Interactions of nanoparticles with living cells are still not fully understood. Moreover, most previous investigations in this area were done on non-confluent cells, i.e. proliferating cells. For the first time, this work demonstrates strong influence of cell proliferation on uptake and intracellular localization of nanoparticles produced from silicon carbide (SiC). The nanoparticles were produced from electrochemical anodization of bulk SiC. Highly-fluorescent suspensions of such-prepared nanoparticles (quantum dots; concentration range from 0.1 mg/ml to 0.8 mg/ml) were added to cultures of 3T3-L1, HSC-2 and S-G cell lines at different confluence stages. For non-tumoral cells (3T3-L1, S-G), we found a similar strong dependence of nanoparticles’ intracellular uptake and labelling on the level of confluence. The uptake of nanoparticles decreased progressively following the increase of confluence. In particular, at total confluence, when contact inhibition stopped cell division of 3T3-L1 and S-G cells, the uptake of nanoparticles was very low and quantum-dot fluorescence was mainly distributed outside the nucleus. However, in cancer cells (HSC-2), we found labelling degrees not dependent on the confluence level, with nanoparticles preferentially gathering inside the cell nucleus. Statistical significance of the obtained results was set at p<.05. The results show that cell proliferation plays a key role in penetration of SiC quantum-dots inside the cell nucleus. This may very likely also concern other types of nanoparticles able to reach the cell nuclei. In particular, dependence of the observed phenomenon on the cell division opens up perspectives for future selective treatment of cancers with such nanoparticles.
Fluorescence cell labelling by nanoparticles produced from SiC: effect of cell division
MOGNETTI, Barbara;
2012-01-01
Abstract
Interactions of nanoparticles with living cells are still not fully understood. Moreover, most previous investigations in this area were done on non-confluent cells, i.e. proliferating cells. For the first time, this work demonstrates strong influence of cell proliferation on uptake and intracellular localization of nanoparticles produced from silicon carbide (SiC). The nanoparticles were produced from electrochemical anodization of bulk SiC. Highly-fluorescent suspensions of such-prepared nanoparticles (quantum dots; concentration range from 0.1 mg/ml to 0.8 mg/ml) were added to cultures of 3T3-L1, HSC-2 and S-G cell lines at different confluence stages. For non-tumoral cells (3T3-L1, S-G), we found a similar strong dependence of nanoparticles’ intracellular uptake and labelling on the level of confluence. The uptake of nanoparticles decreased progressively following the increase of confluence. In particular, at total confluence, when contact inhibition stopped cell division of 3T3-L1 and S-G cells, the uptake of nanoparticles was very low and quantum-dot fluorescence was mainly distributed outside the nucleus. However, in cancer cells (HSC-2), we found labelling degrees not dependent on the confluence level, with nanoparticles preferentially gathering inside the cell nucleus. Statistical significance of the obtained results was set at p<.05. The results show that cell proliferation plays a key role in penetration of SiC quantum-dots inside the cell nucleus. This may very likely also concern other types of nanoparticles able to reach the cell nuclei. In particular, dependence of the observed phenomenon on the cell division opens up perspectives for future selective treatment of cancers with such nanoparticles.
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