Issue 5, 2017

Primary microglia maintain their capacity to function despite internalisation and intracellular loading with carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Biomedical applications of functionalised carbon nanotubes (f-CNTs) for imaging as well as drug or gene delivery in the brain have recently gained interest. Several studies have demonstrated the potential of f-CNTs to offer treatment options for neurological conditions with success. However, there is also evidence that f-CNTs accumulate preferentially within microglial cells when introduced in the brain. Considering the key immunological role of these cells in the brain and the limited knowledge regarding the interaction of CNTs with microglial cells, it is imperative to understand whether accumulation of CNTs in microglial cells can alter their physiological functions or trigger pro-inflammatory signalling. The aim of the present study was to investigate the basic physiological functions of isolated primary microglial cells over time, following their exposure to multi-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized via different surface chemistries. We rationalized that some chemical strategies may be more deleterious for microglial cell functions than others. We used rat primary microglial cells that can be maintained in cell culture for a long period of time without undergoing cell division. Cell viability, phagocytosis, migration, and pro-inflammatory factor release were studied over one month, following a single exposure to a non-cytotoxic concentration of three different f-CNTs (carboxylated, aminated and both carboxylated and aminated). We show that f-CNTs do not induce inflammation and do not affect the basic functions of microglial cells under these conditions. Importantly, this was the case from day 1 to day 28 post-exposure, even though microglial cells had internalized f-CNTs in subcellular compartments and retained the nanotube load in their cytoplasm over time.

Graphical abstract: Primary microglia maintain their capacity to function despite internalisation and intracellular loading with carbon nanotubes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
20 رجب 1438
Accepted
20 رمضان 1438
First published
20 رمضان 1438

Nanoscale Horiz., 2017,2, 284-296

Primary microglia maintain their capacity to function despite internalisation and intracellular loading with carbon nanotubes

C. Bussy, A. Bianco, M. Prato and K. Kostarelos, Nanoscale Horiz., 2017, 2, 284 DOI: 10.1039/C7NH00055C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements