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Interactions of Nanomaterials with Biological Matrices
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Interactions of Nanomaterials with Biological Matrices

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Role of Xenobiotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 December 2021) | Viewed by 8455

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Marcin Kruszewski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Centre for Radiobiology and Biological Dosimetry, Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Dorodna 16, 03-195 Warsaw, Poland
2. Department of Molecular Biology and Translational Research, Institute of Rural Health, Jaczewskiego 2, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
Interests: nanotoxicology; cellular biology; radiobiology; cellular signaling; DNA damage; free radicals

Special Issue Information

Engineered nanomaterials (NMs) have become an indispensable part of our lives. The number of their applications grows every day. Though the benefits that nanomaterials provide to society are unquestionable, their interactions with biological systems remain obscure. Presently, there is increasing concern about detrimental health effects due to exposure to NMs. NMs have been reported to induce oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation, and many other adverse effects that are known to be crucial to the development of lifestyle diseases. Malfunction of mitochondria, leading to the generation of free radicals and, subsequently, oxidative stress, seems to be a major cause of NM toxicity. In addition, nanomaterial-generated oxidative stress triggers signal transduction and affects cellular functions. This, in turn, usually affects tissue and organ functions.

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Science (IJMS) is focused on interactions of nanomaterials with biological systems on different levels of organization. We welcome both experimental works and review papers regarding biological effects of nanomaterials on the molecular and cellular levels, tissues and organs, and whole organisms. We also welcome studies on animal model systems and environmental and occupational exposure of humans to nanomaterials. 

Prof. Dr. Marcin Kruszewski
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanomaterials
  • toxicity
  • cell biology
  • molecular biology
  • cellular signaling
  • oxidative stress
  • damage to DNA, lipids, and proteins

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 2646 KiB  
Article
Silver Nanoparticles Impair Cognitive Functions and Modify the Hippocampal Level of Neurotransmitters in a Coating-Dependent Manner
by Katarzyna Dziendzikowska, Małgorzata Węsierska, Joanna Gromadzka-Ostrowska, Jacek Wilczak, Michał Oczkowski, Sylwia Męczyńska-Wielgosz and Marcin Kruszewski
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(23), 12706; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms222312706 - 24 Nov 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1948
Abstract
Due to their potent antibacterial properties, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in industry and medicine. However, they can cross the brain–blood barrier, posing a risk to the brain and its functions. In our previous study, we demonstrated that oral administration of bovine [...] Read more.
Due to their potent antibacterial properties, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in industry and medicine. However, they can cross the brain–blood barrier, posing a risk to the brain and its functions. In our previous study, we demonstrated that oral administration of bovine serum albumin (BSA)-coated AgNPs caused an impairment in spatial memory in a dose-independent manner. In this study, we evaluated the effects of AgNPs coating material on cognition, spatial memory functioning, and neurotransmitter levels in rat hippocampus. AgNPs coated with BSA (AgNPs(BSA)), polyethylene glycol (AgNPs(PEG)), or citrate (AgNPs(Cit)) or silver ions (Ag+) were orally administered at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg b.w. to male Wistar rats for a period of 28 days, while the control (Ctrl) rats received 0.2 mL of water. The acquisition and maintenance of spatial memory related to place avoidance were assessed using the active allothetic place avoidance task, in which rats from AgNPs(BSA), AgNPs(PEG), and Ag+ groups performed worse than the Ctrl rats. In the retrieval test assessing long-term memory, only rats from AgNPs(Cit) and Ctrl groups showed memory maintenance. The analysis of neurotransmitter levels indicated that the ratio between serotonin and dopamine concentration was disturbed in the AgNPs(BSA) rats. Furthermore, treatment with AgNPs or Ag+ resulted in the induction of peripheral inflammation, which was reflected by the alterations in the levels of serum inflammatory mediators. In conclusion, depending on the coating material used for their stabilization, AgNPs induced changes in memory functioning and concentration of neurotransmitters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions of Nanomaterials with Biological Matrices)
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25 pages, 4457 KiB  
Article
Aquatic Toxicity Effects and Risk Assessment of ‘Form Specific’ Product-Released Engineered Nanomaterials
by Raisibe Florence Lehutso, James Wesley-Smith and Melusi Thwala
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(22), 12468; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms222212468 - 18 Nov 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1804
Abstract
The study investigated the toxicity effects of ‘form specific’ engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and ions released from nano-enabled products (NEPs), namely sunscreens, sanitisers, body creams and socks on Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, Spirodela polyrhiza, and Daphnia magna. Additionally, risk estimation emanating from the [...] Read more.
The study investigated the toxicity effects of ‘form specific’ engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and ions released from nano-enabled products (NEPs), namely sunscreens, sanitisers, body creams and socks on Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, Spirodela polyrhiza, and Daphnia magna. Additionally, risk estimation emanating from the exposures was undertaken. The ENMs and the ions released from the products both contributed to the effects to varying extents, with neither being a uniform principal toxicity agent across the exposures; however, the effects were either synergistic or antagonistic. D. magna and S. polyrhiza were the most sensitive and least sensitive test organisms, respectively. The most toxic effects were from ENMs and ions released from sanitisers and sunscreens, whereas body creams and sock counterparts caused negligible effects. The internalisation of the ENMs from the sunscreens could not be established; only adsorption on the biota was evident. It was established that ENMs and ions released from products pose no imminent risk to ecosystems; instead, small to significant adverse effects are expected in the worst-case exposure scenario. The study demonstrates that while ENMs from products may not be considered to pose an imminent risk, increasing nanotechnology commercialization may increase their environmental exposure and risk potential; therefore, priority exposure cases need to be examined. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions of Nanomaterials with Biological Matrices)
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23 pages, 2954 KiB  
Article
Silver Nanoparticles Modulate the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Estrogen-Dependent Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro
by Michał Rakowski, Szymon Porębski and Agnieszka Grzelak
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(17), 9203; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms22179203 - 25 Aug 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2187
Abstract
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are frequently detected in many convenience goods, such as cosmetics, that are applied directly to the skin. AgNPs accumulated in cells can modulate a wide range of molecular pathways, causing direct changes in cells. The aim of this study is [...] Read more.
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are frequently detected in many convenience goods, such as cosmetics, that are applied directly to the skin. AgNPs accumulated in cells can modulate a wide range of molecular pathways, causing direct changes in cells. The aim of this study is to assess the capability of AgNPs to modulate the metastasis of breast cancer cells through the induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The effect of the AgNPs on MCF-7 cells was investigated via the sulforhodamine B method, the wound healing test, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the standard cytofluorimetric method of measuring the cell cycle, and the expression of EMT marker proteins and the MTA3 protein via Western blot. To fulfill the results, calcium flux and HDAC activity were measured. Additionally, mitochondrial membrane potential was measured to assess the direct impact of AgNPs on mitochondria. The results indicated that the MCF-7 cells are resistant to the cytotoxic effect of AgNPs and have higher mobility than the control cells. Treatment with AgNPs induced a generation of ROS; however, it did not affect the cell cycle but modulated the expression of EMT marker proteins and the MTA3 protein. Mitochondrial membrane potential and calcium flux were not altered; however, the AgNPs did modulate the total HDAC activity. The presented data support our hypothesis that AgNPs modulate the metastasis of MCF-7 cells through the EMT pathway. These results suggest that AgNPs, by inducing reactive oxygen species generation, alter the metabolism of breast cancer cells and trigger several pathways related to metastasis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions of Nanomaterials with Biological Matrices)
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10 pages, 3833 KiB  
Article
Transient Vasodilation in Mouse 4T1 Tumors after Intragastric and Intravenous Administration of Gold Nanoparticles
by Kamil Brzoska, Małgorzata Szczygiel, Agnieszka Drzał, Martyna Sniegocka, Dominika Michalczyk-Wetula, Eva Biela, Martyna Elas, Lucyna Kapka-Skrzypczak, Hanna Lewandowska-Siwkiewicz, Krystyna Urbańska and Marcin Kruszewski
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(5), 2361; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms22052361 - 26 Feb 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1761
Abstract
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are foreseen as a promising tool in nanomedicine, both as drug carriers and radiosensitizers. They have been also proposed as a potential anticancer drug due to the anti-angiogenic effect in tumor tissue. In this work we investigated the effect of [...] Read more.
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are foreseen as a promising tool in nanomedicine, both as drug carriers and radiosensitizers. They have been also proposed as a potential anticancer drug due to the anti-angiogenic effect in tumor tissue. In this work we investigated the effect of citrate-coated AuNPs of nominal diameter 20 nm on the growth and metastatic potential of 4T1 cells originated from a mouse mammary gland tumor inoculated into the mammary fat pad of Balb/ccmdb mice. To evaluate whether AuNPs can prevent the tumor growth, one group of inoculated mice was intragastrically (i.g.) administered with 1 mg/kg of AuNPs daily from day 1 to day 14 after cancer cell implantation. To evaluate whether AuNPs can attenuate the tumor growth, the second group was intravenously (i.v.) administered with 1 or 5 mg/kg of AuNPs, twice on day 5 and day 14 after inoculation. We did not observe any anticancer activity of i.v. nor i.g. administered AuNPs, as they did not affect neither the primary tumor growth rate nor the number of lung metastases. Unexpectedly, both AuNP treatment regimens caused a marked vasodilating effect in the tumor tissue. As no change of potential angiogenic genes (Fgf2, Vegfa) nor inducible nitric oxygenase (Nos2) was observed, we proposed that the vasodilation was caused by AuNP-dependent decomposition of nitrosothiols and direct release of nitric oxide in the tumor tissue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions of Nanomaterials with Biological Matrices)
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