Exposure of human neurons to silver nanoparticles induces similar pattern of ABC transporters gene expression as differentiation: Study on proliferating and post-mitotic LUHMES cells

The Lund human mesencephalic (LUHMES) cell line originated from mesencephalon of 8-week human foetus is a renowned in vitro model of human dopaminergic neurons. After differentiation the cells exhibit dopaminergic and neuronal characteristics of biochemically and morphologically mature dopamine-like neurons. In this study we analysed expression of 42 genes from ABC transporter superfamily in both proliferating cells and differentiated neurons after treatment with silver nanoparticles. ABC transporter superfamily is especially known due to the involvement in multidrug resistance phenomenon, but also involvement in transport through blood-brain barrier. Our results indicate that in neurons silver nanoparticles mainly attenuate transporters responsible for maintaining asymmetry of cellular membrane and homeostasis of lipids and cholesterol. Our results revealed also that proliferating foetal brain cells are by far more susceptible to silver nanoparticles than differentiated neurons.