Effect of Non-Modified as Well as Surface-Modified SiO2 Nanoparticles on Red Blood Cells, Biological and Model Membranes

Katarzyna Solarska-Ściuk; Katarzyna Męczarska; Vera Jencova; Patryk Jędrzejczak; Łukasz Klapiszewski; Aleksandra Jaworska; Monika Hryć; Dorota Bonarska-Kujawa

doi:10.3390/ijms241411760

Effect of Non-Modified as Well as Surface-Modified SiO₂ Nanoparticles on Red Blood Cells, Biological and Model Membranes

Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jul 21;24(14):11760. doi: 10.3390/ijms241411760.

Authors

Katarzyna Solarska-Ściuk¹, Katarzyna Męczarska¹, Vera Jencova², Patryk Jędrzejczak³, Łukasz Klapiszewski³, Aleksandra Jaworska¹, Monika Hryć¹, Dorota Bonarska-Kujawa¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physics and Biophysics, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Norwida St. 25, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland.
² Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Humanities and Education, Technical University of Liberec, Studentska 2, 461 17 Liberec, Czech Republic.
³ Institute of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Berdychowo 4, 60-965 Poznan, Poland.

Abstract

Nanoparticles are extremely promising components that are used in diagnostics and medical therapies. Among them, silica nanoparticles are ultrafine materials that, due to their unique physicochemical properties, have already been used in biomedicine, for instance, in cancer therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxicity of three types of nanoparticles (SiO2, SiO2-SH, and SiO2-COOH) in relation to red blood cells, as well as the impact of silicon dioxide nanoparticles on biological membranes and liposome models of membranes. The results obtained prove that hemolytic toxicity depends on the concentration of nanoparticles and the incubation period. Silica nanoparticles have a marginal impact on the changes in the osmotic resistance of erythrocytes, except for SiO2-COOH, which, similarly to SiO2 and SiO2-SH, changes the shape of erythrocytes from discocytes mainly towards echinocytes. What is more, nanosilica has an impact on the change in fluidity of biological and model membranes. The research gives a new view of the practical possibilities for the use of large-grain nanoparticles in biomedicine.

Keywords: biological membranes; erythrocyte membranes; erythrocytes; hemolytic toxicity; liposomes; osmotic resistance; silica nanoparticles.

MeSH terms

Cell Membrane
Erythrocytes
Membranes
Nanoparticles* / chemistry
Silicon Dioxide* / chemistry

Substances

Silicon Dioxide

Grants and funding

The research is co-financed from the subsidy increased by the minister responsible for higher education and science for the period 2020–2026 in the amount of 2% of the subsidy referred to Art. 387 (3) of the Act of 20 July 2018–Law on Higher Education and Science, obtained in 2019. The APC/BPC is co-financed by Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences. This work was supported by funds from the statutory activities of the Department of Physics and Biophysics, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, grant no. B010/0014/23.