Journal: Pharmaceutics

Article Title: Carbon Dots as a Fluorescent Nanosystem for Crossing the Blood–Brain Barrier with Plausible Application in Neurological Diseases

doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics17040477

Figure Lengend Snippet: Biological characterization data. ( a ) Determination of the cytotoxicity of NF-CDs, ranging from 0 to 500 μg mL −1 and expressed as metabolic activity using the HUVECs. A two-tailed paired t -test was used compared with the control; bars represent the mean ± s.d. (* p < 0.05). ( b ) Illustrative representation of the establishment of the BBB in vitro model using transwell systems. ( c ) Trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) monitoring of the neuromimetic-BBB along 20 days of culture. ( d ) Permeability assessment of NF-CD, loaded at 250 μg mL −1 , at different time points (30, 60, 120 min) in the neuromimetic-BBB and control transwell systems without cells. A two-tailed unpaired t -test was used; bars represent the mean ± s.d. (* p < 0.05). ( e ) Total fluorescence intensity of NF-CD cultured with the HUVEC at different concentrations (10, 50, and 125 μg mL −1 ), obtained with green (FTIC), red (TRITC), and blue (DAPI) filters. ( f ) Bioimaging of the HUVEC cultured with NF-CD at different concentrations (10, 50, and 125 μg mL −1 ) for 24 h with green (FTIC), red (TRITC), and blue (DAPI) filters, as well as their merging fluorescent images (Merge 1, green and red, Merge 2, green and blue, and Merge 3, green, red, and blue). Scale bar = 100 μm.

Article Snippet: In comparison with the control transwell systems (without cells), NF-CD achieved 70% of permeability in the fully developed BBB versus 81% in the control, in just 2 h. Overall, the BBB-crossing capacity highlights its potential to be used in biomedical applications for neurological diseases, such as bioimaging and potential therapeutic cargo-nanovector.

Techniques: Activity Assay, Two Tailed Test, Control, In Vitro, Permeability, Fluorescence, Cell Culture