Nano-Jewels in Biology. Gold and Platinum on Diamond Nanoparticles as Antioxidant Systems Against Cellular Oxidative Stress

• Published in: ACS nano 2010-11, Vol.4 (11), p.6957-6965
• Main Authors: Martín, Roberto, Menchón, Cristina, Apostolova, Nadezda, Victor, Victor M, Álvaro, Mercedes, Herance, José Raúl, García, Hermenegildo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antioxidants - chemistry; Antioxidants - metabolism; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Antioxidants - toxicity; Apoptosis - drug effects; Catalysis; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cell Survival - drug effects; Diamond - chemistry; Gold - chemistry; HeLa Cells; Humans; Hydroxyl Radical - chemistry; Intracellular Space - drug effects; Intracellular Space - metabolism; Materials Testing; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanoparticles - toxicity; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Platinum - chemistry
• ISSN: 1936-0851; 1936-086X
• DOI: 10.1021/nn1019412

Diamond nanoparticles (DNPs) obtained by explosive detonation have become commercially available. These commercial DNPs can be treated under Fenton conditions (FeSO4 and H2O2 at acidic pH) to obtain purer DNP samples with a small average particle size (4 nm) and a large population of surface OH groups (HO−DNPs). These Fenton-treated HO−DNPs have been used as a support of gold and platinum nanoparticles (≤2 nm average size). The resulting materials (Au/HO−DNP and Pt/HO−DNP) exhibit a high antioxidant activity against reactive oxygen species induced in a hepatoma cell line. In addition to presenting good biocompatibility, Au/HO− and Pt/HO−DNP exhibit about a two-fold higher antioxidant activity than glutathione, one of the reference antioxidant systems. The most active material against cellular oxidative stress was Au/HO−DNP.