Chemical background of silver nanoparticles interfering with mammalian copper metabolism

Alexey N Skvortsov; Ekaterina Yu Ilyechova; Ludmila V Puchkova

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131093

Chemical background of silver nanoparticles interfering with mammalian copper metabolism

J Hazard Mater. 2023 Jun 5:451:131093. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131093. Epub 2023 Feb 26.

Authors

Alexey N Skvortsov¹, Ekaterina Yu Ilyechova², Ludmila V Puchkova³

Affiliations

¹ Graduate School of Biomedical Systems and Technologies, Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Saint Petersburg 195251, Russia; Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Stem Cells, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg 194064, Russia.
² Graduate School of Biomedical Systems and Technologies, Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Saint Petersburg 195251, Russia; Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg 197376, Russia; Research Center of Advanced Functional Materials and Laser Communication Systems (RC AFMLCS), ITMO University, Saint Petersburg 197101, Russia. Electronic address: ilichevaey@itmo.ru.
³ Graduate School of Biomedical Systems and Technologies, Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Saint Petersburg 195251, Russia; Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg 197376, Russia; Research Center of Advanced Functional Materials and Laser Communication Systems (RC AFMLCS), ITMO University, Saint Petersburg 197101, Russia.

PMID: 36905906
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131093

Abstract

The rapidly increasing application of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) boosts their release into the environment, which raises a reasonable alarm for ecologists and health specialists. This is manifested as increased research devoted to the influence of AgNPs on physiological and cellular processes in various model systems, including mammals. The topic of the present paper is the ability of silver to interfere with copper metabolism, the potential health effects of this interference, and the danger of low silver concentrations to humans. The chemical properties of ionic and nanoparticle silver, supporting the possibility of silver release by AgNPs in extracellular and intracellular compartments of mammals, are discussed. The possibility of justified use of silver for the treatment of some severe diseases, including tumors and viral infections, based on the specific molecular mechanisms of the decrease in copper status by silver ions released from AgNPs is also discussed.

Keywords: Copper metabolism; Copper transporting system; Cuproenzymes; Nanoparticle chemistry; Reactive oxygen species; Silver nanoparticles.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Copper
Humans
Ions
Mammals / metabolism
Metal Nanoparticles* / chemistry
Metal Nanoparticles* / toxicity
Silver* / chemistry

Substances

Silver
Copper
Ions