Assessing size-dependent cytotoxicity of boron nitride nanotubes using a novel cardiomyocyte AFM assay.

As boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) find increased use in numerous applications, potential adverse health effects of BNNT exposure are a growing concern. Current in vitro cytotoxicity studies on BNNTs are inconsistent and even contradictory, likely due to the lack of reference materials, standardized characterization methods and measurement protocols. New approaches, particularly with the potential to reliably relate in vitro to in vivo studies, are critically needed. This work introduces a novel atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based cardiomyocyte assay that reliably assesses the cytotoxicity of a well-characterized boron nitride nanotube reference material, code named BNNT-1. High energy probe sonication was used to modify and control the length of BNNT-1. The polymer polyethylenimine (PEI) was used concurrently with sonication to produce stable, aqueous dispersions of BNNT-1. These dispersions were used to perform a systematic analysis on both the length and height of BNNT-1 via a correlated characterization approach of dynamic light scattering (DLS) and AFM. Cytotoxicity studies using the novel cardiomyocyte AFM model were in agreement with traditional colorimetric cell metabolic assays, both revealing a correlation between tube length and cytotoxicity with longer tubes having higher cytotoxicity. In addition to the size-dependent cytotoxicity, it was found that BNNT-1 exhibits concentration and cell-line dependent cytotoxic effects.

Determination of uric acid in human serum by capillary electrophoresis with polarity reversal and electrochemical detection.

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CE) under conditions of reversed polarity is used in conjunction with electrochemical detection (EC) at carbon fiber microcylinder electrodes for the selective and sensitive determination of uric acid in human blood serum. Comigration of anions with the electroosmotic flow is accomplished with reversed polarity and the buffer additive cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in a 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid (MES) buffer system, giving rise to rapid and sensitive analyses. Optimal buffer conditions (pH 7.0), detection potential (0.80 V vs. Ag/AgCl), and electrokinetic injection are employed to allow for maximal resolution and signal intensity. Amperometric end-column detection with a carbon fiber microcylinder electrode results in lower limits of detection for uric acid of about 25 nM (ca. 140 amol injected) without the need for decoupling. Linear calibration plots using uric acid standards in water and serum are obtained over a linear range from 5.00 x 10(-4) M to 2.50 x 10(-7) M. Uric acid concentrations obtained for human sera using the CE-EC approach described here are shown to compare favorably to the accepted laboratory values.