Effects of Functionalized Carbon Nanotube on Cellular Homeostasis of Murine Hepatocytes

Nanotechnology in medicine represents a revolution offering significant advancements in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases. This technology enables the development of devices and materials at the nanometer scale, allowing precise interactions with biological systems at the molecular and cellular levels. Among various nanomaterials, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) stand out due to their unique physical, chemical and mechanical properties. Due to their high strength, electrical and thermal conductivity and large surface area, CNTs have a wide range of applications. In healthcare they are explored for drug delivery and imaging diagnostics. CNTs can be functionalized to target drugs directly to diseased cells, minimizing side effects and enhancing treatment efficacy, additionally can be used in biosensors for early disease detection and in tissue engineering to cellular regeneration. The present study evaluated the effects of OCNT-TEPA, a multi-walled carbon nanotube functionalized, in murine hepatocytes AML-12. Cells were exposed to different concentrations of the sample for 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours. Cellular metabolism tests, cellular morphology by optical microscopy, synthesis of reactive oxygen species, changes in membrane potential and IL-6 cytokine secretion were performed. The results show that OCNT-TEPA altered the homeostasis of hepatocytes, as cellular metabolism decreased, cellular morphology was altered, the membrane experienced changes in its electrical potential, oxidative stress increased and inflammatory signaling molecules were synthesized. This alteration is dose-dependent, which may be harmful to hepatocytes at high concentrations but could be applied to the body at lower concentrations without causing harm.