Effect of Gold Nanoparticles on Growth Characteristics of Mouse Gastric Stem Cells in Vitro

Gold nanoparticles (NPs) have been recently utilized in several applications of stem cells. In this study, mouse gastric stem/progenitor (mGS) cells established from a transgenic mouse model were treated by gold NPs of 60, 80, and 100 nm diameters. Cells were analyzed after 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours of incubation. Electron microscopic examination revealed the uptake of gold NPs by the mGS cells. The cellular viability and proliferation were investigated using propidium iodide, neutral red and PicoGreen Assays. The results demonstrated the viability and proliferation of mGS cells following exposure to gold NPs. While 100 nm gold NPs slightly reduced the mGS cell viability, 60 nm gold NPs at concentration of 0.07% slightly enhanced the proliferation of mGS cells more than the gold NPs at concentrations of 0.14% and 0.21%. In contrast, 80 nm gold NPs at concentration of 0.14% have promoted the proliferation of mGS cells. In conclusion, these findings offer a new perspective for the application of gold NPs and stem cells in nanomedicine and tissue engineering.