Adverse Effects of Fullerenes on Endothelial Cells: Fullerenol C60(OH)24 Induced Tissue Factor and ICAM-1 Membrane Expression and Caused Apoptosis In Vitro

• Published in: Blood 2006-11, Vol.108 (11), p.1801-1801
• Main Authors: Gelderman-Fuhrmann, Monique P., Simakova, Olga, Siddiqui, Sheena F., Vostal, Alexander C., Simak, Jan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0006-4971; 1528-0020
• DOI: 10.1182/blood.V108.11.1801.1801

Due to recent advances in nanotechnology, it is expected that carbon nanostructures will soon be used for different medical applications including devices for transfusion medicine. Fullerenes and carbon nanotubes have a profound impact on the development of diagnostic biosensors, drug delivery nanosystems, or imaging nanoprobes for intravascular use. In addition, fullerenes can also be used as components of plastic and filtration membranes. Furthermore, fullerene C60 has been shown to have antiviral and antibacterial properties and its photodynamic potential for pathogen-reduction treatment of blood products has been suggested. Hydroxylated C60 derivatives have potent antioxidant properties, however, there are concerns about possible cytotoxic effects of fullerenes and/or their oxidative products. We studied the effects of C60 on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in culture. We used a water suspension of nonsoluble C60 (C60 preparations of 99.5% and 99.9% purity from SES Res., Houston, TX, and MER Corp., Tuscon, AZ, respectively) at 4 μg/mL, particle size < 500 nm, and the water soluble polyhydroxylated fullerene derivative fullerenol C60(OH)24 at 1 – 100 μg/mL (MER Corp., Tuscon, AZ). We found that 24 hr treatment of HUVECs with C60(OH)24 at 100 μg/mL significantly increased cell surface expression of ICAM-1(CD54) (67±4%CD54+ cells vs. 19±2 % CD54+ cells in control; p< 0.001). Moreover, this treatment induced expression of tissue factor (CD142, detected by HTF-1 Mab) on HUVECs (54±20% CD142+ cells vs. 4±2% CD142+ cells in control; p=0.008) and increased exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS, detected by Annexin V) (29±2% PS+ cells vs. 12±5% PS+ cells in control; p