Polydimethylsiloxanes biocompatibility in PC12 neuronal cell line

Cochlear implants, the only way to recover from severe/profound hearing loss, may cause adverse effects, among which reactions to silicone materials coating implant electrodes, leading to apoptosis and necrosis of spiral ganglion cells. Our aim was to evaluate whether three polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) compounds (hexadimethylsiloxane, octamethyltrisiloxane, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane) used in silicone rods could exert toxic effects on an in vitro neuronal cell model (PC12). Cell viability, morphology and mRNA expression levels of apoptotic markers were evaluated on PC12 cells at different PDMS dilutions up to 6 days of exposure. The results showed that at the highest concentrations tested cell viability was reduced by hexadimethylsiloxane and octamethyltrisiloxane at all times of exposure, but only from 72 h onwards by decamethylcyclopentasiloxane. The number of neurites per cell was not affected by hexadimethylsiloxane, but was significantly reduced from 24 h onwards by octamethyltrisiloxane and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane. Neurite length was reduced by hexadimethylsiloxane only at 24 h, and by octamethyltrisiloxane and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane at all exposure intervals. In controls exposed to silicone or glass rods cell viability was reduced only after 24 h, but neurite number and length was never reduced at any exposure interval. Biomolecular investigations showed that apoptotic markers did not change in any experimental condition, suggesting that PDMS are biocompatible. The reduction of cell viability and neurite number and length caused by exposure to these compounds was probably caused by a PDMS surface film formed over the cell medium, preventing air exchange, and not by the release of cytotoxic molecules.