeta potential measurements, confirming no physico-chemical changes for several months. Interestingly, with the increasing amount of ZnS in the sample, the stability was improved. The anti-cancer effects were tested on two melanoma cell lines, A375 and Bowes, with promising results, confirming increased efficiency of the samples containing both As4S4and ZnS nanocrystals.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geotechnics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 45, 04001 Košice, Slovakia. Electronic address: bujnakova@saske.sk.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bujňáková
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geotechnics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 45, 04001 Košice, Slovakia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baláž
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, BMC Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zdurienčíková
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, BMC Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sedlák
authors.affiliation: STU Centre for Nanodiagnostics, Slovak University of Technology, Vazovova 5, 81243 Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Čaplovičová
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Paulínska 16, 91724 Trnava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Ľ
authors.initials: Ľ
authors.lastname: Čaplovič
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geotechnics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 45, 04001 Košice, Slovakia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dutková
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geotechnics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 45, 04001 Košice, Slovakia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zorkovská
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geotechnics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 45, 04001 Košice, Slovakia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Turianicová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geotechnics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 45, 04001 Košice, Slovakia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baláž
authors.affiliation: Scientific Research Company "Carat", Stryjska 202, 79031 Lviv, Ukraine; Institute of Physics, Jan Dlugosz University, Armii Krajowej 13/15., 42200 Czestochowa, Poland.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shpotyuk
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, P.J. Šafárik University, Trieda SNP 1, 04011 Košice, Slovakia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andrejko
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D020442:Poloxamer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D013440:Sulfides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001152:Arsenicals; D004337:Drug Carriers; D013440:Sulfides; D017967:Zinc Compounds; D020442:Poloxamer; C045816:arsenic trisulfide; C031238:zinc sulfide
keywords: Arsenic sulfide; Mechanochemistry; Nanoparticles; Poloxamer; Stability; Zinc sulfide