Figure 8.
TEM images of liver cells.
Notes: L02 cells (3×105) and HepG2 cells (3×105) were seeded onto 60 mm noncoated and SWNHs40-coated (0.85 μg/cm2) dishes, respectively, and cultured for 48 hours. The cells were collected and fixed with 3% glutaraldehyde. For TEM, ultra-thin cell slices of 100 nm thickness were cut using an ultramicrotome and mounted on grids. The slices were contrasted with aqueous solution of uranyl acetate and lead citrate, and examined with a JEM-1400 transmission electron microscope (JEOL Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) with accelerating voltage of 80 kV. (A) L02 not treated with SWNHs, as control (15,000×). Scale bar represents 1 μm. (B) L02 cultured onto SWNHs40-coated dishes (0.85 μg/cm2) for 48 hours (15,000×). Scale bar represents 1 μm. (C) L02 cultured onto SWNHs40-coated dishes (0.85 μg/cm2) for 48 hours (80,000×). Scale bar represents 100 nm (image was enlarged from the rectangular inset of panel B). The arrow shows that there were individual spherical SWNH particles with diameters less than 100 nm inside lysosomes of L02 cells. (D) HepG2 not treated with SWNHs, as control (15,000×). Scale bar represents 1 μm. (E) HepG2 cultured onto SWNHs40-coated dishes (0.85 μg/cm2) for 48 hours (15,000×). Scale bar represents 1 μm. (F) HepG2 cultured onto SWNHs40-coated dishes (0.85 μg/cm2) for 48 hours (80,000×). Scale bar represents 100 nm (image was enlarged from the rectangular inset of panel E). The arrow shows that there were individual spherical SWNH particles with diameters less than 100 nm inside nuclei of HepG2 cells. (G) L02 cultured onto SWNHs40-coated dishes (0.85 μg/cm2) for 48 hours (15,000×). Scale bar represents 1 μm. (H) HepG2 cells cultured onto SWNHs40-coated dishes (0.85 μg/cm2) for 48 hours (15,000×). Scale bar represents 1 μm.
Abbreviations: TEM, transmission electron microscope; L02, normal liver cell line; HepG2, human hepatoma cell line; SWNHs40, 0.85 μg of single-walled carbon nanohorns per cm2, or 24 μg per 60 mm dish; SWNH, single-walled carbon nanohorn.