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ROS enhancement by silicon nanoparticles in X-ray irradiated aqueous suspensions and in glioma C6 cells

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Abstract

The capability of silicon nanoparticles to increase the yield of reactive species upon 4 MeV X-ray irradiation of aqueous suspensions and C6 glioma cell cultures was investigated. ROS generation was detected and quantified using several specific probes. The particles were characterized by FTIR, XPS, TEM, DLS, luminescence, and adsorption spectroscopy before and after irradiation to evaluate the effect of high energy radiation on their structure. The total concentration of O2 •−/HO2 •, HO•, and H2O2 generated upon 4-MeV X-ray irradiation of 6.4 μM silicon nanoparticle aqueous suspensions were on the order of 10 μM per Gy, ten times higher than that obtained in similar experiments but in the absence of particles. Cytotoxic 1O2 was generated only in irradiation experiments containing the particles. The particle surface became oxidized to SiO2 and the luminescence yield reduced with the irradiation dose. Changes in the surface morphology did not affect, within the experimental error, the yields of ROS generated per Gy. X-ray irradiation of glioma C6 cell cultures with incorporated silicon nanoparticles showed a marked production of ROS proportional to the radiation dose received. In the absence of nanoparticles, the cells showed no irradiation-enhanced ROS generation. The obtained results indicate that silicon nanoparticles of <5 nm size have the potential to be used as radiosensitizers for improving the outcomes of cancer radiotherapy. Their capability of producing 1O2 upon X-ray irradiation opens novel approaches in the design of therapy strategies.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the grant PIP 112-200801-00356 from CONICET, Argentina. The authors thank Lic. M. Martinez from the Physical Department at CIO La Plata for his help with the irradiation of the samples, Dr. Aldo Rubbert from INIFTA for the XPS spectrum, B. Soria from CEQUINOR, UNLP for the FTIR spectra, and A. Wolosiuk from CNEA, Bs.As. for the DLS measurements. P.M.D.G. thanks Fundación Avanzar for a postgraduate fellowship. N.I.G. and M.J.L.P. thank CONICET for a studentship. M.C.G. and M.L.K. are research members of CONICET.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CITOMA, Fundación Avanzar, Instituto de Terapia Radiante S.A., CIO La Plata, Calle 60 Nro. 480 (1900), La Plata, Argentina

    Pedro M. David Gara, Diego Dodat & Oscar R. Casas

  2. Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UBA, University of Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Natalia I. Garabano & Mónica L. Kotler

  3. INIFTA, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, UNLP, CC16 Suc. 4 (1900), La Plata, Argentina

    Pedro M. David Gara, Manuel J. Llansola Portoles & Mónica C. Gonzalez

  4. Centro Atómico Bariloche, 8400, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

    M. Sergio Moreno

Authors
  1. Pedro M. David Gara
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  2. Natalia I. Garabano
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  3. Manuel J. Llansola Portoles
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  4. M. Sergio Moreno
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  5. Diego Dodat
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  6. Oscar R. Casas
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  7. Mónica C. Gonzalez
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  8. Mónica L. Kotler
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Correspondence to Mónica C. Gonzalez or Mónica L. Kotler.

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David Gara, P.M., Garabano, N.I., Llansola Portoles, M.J. et al. ROS enhancement by silicon nanoparticles in X-ray irradiated aqueous suspensions and in glioma C6 cells. J Nanopart Res 14, 741 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-012-0741-8

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