Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. A search for more effective treatments of CVD is increasingly needed. Major advances in nanotechnology opened new avenues in CVD therapeutics. Owing to their special properties, iron oxide, gold and silver nanoparticles (NPs) could exert various effects in the management and treatment of CVD. The role of iron oxide NPs in the detection and identification of atherosclerotic plaques is receiving increased attention. Moreover, these NPs enhance targeted stem cell delivery, thereby potentiating the regenerative capacity at the injured sites. In addition to their antioxidative and antihypertrophic capacities, gold NPs have also been shown to be useful in the identification of plaques and recognition of inflammatory markers. Contrary to first reports suggestive of their cardio-vasculoprotective role, silver NPs now appear to exert negative effects on the cardiovascular system. Indeed, these NPs appear to negatively modulate inflammation and cholesterol uptake, both of which exacerbate atherosclerosis. Moreover, silver NPs may precipitate bradycardia, conduction block and sudden cardiac death. In this review, we dissect the cellular responses and toxicity profiles of these NPs from various perspectives including cellular and molecular ones.

心血管疾病 (CVD) 是全球主要的死亡原因。越来越需要寻找更有效的 CVD 治疗方法。纳米技术的重大进步为 CVD 治疗开辟了新途径。由于它们的特殊性质，氧化铁、金和银纳米粒子（NPs）可以在心血管疾病的管理和治疗中发挥各种作用。氧化铁纳米颗粒在动脉粥样硬化斑块检测和鉴定中的作用越来越受到关注。此外，这些 NPs 增强了靶向干细胞的传递，从而增强了受损部位的再生能力。除了它们的抗氧化和抗肥大能力外，金 NP 还被证明可用于识别斑块和识别炎症标志物。与暗示其心血管保护作用的最初报道相反，银纳米粒子现在似乎对心血管系统产生负面影响。事实上，这些 NPs 似乎对炎症和胆固醇摄取有负向调节作用，这两者都会加剧动脉粥样硬化。此外，银 NPs 可能导致心动过缓、传导阻滞和心源性猝死。在这篇综述中，我们从包括细胞和分子在内的各个角度剖析了这些 NPs 的细胞反应和毒性特征。