Investigation of cellular responses upon interaction with silver nanoparticles

Abstract

Ramesh Subbiah,1,2 Seong Beom Jeon,3,4 Kwideok Park,1,2 Sang Jung Ahn,4,5 Kyusik Yun3 1Center for Biomaterials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 2Department of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejon, 3Department of Bionanotechnology, Gachon University, Gyeonggi-do, 4Centre for Advanced Instrumentation, Korea Research Institute of Standard and Science, 5Major of Nano Science, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea Abstract: In order for nanoparticles (NPs) to be applied in the biomedical field, a thorough investigation of their interactions with biological systems is required. Although this is a growing area of research, there is a paucity of comprehensive data in cell-based studies. To address this, we analyzed the physicomechanical responses of human alveolar epithelial cells (A549), mouse fibroblasts (NIH3T3), and human bone marrow stromal cells (HS-5), following their interaction with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). When compared with kanamycin, AgNPs exhibited moderate antibacterial activity. Cell viability ranged from ≤80% at a high AgNPs dose (40 µg/mL) to >95% at a low dose (10 µg/mL). We also used atomic force microscopy-coupled force spectroscopy to evaluate the biophysical and biomechanical properties of cells. This revealed that AgNPs treatment increased the surface roughness (P<0.001) and stiffness (P<0.001) of cells. Certain cellular changes are likely due to interaction of the AgNPs with the cell surface. The degree to which cellular morphology was altered directly proportional to the level of AgNP-induced cytotoxicity. Together, these data suggest that atomic force microscopy can be used as a potential tool to develop a biomechanics-based biomarker for the evaluation of NP-dependent cytotoxicity and cytopathology. Keywords: AFM, roughness, nanoindentation, biomarker, cytotoxicity, biomechanics