Abstract The extensive increase of application of surface-modified halloysite nanotubes in industry and biomedicine suggests that their biocompatibility and cellular uptake should be thoroughly investigated. Here we report the fabrication and cytocompatibility study of hydrophobic halloysite nanotubes coated with octadecyltrimethoxysilane (ODTMS). The interaction of ODTMS-modified halloysite nanotubes with human lung carcinoma alveolar epithelial cell A549 was investigated using dark field and atomic force microscopies, colorimetric viability tests and flow cytometry. Halloysite with different degrees of hydrophobicity penetrates into the human lung cells without membrane damage promising for efficient drug delivery. This formulation did not have an apoptosis-inducing effect on the cells, did not increase the activity of NO-synthase and can be employed for intracellular delivery of drugs, proteins and DNA without any toxic side effects.

中文翻译：

---

烷基硅烷修饰的疏水埃洛石纳米管的细胞相容性和细胞摄取

摘要 表面改性埃洛石纳米管在工业和生物医学中应用的广泛增加表明，应深入研究它们的生物相容性和细胞吸收。在这里，我们报告了涂有十八烷基三甲氧基硅烷 (ODTMS) 的疏水埃洛石纳米管的制造和细胞相容性研究。ODTMS 修饰的埃洛石纳米管与人肺癌肺泡上皮细胞 A549 的相互作用使用暗场和原子力显微镜、比色活力测试和流式细胞术进行了研究。具有不同疏水性程度的埃洛石可渗透到人肺细胞中而不会损坏膜，有望实现有效的药物递送。该配方对细胞没有诱导细胞凋亡的作用，