Effects of Two Fullerene Derivatives on Monocytes and Macrophages. (19th May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pacor, Sabrina; Grillo, Alberto; Đorđević, Luka; Zorzet, Sonia; Lucafò, Marianna; Da Ros, Tatiana; Prato, Maurizio; Sava, Gianni
• Other Names: Mukherjee Amitava Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: BioMed research international. Volume 2015(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-05-19
• Subjects: Medicine -- Periodicals; Biology -- Periodicals; Biotechnology -- Periodicals; Life sciences -- Periodicals; 610.5
• DOI: 10.1155/2015/915130
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2314-6133

Abstract

Abstract : Two fullerene derivatives (fullerenes 1 and 2 ), bearing a hydrophilic chain on the pyrrolidinic nitrogen, were developed with the aim to deliver anticancer agents to solid tumors. These two compounds showed a significantly different behaviour on human neoplastic cell lines in vitro in respect to healthy leukocytes. In particular, the pyrrolidinium ring on the fullerene carbon cage brings to a more active compound. In the present work, we describe the effects of these fullerenes on primary cultures of human monocytes and macrophages, two kinds of immune cells representing the first line of defence in the immune response to foreign materials. These compounds are not recognized by circulating monocytes while they get into macrophages. The evaluation of the pronecrotic or proapoptotic effects, analysed by means of analysis of the purinergic receptor P2X7 activation and of ROS scavenging activity, has allowed us to show that fullerene 2, but not its analogue fullerene 1, displays toxicity, even though at concentrations higher than those shown to be active on neoplastic cells.