In vitro assessment of engineered nanomaterials using a hepatocyte cell line: cytotoxicity, pro-inflammatory cytokines and functional markers.

Effects on the liver C3A cell line treated with a panel of engineered nanomaterials (NMs) consisting of two zinc oxide particles (ZnO; coated 100 nm and uncoated 130 nm), two multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), one silver (Ag < 20 nm), one 7 nm anatase, two rutile TiO2 nanoparticles (10 and 94 nm) and two derivatives with positive and negative covalent functionalisation of the 10 nm rutile were evaluated. The silver particles elicited the greatest level of cytotoxicity (24 h LC50 – 2 µg/cm2). The silver was followed by the uncoated ZnO (24 h LC50 – 7.5 µg/cm2) and coated ZnO (24 h LC50 – 15 µg/cm2) particles with respect to cytotoxicity. The ZnO NMs were found to be about 50–60% soluble which could account for their toxicity. By contrast, the Ag wa