This study evaluated the inhibition of matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) and cellular responses elicited by gold (Au) and platinum (Pt) nanoparticles (NPs). The interaction of MMP-1 and NPs was evaluated using an MMP assay kit. The cultured L929 cells were exposed to various concentrations of NPs. The cellular responses to NPs were examined using a cytotoxicity assay (that evaluated cell viability and lactic dehydrogenase production), real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and transmission electron microscopy. Both types of NPs, when used at concentrations above 10 μg ml(-1), inhibited MMP-1 activity. No cytotoxic effects were found when the cells were exposed to AuNPs. In contrast, PtNPs, at both 100 and 400 μg ml(-1), induced cytotoxicity. No inflammatory responses (production of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha) to NPs were identified by RT-qPCR. The negative surface charge of NPs (COOH(-)) binds to the Zn(2+) of the MMP active center by chelation, leading to MMP inhibition. Gold nanoparticles are plausible candidates for MMP inhibitors in resin-bonding materials because they effectively inhibit MMP-1 activity without cytotoxic or inflammatory effects.
Keywords: MMP; cytotoxicity; fibroblasts; nanoparticle; resin.
© 2015 Eur J Oral Sci.