Influence of carbon nanotube scaffolds on human cervical carcinoma HeLa cell viability and focal adhesion kinase expression

• Published in: Carbon (New York) Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 453 - 460
• Main Authors: Zhang, Xiaoke, Wang, Xuefeng, Lu, Qinghua, Fu, Chuanlong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Fullerenes and related materials; diamonds, graphite; Materials science; Physics; Specific materials; Carbon nanotubes; Adhesion; Man
• ISSN: 0008-6223; 1873-3891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2007.12.015

Five types of carbon nanotube (CNT) scaffolds were prepared by vacuum filtration of the dispersed single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), acid-treated SWCNTs, multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), acid-treated MWCNTs, and amylose-wrapped SWCNTs in water onto porous poly(vinylidene chloride) membranes. The influence of these scaffolds on human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells was investigated by WST-1 assay, acridine orange/ethidium bromide double staining and 1,1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′tetram-ethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate staining. The results indicated that the viability of HeLa cells cultured on these scaffolds decreased in the following order: amylose-wrapped SWCNTs > acid-treated MWCNTs > MWCNTs > acid-treated SWCNTs > SWCNTs. Cells cultured on SWCNTs and on acid-treated SWCNTs were found undergoing apoptosis with damaged cell membrane and condensed chromatin. The result of an immunocytochemical test showed that both “dot-like” and “dash-like” focal adhesion kinases (FAKs) mainly distributed at the periphery of cells cultured on SWCNTs, while “dot-like” FAKs distributed in the whole cell body of cells cultured on MWCNTs. We therefore hypothesize that FAK expression might play a key role in controlling cell viability for cells cultured on CNT scaffolds.