Proteomic analysis of molecular biocompatibility of gold nanoparticles to human dermal fibroblasts-fetal.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the molecular effects of Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) on the human dermal fibroblasts-fetal (HDF-f) at the level of protein expression. 20-nm GNPs were prepared using chemical reduction method. After HDF-f were treated with 200 microM GNPs for 1, 4 and 8 h, protein expression profiles were obtained using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and mass spectra (MS) analysis. The obtained differential expressed proteins were analyzed by clustering, gene microarray pathway profiler (GenMAPP) and Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) analysis, and verified by western blot. 40 protein spots were filtered with different expression in abundance in all three-culture periods and 24 unique proteins were identified. Bioinformatics analysis results indicated that GNPs might have an influence on the HDF-f in the aspects of signal transduction, actin cytoskeleton, energy metabolism, oxidative stress cell transcription factor, etc. Compared with the gene expression effects induced by GNPs in our previous research, certain relationships at molecular level after HDF-f treated with GNPs were identified. The proteomic analysis used here would also be a useful tool to improve the mechanistic understanding of nanomaterials biocompatibility.