Cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammation in human Hep G2 liver epithelial cells following exposure to gold nanorods.

AbstractThe gold nanorods (GNRs) are great potentials in imaging, therapy, biosensing, and many other commercial applications. However, GNRs interactions with human cells and potential health risks remain not well known. The present investigation aimed to evaluate the in vitro toxicity of 10 and 25 nm GNRs (10–50 μg/mL) following exposure for 48 h in human Hep G2 liver epithelial cells using 3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, glutathione (GSH) estimation, lipid peroxidation (TBARS), caspase-3 levels, and interleukin-8 (IL-8) release assays. Exposure of GNRs to cells results in decrease in cell viability and causes cell membrane damage through LDH leakage results in cytotoxicity. The IC50 (concentration required to inhibit 50% of cells) values of 10 nm GNRs, 25 nm GNRs, and quartz (toxic control)-treated cells were found to be 19.9, 26.8, and 36.35 μg/mL, suggesting the higher cytotoxicity of GNRs. The GNRs exposure to liver cells foun...