In vitro liberation of charged gold atoms: autometallographic tracing of gold ions released by macrophages grown on metallic gold surfaces |
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Authors: | Agnete Larsen Meredin Stoltenberg Gorm Danscher |
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Institution: | (1) Neurobiology, Institute of Anatomy, University of Aarhus, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark |
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Abstract: | The present study demonstrates that cultured macrophages are able to liberate gold ions from metallic gold surfaces, a process
suggested to be called “dissolucytosis”, in a way analogous to the release taking place when metallic implants are placed
in a body. Using the ultra-sensitive autometallographic (AMG) technique, we demonstrate that murine macrophages grown on a
surface of metallic gold liberate gold ions. Ultra-structural AMG reveals that the gold ions are located in an ultra-thin
membrane-like structure, “the dissolution membrane”, intervened between the macrophages and the metal surface. The presence
of AMG silver enhanced gold nanoparticles in the dissolution membrane proves that the release of charged gold atoms takes
place extracellularly. The dissolution membrane is most likely secreted and chemically controlled by the “dissolucytes”, here
macrophages, and the membrane is essential for the dissolution of metal implants and particles, which cannot be phagocytosed.
Our findings support the notion that whenever a metallic gold surface is attacked by dissolucytes, gold ions are liberated
and taken up by surrounding cells. As gold ions can suppress the inflammatory process, it is reasonable to expect that when
dissolucytosis takes place in the living organism the liberated gold ions will cause local immunosuppression. |
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Keywords: | Autometallograhy (AMG) Dissolucytosis Metallic gold Anti-inflammatory Macrophages |
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