Adipocytes differentiation in the presence of Pluronic F127–coated carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes are considered important nanodevices in biomedicine, and several applications in drug and gene delivery in different organs and tissues are presently under investigation. Among them very little attention has been dedicated to white adipose tissue (WAT), despite its wide distribution and endocrine role, which could potentially be used to release therapeutic agents. An important premise to use nanotubes in WAT is to determine their potential for toxicity on adipocytes. Here we show that Pluronic F127 (PF127)–coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can be tolerated by NIH-3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes without affecting their growth. Moreover, the differentiation process of NIH-3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes to adipocytes is not compromised by the presence of 5 μg/mL MWCNTs in the medium. These results suggest that reasonable concentrations of PF127-MWCNTs are not toxic for adipocytes and do not interfere with their differentiation process. From the Clinical Editor This study established that Pluronic F127 (PF127)–coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are tolerated by NIH-3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. The differentation of these pre-adipocytes is not compromised by the presence of 5 μg/mL MWCNTs, suggesting that these nanotubes are not toxic for adipocytes.