Objectives
To investigate behaviour and expression of transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP‐9) in murine photoreceptor‐derived cells (661W) after incubation with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles.
Materials and methods
We explored effects of ZnO nanoparticles on 661W cells using a real‐time cell electronic sensing system, flow cytometry, multiple function microplate reading, real‐time quantitative PCR detection system and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay respectively.
Results
Our results indicate that ZnO nanoparticles induced overload of calcium and reactive oxygen species within cells, causing formation of apoptotic bodies, disruption of cell cycle distribution, and reduction in expression of TGF‐β and MMP‐9, to suppress cell proliferation and migration. Our findings show that disruption of intracellular calcium homoeostasis and overproduction of reactive oxygen species were closely associated with reduction of TGF‐β and MMP‐9 in 661W cells under ZnO nanoparticle treatment.
Conclusions
Results of our study indicate that ZnO nanoparticles suppressed cell proliferation and migration, and reduced production of TGF‐β and MMP‐9 at both gene and protein levels. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that reduced TGF‐β and MMP‐9 levels inhibit cell proliferation and migration under ZnO nanoparticle influence.