In situ detection of the Zn(2+) release process of ZnO NPs in tumour cells by confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy.

The use of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) for cancer is not yet clear for human clinical applications, which is primarily due to the lack of a better understanding of the action mechanisms and cellular consequences of the direct exposure of cells to these NPs. In this work, the authors have selected zinquin ethyl ester, a Zn2+-specific fluorescent molecular probe, to efficiently differentiate ZnO NPs and Zn2+, and combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to in situ study the Zn2+ release process of ZnO NPs in cancer cell system through detecting the change of Zn2+ level over time. During the experiments, the authors have designed the test group ZnO-2 in addition to assess the influence of a long-term storage on the characteristics of ZnO NPs in aqueous solution, and the Zn2+ release process of ZnO NPs in cancer cell system. After three-month storage at room temperature, the release process became earlier and faster, which was consistent with previous results of transmission electron microscope, UV-Vis and PL spectra. It is a good detection method that combination of Zn2+-specific fluorescent molecular probe and CLSM, which will be helpful for ZnO NPs using in clinical research.