In vitro cytotoxicity and mechanism of silver colloid nanoparticles on mammalian cells

Objective To evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of silver nanoparticles and investigate the toxicity mechanism of Nano Silver on cells.Methods Silver colloid was prepared by a modified chemical reduction method,and its physical properties were tested by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).The in vitro cytotoxicity of the silver nanoparticles was investigated using mouse fibrosarcoma cells (L929).The toxicity was evaluated by the changes of cell morphology,LIVE/DEAD staining and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-dipheny(I)-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.In order to study the biodistribution of Nano Silver in the cells,TEM analyses of the L929 cells treated with 20.0 μg/mL of nanoparticles were performed.Results Silver nanoparticle doses of 10 μg/mL could cause obvious toxicity to L929 cells,including morphology changes and the suppression of proliferation.The nanoparticles entered into the cells through endocytosis,and interacted with organelles to induce cellular damage.Conclusions The survival and morphology of mammal cells were significantly affected by silver nanoparticles in a dose dependent manner,and the cytotoxicity should be taken into account in the application of silver nanoparticles. Key words: Silver nanoparticles;  Cytotoxicity;  In vitro;  Mechanism