Adhesion to Carbon Nanotube Conductive Scaffolds Forces Action-Potential Appearance in Immature Rat Spinal Neurons

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073621
• Publication Date: 2013-08-12T21:14:46Z
• Authors: Alessandra Fabbro; Antonietta Sucapane; Francesca Maria Toma; Enrica Calura; Lisa Rizzetto; Claudia Carrieri; Paola Roncaglia; Valentina Martinelli; Denis Scaini; Lara Masten; Antonio Turco; Stefano Gustincich; Maurizio Prato; Laura Ballerini
• Keywords: 570; spinal neuron; General Science & Technology; Science; Carbon nanotubes; Animals; Cell Adhesion; Cell Culture Techniques; Cell Differentiation; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation; Molecular Sequence Annotation; Neurons; Rats; Spinal Cord; Action Potentials; Nanotubes, Carbon; Tissue Scaffolds; Cell Culture Techniques; 610; neurons; neuronal repair; microglia; Action Potentials; Cellular differentiation; 03 medical and health sciences; action potential; neuronal maturation; Analisi trascrizionale; Cell Adhesion; Animals; Differenziamento cellulare; cell physiology; nanomaterials; cell physiology; neuronal repair; neuronal maturation; spinal neurons; microglia; Neurons; 0303 health sciences; Nanotubes; Spinal neurons; carbon nanotubes; Tissue Scaffolds; Nanotubes, Carbon; Gene Expression Profiling; UNION-OF-PHARMACOLOGY; NERVE GROWTH-FACTOR; GENE-EXPRESSION; HIPPOCAMPAL-NEURONS; NEURITE OUTGROWTH; PYRAMIDAL NEURONS; AXON GUIDANCE; TIME-LAPSE; REGENERATION; PROTEINS; Q; R; Cell Differentiation; Molecular Sequence Annotation; Carbon; Rats; Gene Expression Regulation; Spinal Cord; Nanotubi; Neuroni spinali; Medicine; nanomaterial; Settore BIO/19 - MICROBIOLOGIA GENERALE; Transcriptional analysis; Research Article

In the last decade, carbon nanotube growth substrates have been used to investigate neurons and neuronal networks formation in vitro when guided by artificial nano-scaled cues. Besides, nanotube-based interfaces are being developed, such as prosthesis for monitoring brain activity. We recently described how carbon nanotube substrates alter the electrophysiological and synaptic responses of hippocampal neurons in culture. This observation highlighted the exceptional ability of this material in interfering with nerve tissue growth. Here we test the hypothesis that carbon nanotube scaffolds promote the development of immature neurons isolated from the neonatal rat spinal cord, and maintained in vitro. To address this issue we performed electrophysiological studies associated to gene expression analysis. Our results indicate that spinal neurons plated on electro-conductive carbon nanotubes show a facilitated development. Spinal neurons anticipate the expression of functional markers of maturation, such as the generation of voltage dependent currents or action potentials. These changes are accompanied by a selective modulation of gene expression, involving neuronal and non-neuronal components. Our microarray experiments suggest that carbon nanotube platforms trigger reparative activities involving microglia, in the absence of reactive gliosis. Hence, future tissue scaffolds blended with conductive nanotubes may be exploited to promote cell differentiation and reparative pathways in neural regeneration strategies.