Effects of doxorubicin mediated by gold nanoparticles and resveratrol in two human cervical tumor cell lines

Green synthesis of gold nanoparticles capped with resveratrol (GNPs) and their physical and chemical characterization by UV-vis spectra, FTIR, DLS, XRD, TEM and AFM are reported. The GNPs are highly stable, with average diameter of about 20 nm. Then, supramolecular nanoassemblies of GNPs and doxorubicin (Dox), Dox-GNPs complexes, were prepared and morphologically characterized. The stability of these Dox nanocomplexes is high in phosphate buffer saline as estimated by UV-vis spectra, TEM and AFM analysis. Effects of resveratrol (Resv), Resv-Dox mixtures, GNPs and Dox-GNPs complexes on HeLa and CaSki cells, after 24 h drug incubation, were assessed using MTT cell viability assay. Results showed strong anticancer activity for Resv-Dox mixtures and Dox-GNPs complexes in the two human cervical carcinoma cell lines. Clearly, both Resv and GNPs can mediate the anticancer activity of Dox at its very low concentration of 0.1 mu g/mL, reaching the cytotoxicity of Dox alone, at its concentration up to 20 times higher. Cytotoxic effects of Resv-Dox mixtures and Dox-GNPs complexes have been found for the first time in HeLa and CaSki cells. Furthermore, the apoptosis induction in HeLa and CaSki cells was evidenced for Resv-Dox mixtures and Dox-GNPs complexes by flow cytometry using Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide cellular staining. For CaSki cells, the apoptosis was also demonstrated, mainly for the treatment with Dox-GNPs complexes, by MTT formazan cellular staining visualized in phase contrast microscopy. Our results provide strong evidence that novel drug delivery vehicles developed on Dox-GNPs nanocomplexes and Resv could have wide applications in cancer diagnosis and treatment. (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.