Slight temperature changes affect protein affinity and cellular uptake/toxicity of nanoparticles

Nanoscale. 2013 Apr 21;5(8):3240-4. doi: 10.1039/c3nr32551b. Epub 2013 Mar 19.

Abstract

It is known that what the cell actually "sees" at the nanoscale is an outer shell formed of 'protein corona' on the surface of nanoparticles (NPs). The amount and composition of various proteins on the corona are strongly dependent on the biophysicochemical properties of NPs, which have been extensively studied. However, the effect of a small variation in temperature, due to the human circadian rhythm, on the composition of the protein corona and the affinity of various proteins to the surface of NPs, was ignored. Here, the effect of temperature on the composition of protein corona and the affinity of various proteins to the surface of NPs and, subsequently, cell responses to the protein coated NPs are probed. The results confirmed that cellular entrance, dispersion, and toxicity of NPs are strongly diverse with slight body temperature changes. This new finding can help scientists to maximise NP entrance to specific cells/organs with lower toxicity by adjusting the cellular/organ temperature.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cells / drug effects*
  • Cells / metabolism*
  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible / chemistry
  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible / metabolism
  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible / pharmacokinetics
  • Ferric Compounds / chemistry
  • Ferric Compounds / pharmacokinetics
  • Ferric Compounds / toxicity
  • Humans
  • Magnetite Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Magnetite Nanoparticles / toxicity*
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Protein Binding
  • Proteins / chemistry
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proteins / pharmacokinetics
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Serum Albumin / metabolism
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Surface Properties
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible
  • Ferric Compounds
  • Magnetite Nanoparticles
  • Proteins
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Serum Albumin
  • ferric oxide