(P17-068-23) Probiotics for Increasing Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Bioavailability

Objectives: Iron oxide nanoparticle carried by probiotics metabolism is directly associated with human health due to their effectiveness in treating anemia. In this context, the interaction with cellular structures and their biological effects are still being investigated since they could limit nanoparticle clinical applications. To address this need, we conducted an in vitro study to examine the interaction between magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and bacteria with stomach and intestinal cells (HS-26, CaCo2, and DDL-1) and evaluate the nanoparticle dose-related toxicity.

Methods: An in vitro screening technique was performed to evaluate and compare the cytotoxic activity of iron oxide nanoparticles and bacteria on human cells. First, the standard MTT colorimetric assay was used to measure cell growth, and cell viability was examined after 12, 24, and 48 hours. In correlation with the cell proliferation assay, the LDH activity assay was determined to demonstrate the cytotoxicity of the compound on the tumor cell line. Also, the investigation into the type of cell death was conducted by evaluating the activity of caspases, which is a crucial indicator and mediator of programmed cell death (apoptosis).

Results: The findings of the MTT test indicated that at a concentration of 250 g Fe/mL, tumor cell lines had their proliferation suppressed by around 10-15%. For the normal human fibroblast line, a slight proliferation of cells was observed at concentrations of 5 or 10 µg Fe/mL, respectively. On the other hand, at 150 g Fe/mL, an increased LDH concentration was recorded, suggesting that the cell membrane was damaged and LDH was being released into the extracellular space. Consequently, caspase activation was not detected in normal human or tumor cells.

Conclusions: These findings provide novel insight into the toxicology of iron oxide nanoparticles and highlight the need for a comprehensive evaluation of their clinical application. Therefore, iron oxide nanoparticles with probiotics can be further studied for oral drug delivery in treating anemia.

Funding Sources: Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CCCDI—UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-2126, within PNCDI III