Flow Cytometry-Based Quantification of Cellular Au Nanoparticles.

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Cellular association of nanoparticles (NPs) is widely researched.
• Quantitative measurement of intracellular NPs remains challenging.
• Existing methods often involve complex sample preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, quantitative method for estimating cellular uptake of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs).
• To utilize flow cytometry (FCM) side scattering (SSC) for NP quantification.
• To establish a faster alternative to traditional methods like ICP-MS.

Main Methods:

• Exposed HeLa cervical cancer cells to eight types of Au NPs (40-100 nm, varying surface charges).
• Measured side scattering (SSC) intensities using flow cytometry (FCM).
• Correlated FCM SSC data with Au NP quantities determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Main Results:

• Established linear correlations between cellular Au NP levels and SSC intensities.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of estimating Au NP uptake via SSC measurements.
• Validated the method against ICP-MS quantification.

Conclusions:

• The proposed FCM-based SSC method provides a simple and quantitative approach for estimating cellular Au NP uptake.
• This method bypasses the need for labor-intensive sample preparation required by ICP-MS.
• The technique is applicable for specific cell lines and nanoparticle types, offering a valuable tool in nanomedicine research.