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. 2021 Apr 10;26:100991. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2021.100991

Table 2.

Some in vitro toxicity studies involving AuNPs.

Organism Particle Effects Ref.
Human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (HT29) AuNPs Significant reduction in viability of cells. However, no gnotoxic effects [115]
HepG2 cells AuNPs Indicated tails moment similar to those from positive control in which cells were exposed to hydrogen peroxide [82]
HepG2 cells AuNPs AuNPs do not change the concentration of inflammatory markers when compared to the control [82]
MG63 cells AuNPs Low long term toxicity [116]
BALB/c 3T3 fibroblast cells Coated and uncoated spherical AuNPs DNA damage results via indirect oxidative stress Guglielmo et al., 2012
Epithelial cells of airways AuNPs Elevation of lipid peoxidase as well as DNA damage and cytotoxicity [117]
L5178Y cells AuNPs No damage to the DNA at 60 nm but there was damage at 100 nm [118]
MRC-5 cells AuNPs capped with GNPC and GNPB Slight hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic [119]
MRC-5 human lung fibroblasts AuNPs High lipid peroxidation, upregulation of antioxidants, expressions of protein and gene of stress response [[111], [112], [113]]
Rat liver AuNPs Yield a great lipid peroxidation [120]
Human leukemia (HL-60) and hepatoma (HepG2) cell lines AuNPs Cytotoxicity effects associated with reduction of GSH and increase in ROS [121]
3T3 cells Plain and GSH-capped AuNPs Produce more reactive oxygen species than plain AuNPs [122]
HeLa and U937 cells Citrate-capped AuNPs Cytotoxic [123,124]
HepG2 and PBMC cells AuNPs capped with either sodium citrate or polyamidoamine dendrimers In vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity effects at low concentrations [125]
Balb/3T3 cells AuNPs uncoated and coated with hyaluronic acid Oxidative stress was reflected in DNA damage but with reduced cytotoxicity [126]
C17.2 and PC12 cells AuNPs Caused oxidative stress by cell viability and deformations of actin and tubulin [127]
Balb/3T3 cells Citrate-stabilized AuNPs Cytotoxicity by disruption of actin cytoskeleton [25]
MRC-5 cells AuNPs Autophagy and oxidative stress [[111], [112], [113]]
Human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT AuNPs Cell death by apoptosis and necrosis [128]
Vero, MRC-5, and NIH/3T3 cells AuNPs Reduction in growth and was related with apoptosis and autophagy [129]
Granulose cells of the ovary AuNPs Induced an elevation in estrogen accumulation Stelzer et al. [130]
Human spermatozoa AuNPs Affects viability and motility [131]
A549 cells AuNPs coated with serum proteins Intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways reflected in cell damage [132]
Human fetal lung fibroblasts AuNPs Destabilized the expression of 19 genes in the cells [117]
A549 cells AuNPs Assumed circular shape because of the induced stress [133]
Hman liver cell lines (HL7702 cells) AuNPs Early decrease in cytosolic GSH, depolarization of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and subsequently apoptosis [134]
MG63 osteoblast-like cells AuNPs Cell death [116]
A549 cells AuNPs Cytotoxicity by substantial changes in nuclear morphology and nuclear condensation [133]
Polymer-modified AuNPs Hemocompatibility with human RBCs [135,136]
A549 cells AuNPs An inflammatory response [137]
AGS, A549, NIH3T3, PK-15, and Vero cells AuNPs Suppression of growth of cells in a dose-dependent manner by delay of cell cycle and induction of apoptosis [138]
Vero cells AuNPs Reduction in cell growth and related to apoptosis [129]
NIH3T3 cells AuNPs Autophagy [129]
MRC-5 cells AuNPs DNA damage [129]
Breast cells (MDA-MB-231) AuNPs Reduction in proliferation [139]
Human cell lines AuNRs coated with methoxypolyethylene glycol thiol Alterations in viability of cells with the exception of thyroid papillary carcinoma cells [137]
Human cells AuNPs Little or no immunotoxic, cytotoxic, and genotoxic effects [140]
CHO, BEAS-2B and HEK293 cells Citrate-stabilized AuNPs Exert higher toxicity [141]
Hela cells AuNPs No indication of cytotoxicity [142]
A549 and Vero cells AuNPs conjugate No toxicity [143]
Caco-2 cells AuNPs Did not produce acute cytotoxicity [144]
Vero cells Porphyran-reduced AuNPs No toxicological effects [110]
Tumor ascites and normal peritoneal cells Functionalized AuNPs No morphological changes and cell death [145]
HeLa cells Silica-coated AuNRs and glucose-capped AuNPs No toxicity effects [146,147]
HEK293 cells Phosphine-stabilized and thiol-stabilized AuNPs Modified the gene expression and had no toxicity [148]
Human carcinoma lung cell Citrate-capped AuNPs Induce toxicity [133]
Human liver carcinoma cell Citrate-capped AuNPs No toxicity effects [133]