Journal
SMALL
Volume 17, Issue 15, Pages -Publisher
WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
DOI: 10.1002/smll.202002551
Keywords
genotoxicity; graphene; in vitro; lung; nano
Categories
Funding
- European Social Fund (ESF) through the Welsh Government
- Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (KESS2) [80815]
- British Heart Foundation [SP/15/8/31575, CH/09/002]
- Perpetuus Carbon Technologies (PCT)
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This study assessed the inhalation hazard of industrially relevant FLG with different surface functionalization and found that neutral-FLG and amine-FLG can induce genotoxicity in human lung epithelial cells, while carboxyl-FLG does not cause significant genotoxicity. This suggests a possible role for carboxyl groups in scavenging radicals produced via oxidative stress.
Few-layer graphene (FLG) has garnered much interest owing to applications in hydrogen storage and reinforced nanocomposites. Consequently, these engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are in high demand, increasing occupational exposure. This investigation seeks to assess the inhalation hazard of industrially relevant FLG engineered with: (i) no surface functional groups (neutral), (ii) amine, and (iii) carboxyl group functionalization. A monoculture of human lung epithelial (16HBE14o(-)) cells is exposed to each material for 24-h, followed by cytotoxicity and genotoxicity evaluation using relative population doubling (RPD) and the cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus (CBMN) assay, respectively. Neutral-FLG induces the greatest (two-fold) significant increase (p < 0.05) in micronuclei, whereas carboxyl-FLG does not induce significant (p < 0.05) genotoxicity. These findings correlate to significant (p < 0.05) concentration-dependent increases in interleukin (IL)-8, depletion of intracellular glutathione (rGSH) and a depletion in mitochondrial ATP production. Uptake of FLG is evaluated by transmission electron microscopy, whereby FLG particles are observed within membrane-bound vesicles in the form of large agglomerates (>1 mu m diameter). The findings of the present study have demonstrated the capability of neutral-FLG and amine-FLG to induce genotoxicity in 16HBE14o(-)cells through primary indirect mechanisms, suggesting a possible role for carboxyl groups in scavenging radicals produced via oxidative stress.
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