Abstract
Tungsten disulfide (WS2) particles have excellent lubrication properties and low surface energy. These features are exploited for numerous applications in the biomedical field, from the development of low-friction orthodontic wires to urinary encrustation-resisting coatings. Nevertheless, the cytotoxicity of spherical WS2 particles still remains unclear. We report the biocompatibility of pristine WS2 particles in human urinary bladder cells after the exposure to a wide range of concentrations (from 0 to 100 μg/mL). Based on the cell viability assessments using trypan blue exclusion assay and the PrestoBlue Cell viability reagent after 24, 48, and 72 h exposure, it can be concluded that these particle aggregates, with a diameter of ~ 500 nm, do not show any evidence of alterations or toxicity in the cells, even with high concentrations there exist a 87% of cell viability. Furthermore, due to the predisposition to agglomerate of this material and the possible use as a coating in urinary devices, we functionalized these particles with carboxylic groups. Aggregates with a diameter of ~ 370 nm were obtained. Zeta potential measurements highlighted that carboxylation correctly occurred, showing a switch from ~ + 4 for pristine particles to ~ − 35 for COOH-functionalized ones. Cytotoxic studies with these functionalized WS2 particles also showed good biocompatibility on human urinary bladder cells, with an 86% of viability after incubation with 100 μg/mL of particles over 72 h. These results highlight a good potential of WS2 particles for a future safe application as components of implantable medical devices.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge INAIL (Istituto Nazionale Assicurazioni Infortuni sul Lavoro) for providing financial and technical support in the framework of the RELIEF project (Ripristino della continEnza urinaria e del controlLo della minzIonE mediante sFintere artificiale) (https://www.santannapisa.it/it/istituto/biorobotica/relief). LGH thanks M.L. Fanarraga the TEM facility availability.
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Garcia-Hevia, L., Roehrer, I., Mazzocchi, T. et al. Cytotoxicity of pristine and functionalized tungsten disulfide particles in the urinary system. J Nanopart Res 22, 273 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-020-05007-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-020-05007-1