For the uptake in MC lower concentrations of Sicastar Red particles (6 μg/ml) showed no toxic effects on epithelial cells, and an uptake in cells was

detectable by fluorescence microscopy. In contrast, we observed a lower sensitivity of cells to Sicastar particles in the CC as indicated by the absence of toxic effects at concentrations of 60 μg/ml, which were also sufficient to detect NP uptake in the CCs. The results examining cytotoxicity (MTS and LDH) and inflammatory responses (IL-8 and sICAM) of NP-exposed H441 and ISO-HAS-1 in MC show dose-dependent cytotoxic effects for Sicastar Red, especially at higher concentrations such as 100 and 300 μg/ml. selleck compound However, for AmOrSil, no harmful effects could be observed at all end-points. According to the data for general cytotoxicity and inflammatory activation cells used in this model appeared to tolerate the AmOrSil particles, even though these were present in higher mass concentrations than the Sicastar particles. At the concentrations learn more used, Sicastar always provided a much larger surface compared to AmOrSil in regard to the smaller particle size, which may also explain its higher toxicity. However,

a direct comparison of the cytotoxicity of the two different silica-based particles should not merely base on their mass concentration due to their different size, mass and particle density. Thus, using the same administered mass of the NPs leads on the one hand to a different applied particle number and particle surface area and on the other hand it may lead to different cellular doses (compared to the administered

dose on the cells) due to different particokinetics (diffusion, gravitational settling, agglomeration) of the particles [16]. In addition, different endocytotic pathways, that NPs may follow, might lead to differential toxicological effects. Beside size and shape, the cytotoxic effect of silica nanoparticles can primarily be associated to the reactivity of the nanoparticle surface which interfaces with the biological milieu. As reviewed about by Napierska et. al., the hydrophilicity which is due to surface silanol groups is linked to cellular toxicity [1]. Since Sicastar Red is a hydrophilic amorphous silica nanoparticle with a plain/unfunctionalized surface it exerted a higher cytotoxicity. No obvious toxicity was observed for the organically modified and hydrophobic poly(organosiloxane) particle AmOrSil, whose silanol groups are mostly condensed into siloxane bonds. Furthermore, AmOrSil is coated with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) to achieve a water-solubility. Coating of NPs with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) or as in our case poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is widely applied in research concerning nanoparticles generated for biomedical applications.