Editor's pick
Hemolysis
assay using red blood cells (RBCs) has been widely used as the simplest
cytotoxicity test for nanoparticles (NPs). However, the hemolytic mechanism of NPs
is still not well understood. In this study, the author focused on the silica
particle properties (size and surface functional group) as well as the exposure
environments (solution temperature and addition of proteins) to report the
results of (i) the number of silica NPs adhered to an RBC, (ii) the hemolysis assay,
and (iii) the silica-induced aggregation/dispersion of RBCs. Consequently, an overall
picture of the hemolytic action mechanism of silica NPs was shown.