Department of Chemistry IFM, Interdepartmental Centers G. Scansetti for Studies on Asbestos and other Toxic Particulates and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS), University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
Nanotoxicology. 2010 Dec;4:347-63. doi: 10.3109/17435390.2010.509519.
Nanotoxicology studies require investigations of several physico-chemical aspects of the particle/body fluid interaction, here described by reviewing recent literature in the light of new experimental data. Current characterization mostly covers morphology and metric-related characteristics (form, chemical composition, specific surface area, primary particle size and size distribution), and is mandatory in any experimental study. To unveil toxicity mechanisms, several other physico-chemical properties relevant to (geno) toxicity need to be assessed, typically the release or quenching of radical/ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species), the presence of active metal ions, evidence of structural defects. Major tasks for physical chemists working on nanoparticles-induced genotoxicity are described with some examples: (i), Tailored preparation of the same material in different sizes; (ii) particle modification changing a single property at a time; and (iii) identification of appropriate reference materials. Phenomena occurring during the contact between nanoparticles and cellular media or biological fluids (dispersion, agglomeration/aggregation, protein adsorption) are discussed in relation to the surface properties of the nanoparticles considered.
纳米毒理学研究需要研究粒子/体液相互作用的几个物理化学方面，本文通过综述最新文献中的新实验数据对此进行了描述。目前的表征主要涵盖形态和与度量相关的特征（形状、化学成分、比表面积、初级粒径和粒径分布），这在任何实验研究中都是强制性的。为了揭示毒性机制，还需要评估其他与（遗传）毒性相关的几个物理化学特性，通常是自由基/ROS（活性氧物种）的释放或猝灭、活性金属离子的存在、结构缺陷的证据。从事纳米颗粒诱导遗传毒性研究的物理化学家的主要任务用一些例子进行了描述：（i），用不同尺寸的相同材料进行定制制备；（ii）每次改变一个特性的颗粒修饰；和（iii）识别合适的参考材料。讨论了纳米颗粒与细胞介质或生物流体接触过程中发生的现象（分散、聚集/聚集、蛋白质吸附）与所考虑的纳米颗粒的表面特性有关。
