Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
8.3 Cell Type-Based Approach
Various types of cells have been used in
in vitro
nanotoxicology studies
depending on the target organ of interest. However, pulmonary cells and
macrophages are the most popular among the cell types, probably because
the inhalational route is the most probable route of exposure to nanopar-
ticles in industrial and atmospheric environments. The types of cells used in
nanotoxicology studies are shown in Table 8.2.
8.3.1 Macrophages/Monocytes
Macrophages are phagocytic cells and they engulf a variety of particulate
substances efficiently. It is also possible to differentiate monocytic cell lines
such as THP-1 and U937 into macrophage-like cells by using a stimulant
such as phorbol myristate acetate. Nanomaterials or nanoparticles usually
occur as agglomerates, and alveolar macrophages are the primary target
cells when nanoparticles are inhaled. It has been shown that polystyrene
particles of particle size from 20 to 1000 nm are taken up through a phagocy-
totic receptor named MARCO (macrophage receptor with collagenous struc-
ture). Polystyrene beads of 20 nm were found agglomerated on the plasma
membrane and were probably recognized by the cells as larger-sized par-
ticles [5]. Carbon and diesel exhaust nanoparticles generate reactive oxygen
species (ROS) and cause lipid peroxidation [6-8]. The plasma membrane is
seriously damaged when macrophages are exposed to carbon nanotubes [9].
Accordingly, macrophages became necrotic rather than apoptotic after expo-
sure to carbon nanotubes.
TABLE 8.2
Cell Types Used in Nanotoxicology Studies Except for Primary Cells
Cell Type
Cell Name
Macrophage/monocyte
RAW264.7 (mouse), J774 (mouse), NR8383 (rat), THP-1 (human),
U937 (human), HL-60 (human), MonoMac 6 (human)
Lung/bronchial cell
A549 (human), SV40-T2 (rat), L2 (rat), Calu-3 (human), BEAS-2B
(human)
Fibroblast/keratinocyte
NIH-3T3 (mouse), L929 (mouse), HaCaT (human)
Endothelial cell, heart/
cardiac cells
HUVEC (human), pulmonary artery cells (human, porcine)
Mesothelial cell
MeT-5A (human), MSTO (human)
Neural cells
PC12 (rat)
Others
Hela (human), germ line cell
