Cellular uptake and toxicity of gold nanoparticles on two distinct hepatic cell models.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have huge potential for various biomedical applications, but their successful use depends on their uptake and possible toxicity in the liver, their main site for accumulation. Therefore, in this work we compared the cytotoxic effects induced by AuNPs with different size (~ 15 nm and 60 nm), shape (nanospheres and nanostars) and capping [citrate- or 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA)], in human HepaRG cells or primary rat hepatocytes (PRH) cultivated with serum-free or Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS)-supplemented media. The safety assessment of the AuNPs demonstrated that overall they present low toxicity towards hepatic cells.

Study of the intestinal uptake and permeability of gold nanoparticles using both in vitro and in vivo approaches.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are highly attractive to biomedical applications. Here, we investigated the effects of (i) ca. 15 nm spherical AuNPs capped with citrate or 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) and (ii) ca.

A Metabolomic Approach for the In Vivo Study of Gold Nanospheres and Nanostars after a Single-Dose Intravenous Administration to Wistar Rats.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are promising nanoplatforms for drug therapy, diagnostic and imaging. However, biological comparison studies for different types of AuNPs fail in consistency due to the lack of sensitive methods to detect subtle differences in the expression of toxicity. Therefore, innovative and sensitive approaches such as metabolomics are much needed to discriminate toxicity, specially at low doses.

A multiparametric study of gold nanoparticles cytotoxicity, internalization and permeability using an model of blood-brain barrier. Influence of size, shape and capping agent.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have biomedical application on imaging and due to increased optical performance, star-shaped AuNPs are of special interest. Because shape, size and capping greatly influence their toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics, a systematic multiparametric comparative study of the influence of these parameters on the cytotoxicity, internalization, and in vitro permeability was conducted in human Cerebral Microvascular Endothelial Cell line (hCMEC/D3), an model of the human blood-brain barrier (BBB). AuNPs of different size (14 nm and ∼50 nm), shape (spheres and stars), and coating (11-mercaptoundecanoic acid or MUA and sodium citrate) were synthesized and fully characterized.

Inorganic mercury intoxication: A case report.

Mercury is a heavy metal with unique physico-chemical properties, and it is well distributed throughout the environment, being present in soil, water and air. This non-essential element is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the ten most troublesome chemical to public health. Its toxicity spectrum depends on the chemical form in which it presents: elemental (metallic), organic or inorganic.

Chromium speciation and biochemical changes vary in relation to plant ploidy.

Uptake of trivalent chromium (Cr(III)-chloride), Cr speciation and consequences for the metabolism in chamomile plants with two ploidy levels have been studied. Depletion of fresh biomass, tissue water content and soluble proteins in response to high (120 μM) Cr(III) was ploidy-independent. Cr mainly accumulated in the roots (only negligibly in the shoots) and total root Cr amount was higher in tetraploid ones including the proof with specific fluorescent indicator (naphthalimide-rhodamine) of Cr(III).

Short- and long-term distribution and toxicity of gold nanoparticles in the rat after a single-dose intravenous administration.

Unlabelled: Surface chemistry plays an important role in gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) stability and biocompatibility, which are crucial for their implementation into the clinical setting. We evaluated short- (30 min) and long-term (28 days) biodistribution and toxicity of ~20 nm citrate- and pentapeptide CALNN-coated AuNPs after a single intravenous injection in rats. The pattern of AuNPs distribution in Cit- and CALNN-AuNPs-injected rats was very similar in the assessed time-points.

Influence of the surface coating on the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and uptake of gold nanoparticles in human HepG2 cells.

The toxicological profile of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) remains controversial. Significant efforts to develop surface coatings to improve biocompatibility have been carried out. In vivo biodistribution studies have shown that the liver is a target for AuNPs accumulation.

Tolerance and bioaccumulation of copper by the entomopathogen Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. exposed to various copper-based fungicides.

This work evaluates for the first time the relationships between copper-tolerance, -solubilization and -bioaccumulation in the entomopathogen Beauveria bassiana exposed to Bordeaux mixture, copper oxychloride or copper hydroxide. Bordeaux mixture was highly detrimental to fungus, by inhibiting the growth totally at the recommended dose (RD) and 2×RD. Copper hydroxide and copper oxychloride were found to be less toxic, reducing fungus growth, sporulation and conidial germination in an average of 29  %, 30 % and 58 %, respectively.

Effect of surface coating on the biodistribution profile of gold nanoparticles in the rat.

Successful application of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in biomedicine requires extensive safety assessment for which biokinetic studies are crucial. We evaluated the biodistribution of AuNPs (∼20 nm) with different surface coatings: citrate, 11-MUA and 3 pentapeptides, CALNN, CALND and CALNS, after i.v.

Chromium speciation analysis in bread samples.

Chromium is a controversial element with important essentiality and toxicity, depending on its different species; its speciation analysis in principal human foodstuffs, as in the case of bread, is of utmost importance. With this purpose, a method was validated, including a wet acid digestion procedure for total chromium dissolution, a selective alkaline extraction of hexavalent chromium, and ETAAS determination. The method was applied to the determination of total and hexavalent chromium in 152 bread samples.

Mercury fatal intoxication: two case reports.

We report two cases of fatal intoxications with mercury, one intentional and the other allegedly resulting from a drug formulation mistake. Both cases occurred in the year of 2004. The first case refers to a man who ingested a great portion of a mercuric chloride solution.

Chronic exposure to ethanol exacerbates MDMA-induced hyperthermia and exposes liver to severe MDMA-induced toxicity in CD1 mice.

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy) is an amphetamine derivative drug with entactogenic, empathogenic and hallucinogenic properties, commonly consumed at rave parties in a polydrug abuse pattern, especially with cannabis, tobacco and ethanol. Since both MDMA and ethanol may cause deleterious effects to the liver, the evaluation of their putative hepatotoxic interaction is of great interest, especially considering that most of the MDMA users are regular ethanol consumers. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate, in vivo, the acute hepatotoxic effects of MDMA (10mg/kg i.

Validation of an electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry method for the determination of aluminum, copper, and lead in grapes.

An electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry method was validated to quantify aluminum, copper, and lead in grapes. The limits of detection were 1.11, 0.

Validation of a method to quantify copper and other metals in olive fruit by ETAAS. Application to the residual metal control after olive tree treatments with different copper formulations.

An electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry method was validated to quantify residues of copper, aluminum, cadmium, chromium, iron, lead, and nickel in olive fruit. The linearity ranges under the optimized conditions were 0.19-20.

Silicon and iron levels in tissues of animals treated with a "ferrimagnetic ceramic" with oncotherapeutic potential (anti-tumor) value.

The stability in a biological environment of an injectable cement with oncotherapeutic potential--consisting of a glass powder of SiO2 (35.6%), CaO (42.4%), P2O5 (17%), Na2O (5%) and 30% of its weight of Fe3O4 dissolved in (NH4)2HPO4 plus NH4H2PO4--was evaluated referring to the release of silicon and iron.