Endothelial cell aging detection by means of atomic force spectroscopy

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Cell Biology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Endothelial cell aging affects vascular properties and responses to nanomaterials.
• Silver nanoparticles (SNPs) are increasingly used, necessitating understanding their cellular effects.
• Cellular elasticity is a key indicator of cell health and function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the time- and dose-dependent effects of silver nanoparticles (SNPs) on endothelial cell elasticity.
• To compare SNP-induced elasticity changes in early-passage versus late-passage endothelial cells.
• To explore the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in SNP-induced elasticity alterations.

Main Methods:

• Atomic force microscopy was used to measure endothelial cell elasticity modulus.
• Cells were exposed to varying concentrations of SNPs (1-16 μg/mL) for different incubation times (1-24 hours).
• Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) visualized SNP localization; ROS levels were quantified.

Main Results:

• A significant reduction in elasticity modulus was observed in early-passage cells after 24-hour exposure to 3 μg/mL SNPs.
• In contrast, late-passage cells showed different responses, potentially due to aging.
• Short-term (1-3 hours) SNP exposure significantly increased cell elasticity, correlated with ROS activation.

Conclusions:

• Endothelial cell elasticity is modulated by silver nanoparticles in a passage-number and time-dependent manner.
• The stabilizer (polyvinyl pyrrolidone) was ruled out as the primary cause of elasticity changes.
• ROS activation may mediate the increase in cell elasticity observed after short-term SNP exposure.