Analysis of the direct and indirect effects of nanoparticle exposure on microglial and neuronal cells in vitro

Lojk, Jasna (author), Babič, Lea (author), Sušjan-Leite, Petra (author), Bregar, Vladimir Boštjan (author), Pavlin, Mojca (author), Hafner Bratkovič, Iva (author), Veranič, Peter (author)

Environmental or biomedical exposure to nanoparticles (NPs) can results in translocation and accumulation of NPs in the brain, which can lead to health-related problems. NPs have been shown to induce toxicity to neuronal cells through several direct mechanisms, but only a few studies have also explored the indirect effects of NPs, through consequences due to the exposure of neighboring cells to NPs. In this study, we analysed possible direct and indirect effects of NPs (polyacrylic acid (PAA) coated cobalt ferrite NP, TiO$_2$ P25 and maghemite NPs) on immortalized mouse microglial cells and differentiated CAD mouse neuronal cells in monoculture (direct toxicity) or in transwell co-culture system (indirect toxicity). We showed that although the low NP concentrations (2–25 µg/mL) did not induce changes in cell viability, cytokine secretion or NF-κB activation of microglial cells, even low NP concentrations of 10 µg/mL can affect the cells and change their secretion of protein stress mediators. These can in turn influence neuronal cells in indirect exposure model. Indirect toxicity of NPs is an important and not adequately assessed mechanism of NP toxicity, since it not only affects cells on the exposure sites, but through secretion of signaling mediators, can also affect cells that do not come in direct contact with NPs.

• Language: English
• Keywords: nanoparticle, neurotoxicity, cytokine secretion, ROS, microglia, co-culture
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FE - Faculty of Electrical Engineering; MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: 15 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 21, iss. 19, art. 7030
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-134357
• UDC: 61
• ISSN on article: 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197030
• COBISS.SI-ID: 30614531
• Publication date in RUL: 10.01.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of molecular sciences
• Shortened title: Int. j. mol. sci.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1422-0067
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2779162

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 01.10.2020

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: nanodelci, nevrotoksičnost, izločanje citokinov