GOLD NANOPARTICLES INTERNALIZATION AFFECTS VIABILITY AND LIVER FUNCTIONS OF PRIMARY RAT HEPATOCYTES

Abstract

THE TENDENCY OF NANOPARTICLES TO ACCUMULATE IN THE LIVER AND SPLEEN DUE TO RETICULOENDOTHELIAL SYSTEM UPTAKE HAS RECENTLY BECOME A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE IN NANOMEDICINE. TO DATE, THERE IS A LACK OF STUDIES TO DETERMINE WHETHER GOLD NANOPARTICLES COMPROMISE LIVER FUNCTIONS OR VIABILITY OF THE HEPATOCYTES. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO INVESTIGATE THE CYTOTOXIC EFFECT, UREA AND ALBUMIN LIVER FUNCTIONS OF PRIMARY RAT HEPATOCYTES CULTURE UPON THE INTERNALIZATION OF GOLD NANOPARTICLES. VARYING CONCENTRATIONS OF GOLD NANOPARTICLES WERE ADMINISTERED TO HEPATOCYTES CULTURES AND ALAMARBLUE CELL VIABILITY ASSAY WERE THEN PERFORMED. THE RESULTS REVEALED THAT THE INHIBITORY CONCENTRATION 50 TO BE APPROXIMATELY 200 NM AND 700 NM FOR 0.5% HUMAN SERUM-COATED GOLD NANOPARTICLES AND AGGREGATED GOLD NANOPARTICLES RESPECTIVELY. THIS FINDING DEMONSTRATED HIGHER UPTAKE AND INCREASED TOXICITY FOR THE 200 NM CULTURES WITH SMALLER-SIZED NANOPARTICLES. UREA AND ALBUMIN SECRETION BY THE HEPATOCYTES EXHIBITED A