Altered excitability of cultured chromaffin cells following exposure to multi-walled carbon nanotubes

作者：Gavello Daniela; Vandael David H F; Cesa Roberta; Premoselli Federica; Marcantoni Andrea; Cesano Federico; Scarano Domenica; Fubini Bice; Carbone Emilio; Fenoglio Ivana; Carabelli Valentina^*

来源：Nanotoxicology, 2012, 6(1): 47-60.

DOI：10.3109/17435390.2011.553294

• MWCNTs
• voltage-gated Na(+) and K+ channels
• Ca(2+) and BK channels
• adrenal chromaffin cells
• action potential firing
• input resistance

We studied the effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the electrophysiological properties of cultured mouse chromaffin cells, a model of spontaneously firing cells. The exposure of chromaffin cells to MWCNTs at increasing concentrations (30-263 mg/ml) for 24 h reduced, in a dose-dependent way, both the cell membrane input resistance and the number of spontaneously active cells (from 80-52%). Active cells that survived from the toxic effects of MWCNTs exhibited more positive resting potentials, higher firing frequencies and unaltered voltage-gated Ca(2+), Na(+) and K+ current amplitudes. MWCNTs slowed down the inactivation kinetics of Ca(2+)-dependent BK channels. These electrophysiological effects were accompanied by MWCNTs internalization, as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, indicating that most of the toxic effects derive from a dose-dependent MWCNTs-cell interaction that damages the spontaneous cell activity.

• 出版日期2012-2