In Vitro and In Vivo Toxicity of CdTe Nanoparticles

Abstract

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) nanoparticles exhibit strong and stable fluorescence that is attractive for many applications such as biological probing and solid state lighting. The evaluation of nanoparticle toxicity is important for realizing these practical applications. However, no systematic studies of CdTe nanoparticle toxicity have been reported. We investigated and compared the size- and concentration-dependent cytotoxicity of CdTe nanoparticles in human hepatoma HepG2 cells using the MTT assay. CdTe nanoparticles elicited cytotoxicity in a concentration- and size-dependent manner, with smaller-sized particles exhibiting somewhat higher potency. Lesser cytotoxicity of partially purified CdTe-Red particles (following methanol precipitation and resuspension) suggested that free cadmium ions may contribute to cytotoxicity. We also evaluated the acute toxicity of CdTe-Red particles following intravenous exposure in male rats (2 micromol/kg). Few signs of functional toxicity or clinical (urinary or blood) changes were noted. Interestingly, motor activity was transiently reduced (2 hours after treatment) and then significantly increased at a later timepoint (24 hours after dosing). These studies provide a framework for further characterizing the in vitro and in vivo toxic potential of different types of CdTe nanoparticles and suggest that the nervous system may be targeted by these nanoparticles under some conditions.

In vitro and in vivo toxicity assessment of nanoparticles

“…Results suggested that acid treatment of PEGcoated quantum dots increased the toxicity [130]. Another study investigated the in vitro and in vivo toxicity of CdTe nanoparticles on human hepatoma HepG2 cells [131].…”

Studying nanotoxic effects of CdTe quantum dots in Trypanosoma cruzi

“…Nanoparticle size is also an essential factor in the analysis of toxicity because smaller CdTe QDs with green emission (2 nm) seem to be more toxic to the cells than those with red emission (6 nm) (Lovrić et al 2005b, Zhang et al 2007). Our ultrastructural data showed that 2 µM QDs induced no alteration in T. cruzi morphology (Figs 3, 4).…”

Water-soluble PEGylated silicon nanoparticles and their assembly into swellable nanoparticle aggregates

“…In contrast to traditional II/VI semiconductor quantum dots, silicon nanoparticles also exhibit low toxicity in vitro and in vivo, (Kirchner et al 2004;Mayne et al 2000;Nilsson 2003;Zhang et al 2007) making them ideal candidates for theranostic materials (Boyraz and Jalali 2005;Kelkar and Reineke 2011;Kortshagen et al 2008;Larson et al 2003;Pillai et al 2006;Raniero et al 2005;Swihart 2007;Wang et al 2004).…”