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Tattoo ink nanoparticles in skin tissue and fibroblasts
Grant, Colin A. Twigg, Peter C. Baker, Richard Tobin, Desmond J.
Grant, Colin A.
Twigg, Peter C.
Baker, Richard
Tobin, Desmond J.
Publication Date
2015-05-20
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© 2015 Grant et al; licensee Beilstein-Institut.
This is an Open Access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The license is subject
to the Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology terms and conditions: (http://www.beilsteinjournals.
org/bjnano) The definitive version of this article is the electronic one which can be found
at: doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3762/bjnano.6.120
Peer-Reviewed
Yes
Open Access status
openAccess
Accepted for publication
2015-04-22
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Additional title
Abstract
Tattooing has long been practised in various societies all around the world and is becoming increasingly common and widespread
in the West. Tattoo ink suspensions unquestionably contain pigments composed of nanoparticles, i.e., particles of sub-100 nm
dimensions. It is widely acknowledged that nanoparticles have higher levels of chemical activity than their larger particle equivalents.
However, assessment of the toxicity of tattoo inks has been the subject of little research and ink manufacturers are not obliged
to disclose the exact composition of their products. This study examines tattoo ink particles in two fundamental skin components at
the nanometre level. We use atomic force microscopy and light microscopy to examine cryosections of tattooed skin, exploring the
collagen fibril networks in the dermis that contain ink nanoparticles. Further, we culture fibroblasts in diluted tattoo ink to explore
both the immediate impact of ink pigment on cell viability and also to observe the interaction between particles and the cells.
Version
Published version
Citation
Grant CA, Twigg PC, Baker R and Tobin DJ (2015) Tattoo ink nanoparticles in skin tissue
and fibroblasts. Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology. 6: 1183-1191.
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Article