Cellular toxicity of nanogenomedicine in MCF-7 cell line: MTT assay

J Vis Exp. 2009 Apr 3:(26):1191. doi: 10.3791/1191.

Abstract

Cytotoxicity of the futuristic nanogenomedicine (e.g., short interfering RNA and antisense) may hamper its clinical development. Of these, the gene-based medicine and/or its carrier may elicit cellular toxicity. For assessment of such cytotoxicity, a common methodology is largely dependent upon utilization of the 3-(4, 5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay which has been widely used as a colorimetric approach based on the activity of mitochondrial dehydrogenase enzymes in cells. In this current investigation, MCF-7 cells were inoculated in 96-well plate and at 50% confluency they were treated with different nanopolyplexes and subjected to MTT assay after 24 hours. Water soluble yellow MTT is metabolized by the metabolically active cells to the water insoluble purple formazan, which is further dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide and Sornson s buffer pH 10.5. The resultant product can be quantified by spectrophotometry using a plate reader at 570 nm.

Publication types

  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Coloring Agents / chemistry*
  • Coloring Agents / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Nanostructures / toxicity*
  • Spectrophotometry / methods
  • Tetrazolium Salts / chemistry*
  • Tetrazolium Salts / metabolism
  • Thiazoles / chemistry*
  • Thiazoles / metabolism
  • Toxicity Tests / methods*

Substances

  • Coloring Agents
  • Tetrazolium Salts
  • Thiazoles
  • thiazolyl blue