Functionalized Single Walled Carbon Nanotube Induced Oxidative Stress in Liver of Swiss-webster Mice

Abstract: With their unique physicochemical properties, single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have many potential new applications in medicine and industry. A biomedical application of single-wall carbon nanotubes such as drug delivery requires a fundamental understanding of their fate and toxicological profile after administration. However, the toxicity of SWCNT is barely known when they are introduced into the blood circulation, which is especially vital for their biomedical applications. The aim of this study was to assess the effects, after intra peritoneal injection, of functionalized SWCNTs (carboxyl groups) on various oxidative stress biomarkers in the mouse model. We exposed mice to three different concentrations of functionalized SWCNTs (0.25, 0.5 & 0.75 mg/kg BW) and two controls (negative and positive). Samples were collected 24 hours after the last treatment following standard protocols. Exposure to carboxylated functionalized SWCNT induced ROS, enhanced the concentration of lipid hydro peroxide in the liver compared to control. Histopathology of exposed liver showed a statistically significant effect in the morphological alterations of the tissue compared to controls. The cellular findings reported here do suggest that purified carboxylated functionalized SWCNT has the potential to induce oxidative stress in Swiss-Webster mice which is of sufficient significance to warrant in vivo animal exposure studies. However, more studies to clarify the role of functionalization in the in vivo toxicity of SWCNTs, are required and parallel comparison is preferred.