Evaluation of the cytotoxic effect of PLGA coated iron oxide nanoparticles as 5-fluorouracil carrier on DU 145 human prostate carcinoma cell line

5-Fluorouracil has been demonstrated to display antitumor activity against a wide variety of cancers [1, 2]; high doses are needed to bring out the required therapeutic activity that could simultaneously lead to severe side effects [3]. Nanoparticles are particularly useful in drug delivery for different compounds [4, 5]. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of PLGA coated iron oxide nanoparticles as 5-FU carrier on DU145 prostate carcinoma cell line using colony formation assay. Therefore cells were cultured and treated with 50, 100 and 200 μM 5-FU/ or nanoparticles as 5-FU carriers for 24 hours. The cells were then harvested and single cells were counted and tested for viability (Figure 1). The cells were then assayed for clonogenic assay. Our results showed that control and iron oxide nanoparticles without 5-FU as 2 control samples have no significant cytotoxic effect on this cells (Figure 2, 3). The colony numbers and therefore the plating efficiency decrease with the increase of free 5-FU and 5-FU encapsulated in the nanoparticles (Figure 4, 5). However the extend of this reduction from 5-FU encapsulated in nanoparticles was significantly more than free 5-FU (Figure 6). Since drug loaded nanoparticles could deliver 5-FU more efficient into the cells, PLGA coated iron oxide nanoparticles were stable and effective drug delivery vehicles for 5-FU.