Quantum Sensing for Detection of Zinc-Triggered Free Radicals in Endothelial Cells

Oxidative stress originating from the overproduction of free radicals poses a major threat to cell fate, therefore it is of great importance to address the formation of free radicals in cells subjected to various pathological stimuli. Here we investigate the free radical response of endothelial cells to biodegradable zinc. In addition to the standard free radical assays, relaxometry was used for determining the production of free radicals in cells exposed to non-physiological concentrations of zinc ions. The cellular morphology, intracellular zinc accumulation, as well as the levels of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species, are determined using standard fluorescent methods. For endothelial cells subjected to 50% zinc extracts, deviations from the normal cell shape and cell agglomeration tendency are observed. The culture medium containing the highest amount of zinc ions caused nuclei fragmentation, blebbing, and cell shrinkage, indicating cell death. A potential explanation for the observed phenomena is an overproduction of free radicals. In the case of 1% and 10% zinc extracts, the formation of free radicals is clearly confirmed by relaxometry, while the results obtained by using fluorescent techniques are unambiguous. It is revealed that high concentrations of zinc ions released from biodegradable samples induce a deleterious effect on endothelial cells.