In vitro assessment of potential bladder papillary neoplasm treatment with functionalized polyethyleneimine coated magnetic nanoparticles.

Normal porcine urothelial cells have been shown to have a much lower rate of endocytosis than urothelial papillary neoplasm cells. This could be used as a mechanism for selective delivery of toxic compounds, such as polyethyleneimine coated nanoparticles (NPs). However, these NPs induce nonselective toxicity through direct membrane disruption. This toxicity can be reduced by functionalization of NPs with L-glutathione reduced or bovine serum albumin by reducing their surface charge. Functionalization was confirmed with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering and zeta potential measurements. Viability assays showed that bovine serum albumin coating reduced NPs cytotoxicity immediately after 3 h exposure and that such NPs were more toxic to urothelial papillary neoplasm cells compared to normal porcine urothelial cells at 50 μg/ml NPs concentration. However, 24 h after exposure, bovine serum albumin functionalized NPs had similar effect on viability of both cell lines. NPs showed some selective toxicity towards urothelial papillary neoplasm cells compared to normal cells after 3 h, however this was not confirmed after 24 h.