Effect of ultra-small silica nanoparticles (USSNs) on gene expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Humans are exposed to high levels of amorphous silica particles daily, as they are used in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products, and recently in bioclinical applications. Here, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were exposed to USSNs (silicon) and their gene expression was assessed Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were freshly isolated from single human leukocyte cones and treated in triplicate with saline or USSNs (DV0.5 = 3.6 +/- 0.5, treated at 150 uM Si) for 4 h and then RNA collected. RNA was also collected prior to separation and treatment of the cells (i.e. at 0 h; n=3 replicates). The whole experiment was performed in triplicate on PBMCs isolated from three different human donors.