title: Enhancement of neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells by iron oxide nanoparticles.
abstract: Despite the many potential therapeutic applications of iron oxide nanoparticle such as its use as an imaging and targeting tool, its biological effects have not yet been extensively characterized. Herein, we report that iron oxide nanoparticles taken up by PC12 cells can enhance neurite outgrowth. PC12 cells exposed to both iron oxide nanoparticles and nerve growth factor (NGF) synergistically increased the efficiency of neurite outgrowth in a dose-dependent manner. This may have resulted from the activation of cell adhesion molecules that are associated with cell-matrix interactions through iron. Immunoblotting assays also revealed that both neural specific marker protein and cell adhesion protein expression were upregulated by iron oxide nanoparticles compared with non-treated cells via activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Our findings point to the possibility that iron oxide nanoparticles can affect cell-substrate interactions and regulate cell behaviors, which provides clinical insights into potential neurologic and therapeutic applications of iron oxide nanoparticles.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Bio-MAX Institute, Seoul National University, 599 Daehakdong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Ah
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Nohyun
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Byung Hyo
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Won Jong
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Sungjun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Taeghwan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hyeon
authors.forename: Tai Hyun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015151:Immunoblotting; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects*; D016716:PC12 Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; C000499:ferric oxide; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases