title: Interaction of spherical silica nanoparticles with neuronal cells: size-dependent toxicity and perturbation of calcium homeostasis.
abstract: The effects of Stöber silica nanoparticles on neuronal survival, proliferation, and on the underlying perturbations in calcium homeostasis are investigated on the well-differentiated neuronal cell line GT1-7. The responses to nanoparticles 50 and 200 nm in diameter are compared. The 50-nm silica affects neuronal survival/proliferation in a dose-dependent way, by stimulating apoptotic processes. In contrast, the 200-nm silica does not show any toxic effect even at relatively high concentrations (292 μg mL−1). To identify the mechanisms underlying these effects, the changes in intracellular calcium concentration elicited by acute and chronic administration of the two silica nanoparticles are analyzed. The 50-nm silica at toxic concentrations generates huge and long-lasting increases in intracellular calcium, whereas the 200-nm silica only induces transient signals of much lower amplitude. These findings provide the first evidence that silica nanoparticles can induce toxic effects on neuronal cells in a size-dependent way, and that these effects are related to the degree of perturbation of calcium homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell'Uomo, University of Torino, Via A. Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ariano
authors.forename: Pollyanna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zamburlin
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gilardino
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mortera
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Onida
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomatis
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghiazza
authors.forename: Bice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fubini
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lovisolo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D002118:Calcium