ABSTRACT
Objective To study the biological behavior of silicon nanoparticles in penetrating the blood-prostate barrier. Methods Silicon nanoparticles were prepared by means of chemical procedures.The silicon nanoparticles were added into HT1080 cells and cultured for 48 h to observe the distribution of nanoparticles in the cells.The nanosuspension at gradient concentration (0.005,0.010,0.015,0.020,0.025 ml/g)was injected into 100 mice (20 mice of each group) intraperitoneally or via tail vein to study the distribution of nanoparticles in the prostate.Additional 20 mice served as controls.The mortality and toxic reaction at 2 weeks after injection were also recorded. Results Electronic microscopy confirmed the penetration of silicon nanoparticles into HT1080 cells,the prostate gland and interstitial tissue,with intracellular ultrastructure intact.There was no significant difference in body weight,diet,defecation and activities among the 5 treatment groups and control group. Conclusions Silicon nanoparticles can overcome the obstruction of drug transportation by blood-prostate barrier or other biomembranes and thus may be promising as a drug carrier in treatment of prostate diseases.