Comparative Toxic Effect of Bulk Copper Oxide (CuO) and CuO Nanoparticles on Human Red Blood Cells

Destruction of red blood cell is associated with anemia and other pathological status; hence, the hemolytic effects of all chemicals and particles which come into contact with blood components must be considered. Nanomaterials and nanoparticles are potential substitutes for common material and particles, and assessment of their effect on blood components is a necessary part of their safety evaluation. High surface-to-volume ratio of nanoparticles may cause their toxic effects differ from those observed for bulk material. The aim of this study was to compare the hemolytic effects of CuO nanoparticles and bulk CuO. Red blood cells were isolated from blood of healthy subjects and hemolytic effects assayed following treatment of cells with 0.005-0.25 mM of CuO (bulk and nanoparticles) for 6 h. For assessment of other parameters, cells were incubated with 0.01, 0.05, and 0.25 mM of CuO nanoparticles and bulk CuO for 1, 2, and 3 h. Our results demonstrate that CuO nanoparticles, in particular, caused toxic hemolytic effects in concentration-dependent manner, and this effect maybe through formation of ROS, glutathione depletion, and lipid peroxidation. In conclusion, CuO nanoparticles are shown to effectively destruct human red blood cells in comparison to bulk CuO.