Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Size and shape-dependent cytotoxicity profile of gold nanoparticles for biomedical applications

  • Biomaterials Synthesis and Characterization
  • Original Research
  • Published:
Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Metallic nanoparticles, in particular gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), offer a wide spectrum of applications in biomedicine. A crucial issue is their cytotoxicity, which depends greatly on various factors, including morphology of nanoparticles. Because metallic nanoparticles have an effect on cell membrane integrity, their shape and size may affect the viability of cells, due to their different geometries as well as physical and chemical interactions with cell membranes. Variations in the size and shape of gold nanoparticles may indicate particular nanoparticle morphologies that provide strong cytotoxicity effects. Synthesis of different sized and shaped bare AuNPs was performed with spherical (~ 10 nm), nanoflowers (~ 370 nm), nanorods (~ 41 nm), nanoprisms (~ 160 nm) and nanostars (~ 240 nm) morphologies. These nanostructures were characterized and interacting with cancer (HeLa) and normal (HEK293T) cell lines and cell viability tests were performed by WST-1 tests and fluorescent live/dead cell imaging experiments. It was shown that various shapes and sizes of gold nanostructures may affect the viability of the cells. Gold nanospheres and nanorods proved to be more toxic than star, flower and prism gold nanostructures. This may be attributed to their small size and aggregation process. This is the first report concerning a comparison of cytotoxic profile in vitro with a wide spectrum of bare AuNPs morphology. The findings show their possible use in biomedical applications.

Graphical Abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Zhang L, Gu FX, Chan JM, Wang AZ, Langer RS, Farokhzad OC. Nanoparticles in medicine: therapeutic applications and developments. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2008;83:761–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Zhang Y, Xu D, Li W, Yu J, Chen Y. Effect of size, shape, and surface Modificationon cytotoxicity of gold nanoparticles to human hep-2 and Canine MDCK Cells. J Nanomater. 2012; doi:10.1155/2012/375496.

  3. Han J, Li J, Jia W, Yao L, Li X, Jiang L, Tian Y. Photothermal therapy of cancer cells using novel hollow gold nanoflowers. Int J Nanomedicine. 2014;9:517–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Chen H, Zhang X, Dai S, Ma Y, Cui S, Achilefu S, Gu Y. Multifunctional gold nanostar conjugates for tumor imaging and combined photothermal and chemo-therapy. Theranostics. 2013;3:633–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Ambrosone A, del Pino P, Marchesano V, Parak WJ, de la Fuente JM, Tortiglione C. Gold nanoprisms for photothermal cell ablation in vivo. Nanomedicine (Lond). 2014;9:1913–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Austin LA, Mackey MA, Dreaden EC, El-Sayed MA. The optical, photothermal, and facile surface chemical properties of gold and silver nanoparticles in biodiagnostics, therapy, and drug delivery. Arch Toxicol. 2014;88:1391–417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Tang Y, Shen Y, Huang L, Lv G, Lei C, Fan X, Lin F, Zhang Y, Wu L, Yang Y. In vitro cytotoxicity of gold nanorods in A549 cells. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2015;39:871–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Koua L, Sun J, Zhai Y, He Z. The endocytosis and intracellular fate of nanomedicines: Implication for rational design. Asian J Pharm Sci. 2013;8:1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Aswathy SA, Daizy P. Facile one-pot synthesis of gold nanoparticles using tannic acid and its application in catalysis. Physica E. 2012;44:1692–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Nikoobakht B, El-Sayed AM. Preparation and growth mechanism of gold nanorods (NRs) using seed-mediated growth method. Chem Mater. 2003;15:1957–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Straney PJ, Andolina MC, Millstone JE. Seedless initiation as an efficient, sustainable route to anisotropic gold nanoparticles. Langmuir. 2013;29:4396–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kozanoglu D, Hazar Apaydin D, Cirpan A, Esenturk EN. Power conversion efficiency enhancement of organic solar cells by addition of gold nanostars, nanorods, and nanospheres. Org Electron. 2013;14:1720–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Daizy P. Rapid green synthesis of spherical gold nanoparticles using Mangifera indica leaf. Spectrochim Acta A. 2010;77:807–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Stewart ME, Anderton CR, Thompson LB, Maria J, Gray SK, Rogers JA, Nuzzo RG. Nanostructured plasmonic sensors. Chem Rev. 2008;108:494–521.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Alsawafta M, Wahbeh M, Truong VV. Plasmonic modes and optical properties of gold and silver ellipsoidal nanoparticles by the discrete dipole approximation. J Nanomater. 2012; doi:10.1155/2012/457968.

  16. Noguez C. Surface plasmons on metal nanoparticles: The influence of shape and physical environment. J Phys Chem C. 2007;111:3806–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Kowalska E, Mahaney OP, Abe R, Ohtani B. Visible-light-induced photocatalysis through surface plasmon excitation of gold on titania surfaces. Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2010;12:2344–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Dhumale VA, Shah PV, Mull IS, Sharma RB. Switching of hydrophilic to ultra hydrophilic properties of flower-like gold nanostructures. Appl Surf Sci. 2010;256:4192–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Minati L, Benetti F, Chiappini A, Speranzaet G. One-step synthesis of star-shaped gold nanoparticles. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp. 2014;441:623–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Millstone JE, Park S, Shuford KL, Qin L, Schatz GC, Mirkin CA. Observation of a quadrupole plasmon mode for a colloidal solution of gold nanoprisms. J Am Chem Soc. 2005;127:5312–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Navarro JRG, Liotta A, Faure AC, Lerouge F, Chaput F, Micouin G, Baldeck PL, Parola S. Tuning Dye-to-particle interactions toward luminescent gold nanostars. Langmuir. 2013;29:10915–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Jiang X, Weise S, Hafner M, Rocker C, Zhang F, Parak WJ, Nienhaus GU. Quantitative analysis of the protein corona on FePt nanoparticles formed by transferrin binding. J Roy Soc Interface. 2010;7:5–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Connor EE, Mwamuka J, Gole A, Murphy CJ, Wyatt MD. Gold nanoparticles are taken up by human cells but do not cause acute cytotoxicity. Small. 2005;1:325–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Davis ME. Nanoparticle therapeutics: an emerging treatment modality for cancer. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2008;7:771–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Jiang Y, Deng Z, Yang D, Deng X, Li Q, Sha Y, Li C, Xu D. Gold nanoflowers for 3D volumetric molecular imaging in tumor study by photoacoustic tomography. Nano Res. 2015;8:2152–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Navarro JRG, Manchon D, Lerouge F, Blanchard NP, Marotte S, Leverrier J, Marvel J, Chaput F, Micouin G, Gabudean AA, Mosset A, Cottacin M, Baldeck PL, Kamada K, Parola S. Synthesis of pegylated gold nanostars and bipyramids for intracellular uptake. Nanotechnology. 2012;23:465602–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Patra HK, Banerjee S, Chaudhuri U, Lahiri P, Dasgupta AK. Cell selective response to gold nanoparticles. Nanomedicine. 2007;3:111–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Fratoddi I, Venditti I, Cametti C, Russo MV. How toxic are gold nanoparticles? the state-of-the-art. Nano Res. 2015;8:1771–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Drobne D. Nanotoxicology for safe and sustainable nanotechnology. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol. 2007;58:471–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Onoue S, Yamada S, Chan H. Nanodrugs: pharmacokinetics and safety. Int J Nanomedicine. 2014;14:1025–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Visalli G, Bertuccio MP, Iannazzo D, Piperno A, Pistone A, Di Pietro A. Toxicological assessment of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on A549 human lung epithelial cells. Toxicol in Vitro. 2015;29:352–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Ankamwar B. Size and shape effect on biomedical applications of nanomaterials, biomedical engineering-technical applications in medicine, Dr. Radovan Hudak editor. InTech, 2012, p. 93–114.

  33. Hauck TS, Ghazani AA, Chan WCW. Assessing the effect of surface chemistry on gold nanorod uptake, toxicity, and gene expression in mammalian cells Cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of gold nanorods: molecular origin of cytotoxicity and surface effects. Small. 2008;4:153–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Alkilany AM, Nagaria PK, Hexel CR, Shaw TJ, Murphy CJ, Wyatt MD. Cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of gold nanorods: molecular origin of cytotoxicity and surface effects. Small. 2009;5:701–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Financial support from the National Centre for Research and Development under research grants: “Nanomaterials and their application to biomedicine” (PBS1/A9/13/2012), “Development of an innovative technology using transgenic porcine tissues for biomedical purposes” (INNOMED/I/17/NCBR/2014) is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 85, 61-614, Poznan, Poland

    Anna Woźniak, Anna Malankowska, Grzegorz Nowaczyk, Bartosz F. Grześkowiak, Karol Tuśnio & Stefan Jurga

  2. Department of Environmental Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308, Gdansk, Poland

    Anna Malankowska & Adriana Zaleska-Medynska

  3. Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Science, Strzeszyńska 32, 60-101, Poznań, Poland

    Ryszard Słomski

  4. Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Biocentre, University of Life Sciences, Dojazd11, 60-632, Poznan, Poland

    Ryszard Słomski

  5. Department of Chemical Technology, Gdansk University of Technology, G. Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233, Gdansk, Poland

    Adriana Zaleska-Medynska

Authors
  1. Anna Woźniak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Anna Malankowska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Grzegorz Nowaczyk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bartosz F. Grześkowiak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Karol Tuśnio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ryszard Słomski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Adriana Zaleska-Medynska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Stefan Jurga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anna Woźniak.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Woźniak, A., Malankowska, A., Nowaczyk, G. et al. Size and shape-dependent cytotoxicity profile of gold nanoparticles for biomedical applications. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 28, 92 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-017-5902-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-017-5902-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation