Shape affects the interactions of nanoparticles with pulmonary surfactant.

ABSTRACT: The interactions with the pulmonary surfactant, the initial biological barrier of respiratory pathway, determine the potential therapeutic applications and toxicological effects of inhaled nanoparticles (NPs). Although much attention has been paid to optimize the physicochemical properties of NPs for improved delivery and targeting, shape effects of the inhaled NPs on their interactions with the pulmonary surfactant are still far from clear. Here, we studied the shape effects of NPs on their penetration abilities and structural disruptions to the dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) monolayer (being model pulmonary surfactant film) using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that during the inspiration process (i.e., surfactant film expansion), shape effects are negl

SUBMITTER: Lin X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5523932 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature