Ionic cobalt but not metal particles induces ROS generation in immune cells in vitro

Total joint replacement is one of the most successful procedures in orthopedic surgery today. However, metal implant materials undergo wear and corrosion processes. Generated particles and ions can cause a variety of cellular reactions. Cobalt-containing alloys are used frequently in implant materials. Some studies suggest that cobalt exhibits potential cytotoxic effects, for example, via generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To further elucidate the effects of cobalt on human cells, we determined cell viability and cytosolic and mitochondrial superoxide formation after incubation of either ions or particles with different cells. MM-6 and Jurkat cell lines were treated for 24, 48 and 72 h with either CoCrMo particles or cobalt ions (supplied as CoCl₂). A total of 24 h exposure of both forms of cobalt did not induce cell death using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TUNEL) and trypan blue assay. Interestingly, the formation of superoxide (O₂^.−) is evoked mainly by ionic CoCl₂ but not cobalt particles. Cobalt alloy particles are likely to even suppress O₂^.− formation in mitochondria in both used cell lines. Furthermore, we did not observe any effect of cobalt particles on O₂^.− formation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors. We also found that the O₂⁻ formation by CoCl₂ within mitochondria is a generalized effect for all cell types used, while the formation of superoxide in cytosolic compartment is cell-type dependent. In summary, our data suggest that cobalt ions specifically induce the formation of O₂^.−, whereas the cobalt particles were better tolerated. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 107B: 1246–1253, 2019.