Research Article The effect of high concentration and exposure duration of nanoceria on human lens epithelial cells

AbstractNanotechnologyhasthepotentialfortreatingdiseasesandconditionsofageing.Theeyeisparticularlyvulnerable,becausechronicpathologiescanleadtosightloss.Humanlensepithelialcellswereexposedto10,20,and100μg/mLofnegativelychargednanoceriafor48and72hours;DNAdamageandcellgrowthwereassessed.Concentrationsupto100μg/mLfor48hoursdidnotcausemeasurablegenotoxiceffects.Forexposuresof72hours,concentrationsabove10 μg/mLshowedsmallbutstatisticallysignificantdifferencesinDNAdamagefromnegativecontrols.Alltreatedsampleswerelessdamagedthanpositivecontrols.Cellgrowth,monitoredforupto7days,didnotshowdeviationsincellmorphologyorgrowthbetween treated and untreated samples. Whereas time of exposure may have greater effect than dosage, indicating potential for genotoxicity athigher exposures, human lens epithelial cells can sustain normal growth when exposed to concentrations of nanoceria of up to 100 μg/mL.From the Clinical Editor: Human lens epithelial cells were exposed to various concentrations of negatively charged nanoceria for 48 and 72hours to assess DNA damage and cell growth. The authors demonstrate that epithelial cells can sustain normal growth when exposed toconcentrationsofupto100μg/mL,withtimeofexposurehavingagreatereffectthandosage,indicatingpotentialgenotoxicityathigherexposures.© 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.