Impact of silica nanoparticle design on cellular toxicity and hemolytic activity

Abstract

Understanding the toxicity of silica nanoparticles (SiO2) on the cellular level is crucial for rational design of these nanomaterials for biomedical applications. Herein, we explore the impacts of geometry, porosity, and surface charge of SiO2 on cellular toxicity and hemolytic activity. Nonporous Stöber silica nanospheres (115 nm diameter), mesoporous silica nanospheres (120 nm diameter, aspect ratio 1), mesoporous silica nanorods with aspect ratio of 2, 4, and 8 (width by length 80 × 200 nm, 150 × 600 nm, 130 × 1000 nm), and their cationic counterparts were evaluated on macrophages, lung carcinoma cells, and human erythrocytes. It was shown that the toxicity of SiO2 is cell-type dependent and that surface charge and pore size govern cellular toxicity. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the cellular association of SiO2 was quantitated with the association amount increasing in the following order: mesoporous SiO2 (aspect ratio 1, 2, 4, 8) < amine-modified mesoporous SiO2 (aspect ratio 1, 2, 4, 8) < amine-modified nonporous Stöber SiO2 < nonporous Stöber SiO 2. Geometry did not seem to influence the extent of SiO2 association at early or extended time points. The level of cellular association of the nanoparticles was directly linked to the extent of plasma membrane damage, suggesting a biological cause-and-effect relationship. Hemolysis assay showed that the hemolytic activity was porosity- and geometry-dependent for bare SiO2 and surface-charge-dependent for amine-modified SiO 2. A good correlation between hemolytic activity and cellular association was found on a similar dosage basis. These results can provide useful guidelines for the rational design of SiO2 in nanomedicine. © 2011 American Chemical Society.