Three-Dimensional Systemsin Polybutylcyanoacrylate Nanoparticles Safety Evaluation

It is generally accepted that three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems better represent cell physiology and morphology than two-dimensional (monolayer) cell cultures. The aim of this work was to develop a 3D model that could efficiently evaluate polymeric materials biocompatibility using polybutylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles (PBCA-NP). Normal human fibroblasts and melanoma cells were cultured both in monolayer and on type I collagen matrix. Trypan blue and MTT assays were used to evaluate PBCA-NP cytotoxicity, which was shown to be dose- and time-dependent to all cell types. These results were confirmed by cell death analysis with flow cytometry. There is evidence that treatment with PBCA-NP in concentrations close to the IC50 inhibit autophagy in fibroblasts and melanoma cells when cultured in monolayer, but this response could not be observed in the 3D system. These findings strongly suggest that PBCA-NP can modify cell response depending on the concentration used and the conditions of cell culture.[GRAPHICS]