Abstract:

Silicon nanoparticles are widely used for various applications including environmental, biological, chemical and physical. And, to translate these nanomaterials to the clinic and industrial domains, their safety needs to be verified, particularly in terms of genotoxicity and cytotoxicity. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate of cytotoxicity and changes in gene expression profiles influenced by commonly silicon (as silicon carbide, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride) nanoparticles in human alveolar epithelial (HPAEpiC) and pharynx (HPPC) cell lines in vitro since inhalation is an important pathway for exposure to these nanoparticles. HPAEpiC and HPPC cells were treated with silicon (0-100 μg/mL), nanoparticles for 72 h, and then cytotoxicity was detected by, [3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl) 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays, while genotoxicity was also analyzed by cDNA array - RT-PCR assay. According to the results of MTT and LDH assays, all tested nanoparticles induced cytotoxicity on both HPAEpiC and HPPC cells in dose-dependent manner. Determining and analyzing the gene expression profiles of HPAEpiC and HPPC cells, silicon nanoparticles showed changes in genes related to apoptosis, DNA damage or repair and oxidative stress. This study of gene expression profiles affected by nanotoxicity provides critical information for the clinical and environmental applications of silicon nanoparticles.

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