Viability and proliferation of endothelial cells upon exposure to GaN nanoparticles.
Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing and promising field of interest in medicine; however, nanoparticle-cell interactions are not yet fully understood. The goal of this work was to examine the interaction between endothelial cells and gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor nanoparticles. Cellular viability, adhesion, proliferation, and uptake of nanoparticles by endothelial cells were investigated. The effect of free GaN nanoparticles versus the effect of growing endothelial cells on GaN functionalized surfaces was examined. To functionalize surfaces with GaN, GaN nanoparticles were synthesized on a sacrificial layer of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles using hydride vapor phase epitaxy. The uptake of GaN nanoparticles by porcine endothelial cells was strongly dependent upon whether they were fixed to the substrate surface or free floating in the medium. The endothelial cells grown on surfaces functionalized with GaN nanoparticles demonstrated excellent adhesion and proliferation, suggesting good biocompatibility of the nanostructured GaN.
National Center for Materials Study and Testing, Technical University of Moldova, bv. Stefan cel Mare 168, MD-2004 Chisinau, Republic of Moldova; Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl Neuberg Str. 1, D-30625 Hannover, Germany.
Tudor
T
Braniste
National Center for Materials Study and Testing, Technical University of Moldova, bv. Stefan cel Mare 168, MD-2004 Chisinau, Republic of Moldova.
Ion
I
Tiginyanu
Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl Neuberg Str. 1, D-30625 Hannover, Germany.
Tibor
T
Horvath
Department of Physics and Engineering, State University of Moldova, str. Alexe Mateevici 60, MD-2009 Chisinau, Republic of Moldova.
Simion
S
Raevschi
Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl Neuberg Str. 1, D-30625 Hannover, Germany.
Serghei
S
Cebotari
Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl Neuberg Str. 1, D-30625 Hannover, Germany.
Marco
M
Lux
Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl Neuberg Str. 1, D-30625 Hannover, Germany.
Axel
A
Haverich
Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl Neuberg Str. 1, D-30625 Hannover, Germany.
Andres
A
Hilfiker
GaN nanoparticles; endothelial cells; proliferation; surface functionalization