Photodynamic Effect of Ni Nanotubes on an HeLa Cell Line

Nickel nanomaterials are promising in the biomedical field, especially in cancer diagnostics and targeted therapy, due to their distinctive chemical and physical properties. In this experiment, the toxicity of nickel nanotubes (Ni NTs) were tested in an in vitro cervical cancer model (HeLa cell line) to optimize the parameters of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for their greatest effectiveness. Ni NTs were synthesized by electrodeposition. Morphological analysis and magnetic behavior were examined using a Scanning electron microscope (SEM), an energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis. Phototoxic and cytotoxic effects of nanomaterials were studied using the Ni NTs alone as well as in conjugation with aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA); this was performed both in the dark and under laser exposure. Toxic effects on the HeLa cell model were evaluated by a neutral red assay (NRA) and by detection of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Furthermore, 10–200 nM of Ni NTs was prepared in solution form and applied to HeLa cells in 96-well plates. Maximum toxicity of Ni NTs complexed with 5-ALA was observed at 100 J/cm2 and 200 nM. Up to 65–68% loss in cell viability was observed. Statistical analysis was performed on the experimental results to confirm the worth and clarity of results, with p-values = 0.003 and 0.000, respectively. Current results pave the way for a more rational strategy to overcome the problem of drug bioavailability in nanoparticulate targeted cancer therapy, which plays a dynamic role in clinical practice.