The relevance of physico-chemical properties and protein corona for evaluation of nanoparticles immunotoxicity—in vitro correlation analysis on THP-1 macrophages

Pavlin, Mojca (author), Lojk, Jasna (author), Strojan, Klemen (author), Hafner Bratkovič, Iva (author), Jerala, Roman (author), Leonardi, Adrijana (author), Križaj, Igor (author), Drnovšek, Nataša (author), Novak, Saša (author), Veranič, Peter (author), Bregar, Vladimir Boštjan (author)

Alongside physiochemical properties (PCP), it has been suggested that the protein corona of nanoparticles (NPs) plays a crucial role in the response of immune cells to NPs. However, due to the great variety of NPs, target cells, and exposure protocols, there is still no clear relationship between PCP, protein corona composition, and the immunotoxicity of NPs. In this study, we correlated PCP and the protein corona composition of NPs to the THP-1 macrophage response, focusing on selected toxicological endpoints: cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and cytokine secretion. We analyzed seven commonly used engineered NPs (SiO$_2$, silver, and TiO$_2$) and magnetic NPs. We show that with the exception of silver NPs, all of the tested TiO$_2$ types and SiO$_2$ exhibited moderate toxicities and a transient inflammatory response that was observed as an increase in ROS, IL-8, and/or IL-1β cytokine secretion. We observed a strong correlation between the size of the NPs in media and IL-1β secretion. The induction of IL-1β secretion was completely blunted in NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) knockout THP-1 cells, indicating activation of the inflammasome. The correlations analysis also implicated the association of specific NP corona proteins with the induction of cytokine secretion. This study provides new insights toward a better understanding of the relationships between PCP, protein corona, and the inflammatory response of macrophages for different engineered NPs, to which we are exposed on a daily basis.

• Language: English
• Keywords: physico-chemical properties, nanoparticles, nanotoxicology, immune response, correlation, protein corona, cytokines, inflammasome, macrophages, TiO$_2$
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine; FE - Faculty of Electrical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 23 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 23, iss. 11, art. 6197
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-145243
• UDC: 577
• ISSN on article: 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116197
• COBISS.SI-ID: 109968387
• Publication date in RUL: 13.04.2023

PAVLIN, Mojca, LOJK, Jasna, STROJAN, Klemen, HAFNER BRATKOVIČ, Iva, JERALA, Roman, LEONARDI, Adrijana, KRIŽAJ, Igor, DRNOVŠEK, Nataša, NOVAK, Saša, VERANIČ, Peter and BREGAR, Vladimir Boštjan, 2022, The relevance of physico-chemical properties and protein corona for evaluation of nanoparticles immunotoxicity—in vitro correlation analysis on THP-1 macrophages. International journal of molecular sciences [online]. 2022. Vol. 23, no. 11,  6197. [Accessed 14 April 2025]. DOI 10.3390/ijms23116197. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=145243

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of molecular sciences
• Shortened title: Int. j. mol. sci.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1422-0067
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2779162

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: fizikalno-kemijske lastnosti, nanodelci, nanotoksikologija, imunski odziv, korelacija, proteinska korona, citokini, inflamasom, makrofagi, TiO$_2$