Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle with Antioxidants as a New Carrier That Generates Lower Oxidative Stress Impact on Cells

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were covalently coated with antioxidant molecules, namely, caffeic acid (MSN-CAF) or rutin (MSN-RUT), in order to diminish the impact of oxidative stress induced after transfection into cells, thus generating safer carriers used for either drug delivery or other applications. Two cellular models involved in the entry of NPs in the body were used for this purpose: the intestinal Caco-2 and the epidermal HaCaT cell lines. Rutin gave the best results in terms of antioxidant capacities preservation during coupling procedures, cellular toxicity alleviation, and decrease of ROS level after 24 h incubation of cells with grafted nanoparticles. These protective effects of rutin were found more pronounced in HaCaT than in Caco-2 cells, indicating some cellular specificity toward defense against oxidative stress. In order to gain more insight about the Nrf2 response, a stable transfected HaCaT cell line bearing repeats of the antioxidant response element (ARE) in front of a luc...