Amperometric assessment of functional changes in nanoparticle-exposed immune cells: varying Au nanoparticle exposure time and concentration

Abstract

A mast cell/fibroblast co-culture system is used as a model to assess the toxicity of Au nanoparticles over the course of 72 hours of exposure. Cellular uptake of nanoparticles was found to increase over the 72 hr exposure period and the nanoparticles localized within granular bodies of the primary culture mast cells. These granules were found to increase in volume with the addition of nanoparticles. There was no decrease in viability for 24 hr exposed cells but a slight viability decrease was found after 48 and 72 hr exposure. Carbon-fiber amperometry analysis of exocytosis of serotonin from mast cells revealed changing release profiles over the time course of exposure. In early exposure times, granular secretion of serotonin increased with exposure to Au nanoparticles whereas 72 hr exposure showed decreased secretion of serotonin with nanoparticle exposure. The kinetics of this release was also found to be affected by Au colloid exposure where the rate of serotonin expulsion decreased with increasing nanoparticle exposure. These results illustrate the dynamic nature of nanoparticle-cell interactions and the critical changes in cell behavior even when viability is unaffected.

Chip based single cell analysis for nanotoxicity assessment

“…A decrease in granule transport and fusion events along with increments in intracellular matrix expansion and higher number of serotonin exocytosis per granule was observed. The effect on cell viability when NP exposure was extended for 48 and 72 hours 74 was also studied. The effect of citrate reduced noble NPs, Au (28 nm) and Ag (61 nm), on neuroendocrine cells has been evaluated by Love and Haynes 72 .…”

“…(b) AFM is used to measure the adhesion force and stiffness of the cell membrane upon diesel NP exposure on human aortic endothelial cells 71 . (c) Carbon fiber microelectrode is a very sensitive technique with very high temporal resolution and has been used recently to identify the change in exocytosis behavior of endocrine or immune cells upon NP exposure 72–74 .…”

Development of a Lab-on-a-Chip Device for Rapid Nanotoxicity Assessment In Vitro

“…A decrease in granule transport and fusion events along with increments in intracellular matrix expansion and a higher number of serotonin exocytosis per granule was observed. The effect on cell viability when NP exposure was extended for 48 and 72 hours [74] was also studied. The effect of citrate reduced noble NPs, Au (28 nm) and Ag (61 nm), on neuroendocrine cells has been evaluated by Love and Haynes [72].…”

“…(b) AFM is used to measure the adhesion force and stiffness of the cell membrane upon diesel NP exposure on human aortic endothelial cells [70]. (c) Carbon fiber microelectrode is a very sensitive technique with very high temporal resolution and has been used recently to identify the change in exocytosis behavior of endocrine or immune cells upon NP exposure [72][73][74].…”

“…A recent advancement in nanotoxicity assessment using CFM amperometric method has provided real-time dynamic vesicle kinetics of cells upon nanomaterial exposure [73,74,77]. CFM amperometric method has been used to test the effect of different nanoparticles' properties, such as different size of nanoparticles [77], surface charge [32] and surface functional groups [77], porosity and the composition of nanomaterials [73].…”