Preparation, characterization and cytotoxicity of nitric oxide releasing iron oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

The endogenous-found molecule nitric oxide (NO) is involved in several important physiological processes, such as the control of vasodilation of blood vessels, the cell communication, the immune response, and the wound healing. As NO is a small size molecule, devoid of charge, and relatively lipophilic, it diffuses easily in the biological medium crossing most physiologic barriers, without the presence of cell membrane receptors. In the biological medium, NO is unstable, and it can ready react with biomolecules, such as hemoglobin, leading to its inactivation. Moreover, NO controls several physiological functions, deficiencies in its production and/or transport, or its inactivation, result in pathophysiological states. Thus, there is a great effort on the development of NO-releasing materials, which can be used in several biomedical applications. A promising strategy that has been used to facilitate the therapeutic use of NO is based on the combination of metallic nanoparticles with NO donor molecules, such as S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs). Iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) are known for their biocompatibility and used as vehicles for controlled drug release, in biological systems. In this context, the objective of this project is the preparation of functionalized iron oxide as NO donor vehicle. The development of this nanostructured material involves the synthesis of NO-releasing nanoparticles, their physicochemical characterization, kinetic studies of NO release, and cytotoxicological evaluation of the prepared materials. This project is aimed to create a biocompatible material capable to carry and delivery NO, with great potential to use in biomedical applications.