Ruthenium complexes which can bind to DNA via electrostatic and intercalation interactions producing strong luminescence have become ideal candidates for DNA staining. However, some of them such as Ru(phen)_3Cl_2 and ...Ruthenium complexes which can bind to DNA via electrostatic and intercalation interactions producing strong luminescence have become ideal candidates for DNA staining. However, some of them such as Ru(phen)_3Cl_2 and Ru(phen)_2(dppz)Cl_2 could hardly cross the cellular membrane of live cells which limited their further interaction with DNA in live cells. To solve this problem, a potential approach is to find a proper vehicle for loading and delivery of these ruthenium complexes into live cells.Mesoporous silica nanoparticles(MSNs) with non-toxicity and good biocompatibility can be good candidates. More importantly,ruthenium complexes with positively charge could be loaded on negatively charged MSNs via electrostatic attractions to form MSNs-Ru hybrid. In vitro test demonstrated that MSNs had no side effects on the interactions between Ru complexes and DNA.Furthermore, it is found that the MSNs-Ru hybrid can enter into living human cervical cancer cells HeLa and stain the DNA while the corresponding ruthenium complexes alone could hardly cross the cellular membrane in the control experiment, demonstrating MSNs can be employed to be an efficient ruthenium complexes delivery nanomaterial for live cell staining.展开更多
基金supported by the Scientific Research Foundation of Northwest A&F University (Z111021103, Z111021107)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21472016, 21272030, 21476185)
文摘Ruthenium complexes which can bind to DNA via electrostatic and intercalation interactions producing strong luminescence have become ideal candidates for DNA staining. However, some of them such as Ru(phen)_3Cl_2 and Ru(phen)_2(dppz)Cl_2 could hardly cross the cellular membrane of live cells which limited their further interaction with DNA in live cells. To solve this problem, a potential approach is to find a proper vehicle for loading and delivery of these ruthenium complexes into live cells.Mesoporous silica nanoparticles(MSNs) with non-toxicity and good biocompatibility can be good candidates. More importantly,ruthenium complexes with positively charge could be loaded on negatively charged MSNs via electrostatic attractions to form MSNs-Ru hybrid. In vitro test demonstrated that MSNs had no side effects on the interactions between Ru complexes and DNA.Furthermore, it is found that the MSNs-Ru hybrid can enter into living human cervical cancer cells HeLa and stain the DNA while the corresponding ruthenium complexes alone could hardly cross the cellular membrane in the control experiment, demonstrating MSNs can be employed to be an efficient ruthenium complexes delivery nanomaterial for live cell staining.