%0 Journal Article
%T Toxicity of CdSe Nanoparticles in Caco-2 Cell Cultures
%A Lin Wang
%A Dattatri K Nagesha
%A Selvapraba Selvarasah
%A Mehmet R Dokmeci
%A Rebecca L Carrier
%J Journal of Nanobiotechnology
%D 2008
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1477-3155-6-11
%X Commercially available CdSe QDs, which have a ZnS shell and poly-ethylene glycol (PEG) coating, and in-house prepared surfactant coated CdSe QDs were dosed to Caco-2 cells. Cell viability and attachment were studied after 24 hours of incubation. It was found that cytotoxicity of CdSe QDs was modulated by surface coating, as PEG coated CdSe QDs had less of an effect on Caco-2 cell viability and attachment. Acid treatment increased the toxicity of PEG coated QDs, most likely due to damage or removal of the surface coating and exposure of CdSe core material. Incubation with un-dialyzed in-house prepared CdSe QD preparations, which contained an excess amount of free Cd2+, resulted in dramatically reduced cell viability.Exposure to CdSe QDs resulted in cultured intestinal cell detachment and death; cytotoxicity depended largely, however, on the QD coating and treatment (e.g. acid treatment, dialysis). Experimental results generally indicated that Caco-2 cell viability correlated with concentration of free Cd2+ ions present in cell culture medium. Exposure to low (gastric) pH affected cytotoxicity of CdSe QDs, indicating that route of exposure may be an important factor in QD cytotoxicity.Nanotechnology offers many benefits in various areas, such as drug delivery, imaging, water decontamination, information and communication technologies, as well as the production of stronger, lighter materials [1]. Synthesis of nanomaterials has become increasingly more common since the early 1980s. Various kinds of nanomaterials, such as quantum dots (QDs), carbon nanotubes, and fullerenes, have been synthesized, and quite a few have been commercialized (e.g. CdSe QDs, carbon nanotubes). The nanotechnology market is predicted to be valued at $1 trillion by 2012, so the likelihood of exposure to synthesized nanomaterials will exponentially increase [1,2]. Thus, there is an immediate need for research to address uncertainties about the health and environmental effects of nanoparticles. Th
%U http://www.jnanobiotechnology.com/content/6/1/11