Cytotoxic assessment of liver cancer cells (HepG2) with raw, functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes and their comparison with nanohydroxyapatite

Abstract

The carbon based nanostructured material exhibit unique and versatile properties and due this reason its largely applied in different fields. The present work was designed for to know the cytotoxic and genetic responses against liver cancer cells and was compared with the artificial bone implanted material hydroxyapatite (HA). The raw multiwalled carbon nanotubes (RMWCNTs) surfaces were turns to functionalized carbon nanotubes (FMWCNTs) via acid digestion process. The surface functional groups were identified through fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FTIR) instruments, while structural detail of RMWCNTs, FMWCNTs and HA powder were observed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) consequently. The RMWCNTs, FMWCNTs and HAs powder were utilized against liver cancer (HepG2) cells to evaluate the rate of effectiveness against cells. The viability of grown cells were examined through MTT assay with the impact of doses of CNTs and HA powder (1 μg/mL, 2 μg/mL, 5 μg/mL,10 μg/mL, 25 μg/mL, 50 μg/mL, 100 μg/mL). The cells morphology was verified via inverted microscopy at different doses of CNTs and HA with control. Beside this, gene expression study was also performed for to know the apoptosis caused with CNTs and HA. The study was scrutinized with apoptotic and anti-apoptotic marker genes (p53, Bax, Caspase 3 and Bcl2) through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The qPCR data reveals that the up-regulation in gene expression and it shows that the CNTs, HAs are responsible for cells death with treatment at 50 μg/mL in 24 h incubation. The possible discussion related to cells death caused with CNTs and HAs were also described.

Keywords

• RMWCNTs
• FMWCNTs
• Hydroxyapatite
• FTIR spectroscopy
• MTT
• qPCR