Aortic Valve-derived Calcifyng Nanoparticles: No Evidence of Life

作者：Barba Ignasi^*; Villacorta Eduardo; Bratos Perez Miguel Angel; Antolin Maria; Varela Encarna; Luis Sanchez Pedro; Tornos Pilar; Garcia Dorado David

来源：Revista Espanola de Cardiologia, 2012, 65(9): 813-818.

DOI：10.1016/j.rec.2012.03.017

• Valves
• Infection
• Nanobacteria
• Metabolic profiling
• Calcifying nanoparticles

Introduction and objectives: Calcifying nanoparticles, also known as %26quot;nanobacteria,%26quot; are very small bacteria-like structures (0.1-0.5 mu m) with the ability to facilitate the precipitation and growth of calcium phosphate in pathological conditions and have been associated with aortic valve calcification. The status of nanobacteria is controversial; some have proposed that they are a new class of living organism while others describe calcifying nanoparticles as mineralo-fetuin complexes. The objective of the present study is to elucidate if calcifying nanoparticles are living entities, based on whether or not they have metabolic activity, a characteristic of life, irrespective of their composition. %26lt;br%26gt;Methods: Calcifying nanoparticles were grown from 6 different valves randomly chosen among 84 consecutively explanted aortic valves, as described in the literature. The H-1-NMR spectra were acquired from calcifying nanoparticles culture media to assess metabolic changes and the presence of 16sRNA in the culture media was investigated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. %26lt;br%26gt;Results: After 6 weeks in culture, calcifying nanoparticles could be seen clearly attached to the surface of culture flasks. All samples were negative for 16sRNA, discarding the presence of known bacteria. H-1-NMR spectra showed no difference between calcifying nanoparticles and 6-week-old sterile culture media maintained under the same conditions. %26lt;br%26gt;Conclusions: Our results show that calcifying nanoparticles cannot be considered as living organisms.

• 出版日期2012-9