Cytoskeletal synchronization of CHO cells with polymer functionalized fullerene C₆₀

Recent developments in the field of fullerene C60 and its derivatives suggest its suitability in a wide range of applications ranging from photovoltaic instruments, development of solar based cells, cosmetics to enzyme inhibition treatment, and so on. These innovative applications raised possibilities of intentional or oblivious human-particle contact leading to possible deleterious effects on human health. The current study deals with the interaction of dextran functionalized fullerene C60 (Dex-C60) on Chinese Hamster Ovary cells. The results showed that the cell viability was not affected by Dex-C60 treatment even at higher concentrations. Treatment of Dex-C60 did not affect mitochondrial membrane potential and the integrity of lysosomal and cytoskeletal membrane. DNA ladder assay and nuclear staining showed that the DNA remains intact, and no fragmentation or nuclear condensation was visible. From flow cytometry analysis, the viable population of treated cells was seemed to be remaining similar to that of untreated cells. Hence, from the current result, it is concluded that Dex-C60 can be a potential candidate for various biomedical applications.