In vitro nanoparticle toxicity to rat alveolar cells and coelomocytes from the earthworm Lumbricus rubellus

• Published in: Nanotoxicology Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 28 - 37
• Main Authors: van der Ploeg, Merel JC, van den Berg, Johannes HJ, Bhattacharjee, Sourav, de Haan, Laura HJ, Ershov, Dmitry S, Fokkink, Remco G, Zuilhof, Han, Rietjens, Ivonne MCM, van den Brink, Nico W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa UK, Ltd 01.02.2014; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Animals; Biocompatibility; Biomedical materials; Buckminsterfullerene; Cell Line; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cytokines - analysis; Cytokines - metabolism; Exposure; fullerene; Fullerenes; Fullerenes - chemistry; Fullerenes - toxicity; immune suppression; Lumbricus rubellus; Macrophages, Alveolar - drug effects; Macrophages, Alveolar - metabolism; Nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanoparticles - toxicity; Nanostructure; Oligochaeta - cytology; Oligochaeta - drug effects; Phagocytosis - drug effects; polymer nanoparticle; Polymers - chemistry; Polymers - toxicity; Rats; soil organism; Surgical implants
• ISSN: 1743-5390; 1743-5404
• DOI: 10.3109/17435390.2012.744857

Abstract Sensitivity of immune cells (coelomocytes) of Lumbricus rubellus earthworms was investigated for exposure to selected nanoparticles, in order to obtain further insight in mechanisms of effects observed after in vivo C60 exposure. In the in vivo study, tissue damage appeared to occur without accompanying increased immune responses. Coelomocytes exposed in vitro to C60 showed no decrease of their cellular viability, but demonstrated a decrease in gene expression of the cytokine-like protein CCF-1, indicating immunosuppression. Experiments with NR8383 rat macrophage cells and tri-block copolymer nanoparticles were used to compare sensitivity and to demonstrate the usefulness of coelomocytes as a test system for nano-immunotoxicity, respectively. Overall, the results imply that sensitivity towards nanoparticles differs between cell types and nanoparticles. Moreover, this study indicates that injuries in absence of an immune response, observed after in vivo C60 exposure in our earlier work, are caused by immunosuppression rather than coelomocyte mortality.