Studying the toxicity effects of coated and uncoated NaLuF4: Yb3+, Tm3+ upconversion nanoparticles on blood factors and histopathology for Balb/C mice's tissue

Abstract

In this study, NaLuF4: Yb3+, Tm3+ upconversion nanoparticles were synthesized in less than 6 h under thermal decomposition conditions by changing pH and synthesis temperature. The washing process removed the hydrophobic species on the surface of nanoparticles. Then the nanoparticles were coated by calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and were loaded with curcumin (Cur) as a drug model in one synthesis step. The effects of toxicity of uncoated and coated nanoparticles were investigated on normal cells, blood factors, and histopathology of the tissue in Balb/Cmice. The most of synthesized nanoparticles had spherical shape considering the results from the SEM and TEM. The results of the DLS analysis showed that the hydrodynamic diameter of the uncoated and coated nanoparticles was 49.52 and 59.37 nm, respectively. By injecting CaCO3@NPs nanoparticles into human blood, there was not seen a significant difference in the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin, and blood platelets with the treatment of the control group. Besides, cell biocompatibility studies in fibroblast cell lines showed that the toxicity of uncoated nanoparticles increased at concentrations higher than 250 mu g/ml. Also, cytotoxicity increases significantly with increasing the time of 24, 48, and 72 h. The coated samples did not represent the toxicity effect. The results of cellular changes induced by the addition of uncoated and coated nanoparticles showed that the cells change from spherical to Spindle after treatment with CaCO3@NPs, Which indicates a lack of toxicity. Histopathological examination of vital organs inmice receiving CaCO3@NPs did not show any pathological damage compared to the control group.