Selective anti-hepatoma treated with titanium oxide nanoparticles in vitro.

Effects of titanium oxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles on Bel-7402 human hepatoma hepatoma cells and L-02 human hepatocytes at different times were observed. Using cell culture, cell growth curves of Bel-7402 cells and L-02 cells treated with TiO₂ nanoparticles were examined by MTT assay, and the cellular ultrastructure was observed by an analytical transmission electron microscope (ATEM). It is found that OD value of Bel-7402 cell treated with TiO₂ nanoparticles for 48–144h is obviously lower than that of control group (p<0.01). However the growth curve of L-02 cells is almost not affected by TiO₂ nanoparticles. ATEM and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses show that there are obvious vacuoles increased heterolysosome, and particles with high electron density which are confirmed to be TiO₂ nanoparticles in Bel-7402 cytoplasm. More interestingly, it is alse found that TiO₂ nanoparticle obviously inhibits the proliferation of hepatoma cells by altering lysosome activity and destroying cytoplasm structure. The inhibition on proliferation of hepatocytes by TiO₂ nanoparticles is much slighter. The results demonstrate that TiO₂ nanoparticle has different killing effects on cancer cell and normal cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]