Rattus norvegicus Transcriptome or Gene expression
Iron oxide nanoparticles are considered as the most biocompatible magnetic materials suitable for biomedical applications. Nevertheless, there are many evidences of their toxicity for living organisms and partially neurotoxicity. The central nervous system is protected from undesirable substances circulating in the bloodstream by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). And even if being small enough, some nanoparticles could be able to penetrate cell membranes in other cells but will often be delayed by the BBB cells. However, the neurotoxicity of iron oxide is described even in the cases when MNPs should not uptake to the nervous system by experimental design. The aim of the study was to investigate what molecular changes may be caused in endotheliocytes of cerebral blood vessels and underlying astrocytes by iron oxide nanoparticles just contacting with a vessel wall. We supposed that the MNPs may change BBB permeability and thus disturb the nervous system. For this, a two-layer in vitro BBB model was created, consisting of rat cerebral endothelial cells and astrocytes. Gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were added to contact with endotheliocytes, but not astrocytes. MNPs concentration was 100 mg/L. RNA-sequencing was performed after 72 hours of exposure.