Effects of barium titanate nanoparticles on proliferation and differentiation of rat mesenchymal stem cells.

Nanomaterials hold great promise in the manipulation and treatments of mesenchymal stem cells, since they allow the modulation of their properties and differentiation. However, systematic studies have to be carried out in order to assess their potential toxicological effects. The present study reports on biocompatibility evaluation of glycol-chitosan coated barium titanate nanoparticles (BTNPs) on rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). BTNPs are a class of ceramic systems which possess interesting features for biological applications thanks to their peculiar dielectric and piezoelectric properties. Viability was evaluated up to 5 days of incubation (concentrations in the range 0-100 μg/ml) both quantitatively and qualitatively with specific assays. Interactions cells/nanoparticles were further investigated with analysis of the cytoskeleton conformation, with SEM and TEM imaging, and with AFM analysis. Finally, differentiation in adipocytes and osteocytes was achieved in the presence of high doses of BTNPs, thus highlighting the safety of these nanostructures towards mesenchymal stem cells.