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Silica nanoparticles induce oxidative stress and inflammation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

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Cell Stress and Chaperones Aims and scope

Abstract

In the present study, the effects of 10- or 100-nm silica oxide (SiO2) NPs on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were examined. Cytotoxic effects and oxidative stress effects, including glutathione (GSH) depletion, the formation of protein radical species, and pro-inflammatory cytokine responses, were measured. PBMC exposed to 10-nm NP concentrations from 50 to 4,000 ppm showed concentration-response increases in cell death; whereas, for 100-nm NPs, PBMC viability was not lost at <500 ppm. Interestingly, 10-nm NPs were more cytotoxic and induced more oxidative stress than 100-nm NPs. Immunoelectron micrographs show the cellular distribution of GSH and NPs. As expected based on the viability data, the 10-nm NPs disturbed cell morphology to a greater extent than did the 100-nm NPs. Antibody to the radical scavenger, 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO), was used for Western blot analysis of proteins with radicals; more DMPO proteins were found after exposure to 10-nm NPs than 100-nm NPs. Examination of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, and IFN-γ) indicated that different ratios of cytokines were expressed and released after exposure to 10- and 100-nm NPs. IL-1β production was enhanced by 10- and 100-nm NPs;, the cytotoxicity of the NPs was associated with an increase in the IL-1β/IL-6 ratio and 100-nm NPs at concentrations that did not induce loss of cell viability enhanced IL-1β and IL-6 to an extent similar to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), a T cell mitogen. In conclusion, our results indicate that SiO2 NPs trigger a cytokine inflammatory response and induce oxidative stress in vitro, and NPs of the same chemistry, but of different sizes, demonstrate differences in their intracellular distribution and immunomodulatory properties, especially with regard to IL-1β and IL-6 expression.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank The Nanobiotechnology Center at Cornell University (2007) and Texas Southern University Research Enhancement office (2007) for their funding support of J.A.T-H. (summer of 2007). Furthermore, we would like to thank The Quality Education Minorities Networks for research funding (2008) for support of J.A. T-H. AM was supported by a supplement to U01 ES016014 to DAL. The authors also want to recognize The Biochemistry and Immunology Cores of Wadsworth Center for their collaboration and assistance. The immunoelectron microscopy was done in collaboration between the Wadsworth Center Immunology and Electron Microscopy Core Facilities. The authors also want to thank Dr. Jane Kasten-Jolly for her assistance in obtaining volunteer donors and Adrianna Verschoor for her editorial assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Center for Medical Sciences, 150 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, NY, 12208, USA

    Alvaro Mendoza, Jeffrey G. Ault, Joan H. Pedersen-Lane, Donghong Gao & David A. Lawrence

  2. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX, USA

    Jose A. Torres-Hernandez

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  1. Alvaro Mendoza
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  2. Jose A. Torres-Hernandez
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  3. Jeffrey G. Ault
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  4. Joan H. Pedersen-Lane
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  5. Donghong Gao
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  6. David A. Lawrence
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Correspondence to David A. Lawrence.

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The first three authors are equal contributors to the study.

Jose A. Torres-Hernandez NBTC Research Experience for Undergraduates participant

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Mendoza, A., Torres-Hernandez, J.A., Ault, J.G. et al. Silica nanoparticles induce oxidative stress and inflammation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Cell Stress and Chaperones 19, 777–790 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12192-014-0502-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12192-014-0502-y

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