Abstract
Silver nanoparticles are used in a wide range of consumer products such as clothing, cosmetics, household goods, articles of daily use and pesticides. Moreover, the use of a nanoscaled silver hydrosol has been requested in the European Union for even nutritional purposes. However, despite the wide applications of silver nanoparticles, there is a lack of information concerning their impact on human health. In order to investigate the effects of silver nanoparticles on human intestinal cells, we used the Caco-2 cell line and peptide-coated silver nanoparticles with defined colloidal, structural and interfacial properties. The particles display core diameter of 20 and 40 nm and were coated with the small peptide l-cysteine l-lysine l-lysine. Cell viability and proliferation were measured using Promegas CellTiter-Blue® Cell Viability assay, DAPI staining and impedance measurements. Apoptosis was determined by Annexin-V/7AAD staining and FACS analysis, membrane damage with Promegas LDH assay and reactive oxygen species by dichlorofluorescein assay. Exposure of proliferating Caco-2 cells to silver nanoparticle induced decreasing adherence capacity and cytotoxicity, whereby the formation of reactive oxygen species could be the mode of action. The effects were dependent on particle size (20, 40 nm), doses (5–100 μg/mL) and time of incubation (4–48 h). Apoptosis or membrane damage was not detected.
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We thank Alexandre Mantion for providing the peptide-coated silver nanoparticles.
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I work at the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). The BfR is independent in its scientific assessment and research work. I declare that I have no conflict of interest.
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This article is published as a part of the Special Issue “Nanotoxicology II” on the ECETOC Satellite workshop, Dresden 2010 (Innovation through Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials + Current Aspects of Safety Assessment and Regulation).
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Böhmert, L., Niemann, B., Thünemann, A.F. et al. Cytotoxicity of peptide-coated silver nanoparticles on the human intestinal cell line Caco-2. Arch Toxicol 86, 1107–1115 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-012-0840-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-012-0840-4