Keywords:
Biological effects, Experimental investigations, Experimental, Contrast agents
Authors:
C. Strobel1, R. Herrmann2, A. A. Torrano3, C. Bräuchle3, W. A. Kaiser1, I. Hilger1; 1Jena/DE, 2 Augsburg/DE, 3Munich/DE
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2013/C-2054
Conclusion
The coated TiO2 nanoparticles investigated in this study led to comparatively slight effects on endothelial cells.
This is in line with a study on the impact of 70 nm TiO2 nanoparticles on the dehydrogenase activity of human dermal microvascular endothelial cells,
where an exposure to 5 µg/ml or 50 µg/ml TiO2 nanoparticles had no distinct effects [2].
Interestingly,
other studies with TiO2 nanoparticles showed a higher impact on endothelial cells,
e.g. TiO2 nanoparticles (96 % anatase /4 % rutile; particle size < 50 nm; no surface coating mentioned) led to cell death in approximately 20 % and necrotic death in 60 % of human umbilical vein endothelial cells after 24 h of exposure [3].
In the majority of the reported studies TiO2 nanoparticles were not coated or information on their coating was not provided.
The different effects compared to studies with uncoated TiO2 nanoparticles can therefore be attributed to the surface coatings of the nanoparticles in our case,
which shield the nanoparticle core and thereby circumvent the potential negative effects of pure TiO2 nanoparticles.
Cells exposed to all the investigated TiO2 nanoparticles revealed an MCP-1 increase,
which is known to play an important role in the development of chronic inflammation [4].
It is worth noting that a further investigation on the effect of the nanoparticles on MCP-1 release in the in vivo situation will be relevant.
Taken together,
the investigated TiO2 nanoparticles revealed only slight effects on endothelial cells and can therefore be considered as harmless to endothelial cells.
Our data indicate that TiO2 nanoparticles are interesting tools for the future design of particulate contrast agents and drug carriers.