Reactive oxygen species generation by copper(II) oxide nanoparticles determined by DNA damage assays and EPR spectroscopy.

ABSTRACT: Copper(II) oxide nanoparticles (^NPCuO) have many industrial applications, but are highly cytotoxic because they generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). It is unknown whether the damaging ROS are generated primarily from copper leached from the nanoparticles, or whether the nanoparticle surface plays a significant role. To address this question, we separated nanoparticles from the supernatant containing dissolved copper, and measured their ability to damage plasmid DNA with addition of hydrogen peroxide, ascorbate, or both. While DNA damage from the supernatant (measured using an electrophoresis assay) can be explained solely by dissolved copper ions, damage by the nanoparticles in the presence of ascorbate is an order of magnitude higher than can be explained by dissolved copper

SUBMITTER: Angele-Martinez C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5494152 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature