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Article

Cytotoxicity of Carbon Nanomaterials: Single-Wall Nanotube, Multi-Wall Nanotube, and Fullerene

Guang Jia,^†^‡ Haifang Wang,^§ Lei Yan,^† Xiang Wang,^† Rongjuan Pei,^† Tao Yan,^† Yuliang Zhao,*^‡^§ and Xinbiao Guo*^†

Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China, Laboratory for Bio-Environmental Health Sciences of Nanoscale Materials, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China, and College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China

Environ. Sci. Technol., 2005, 39 (5), pp 1378–1383

DOI: 10.1021/es048729l

Publication Date (Web): January 7, 2005

†

School of Public Health, Peking University.

‡

Chinese Academy of Sciences.

College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University.

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed. Fax: +86-10-88233191 (Y.Z.); +86-10-62015583 (G.X.). E-mail: zhaoyuliang@ihep.ac.cn (Y.Z.); xguo@bjmu.edu.cn (G.X.).

Abstract

A cytotoxicity test protocol for single-wall nanotubes (SWNTs), multi-wall nanotubes (with diameters ranging from 10 to 20 nm, MWNT10), and fullerene (C₆₀) was tested. Profound cytotoxicity of SWNTs was observed in alveolar macrophage (AM) after a 6-h exposure in vitro. The cytotoxicity increases by as high as 35% when the dosage of SWNTs was increased by 11.30 μg/cm². No significant toxicity was observed for C₆₀ up to a dose of 226.00 μg/cm². The cytotoxicity apparently follows a sequence order on a mass basis: SWNTs > MWNT10 > quartz > C₆₀. SWNTs significantly impaired phagocytosis of AM at the low dose of 0.38 μg/cm², whereas MWNT10 and C₆₀ induced injury only at the high dose of 3.06 μg/cm². The macrophages exposed to SWNTs or MWNT10 of 3.06 μg/cm² showed characteristic features of necrosis and degeneration. A sign of apoptotic cell death likely existed. Carbon nanomaterials with different geometric structures exhibit quite different cytotoxicity and bioactivity in vitro, although they may not be accurately reflected in the comparative toxicity in vivo.