Toxicology Research 

About: Toxicology Research is an academic journal published by Royal Society of Chemistry. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Medicine & Oxidative stress. It has an ISSN identifier of 2045-452X. Over the lifetime, 1088 publications have been published receiving 15086 citations.

A comparative study of cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, and nanodiamond

Abstract: Investigations of the interactions between carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) and living organisms and their subsequent biological responses are of fundamental significance for toxicity assessment and further biomedical applications. In this work, the cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), graphene oxide (GO) and nanodiamond (ND) were examined and compared. We demonstrated that all of the CNMs were readily internalized by HeLa cells through nonspecific cellular uptake. Their cell uptake ratios showed significant differences in the following order: ND > MWCNTs > GO. A series of biological assays were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of CNMs. It was found that CNMs showed dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity to HeLa cells. However, cytotoxicity of CNMs was not associated with their cell uptake ratios. Among them, ND exhibited the highest cell uptake ratio and the least cytotoxicity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study which has quantitatively determined and compared the cell uptake ratios and cytotoxicities of MWCNTs, GO and ND. And we expect that these results described here could provide useful information for the development of new strategies to design efficient drug delivery nanocarriers and therapeutic systems as well as deep insights into the mechanism of CNMs’ cytotoxicity.

In vitro models for liver toxicity testing.

Abstract: Over the years, various liver-derived in vitro model systems have been developed to enable investigation of the potential adverse effects of chemicals and drugs. Liver tissue slices, isolated microsomes, perfused liver, immortalized cell lines, and primary hepatocytes have been used extensively. Immortalized cell lines and primary isolated liver cells are currently the most widely used in vitro models for liver toxicity testing. Limited throughput, loss of viability, and decreases in liver-specific functionality and gene expression are common shortcomings of these models. Recent developments in the field of in vitro hepatotoxicity include three-dimensional tissue constructs and bioartificial livers, co-cultures of various cell types with hepatocytes, and differentiation of stem cells into hepatic lineage-like cells. In an attempt to provide a more physiological environment for cultured liver cells, some of the novel cell culture systems incorporate fluid flow, micro-circulation, and other forms of organotypic microenvironments. Co-cultures aim to preserve liver-specific morphology and functionality beyond those provided by cultures of pure parenchymal cells. Stem cells, both embryonic- and adult tissue-derived, may provide a limitless supply of hepatocytes from multiple individuals to improve reproducibility and enable testing of the individual-specific toxicity. This review describes various traditional and novel in vitro liver models and provides a perspective on the challenges and opportunities afforded by each individual test system.

Interaction of tannic acid with carbon nanotubes: enhancement of dispersibility and biocompatibility

Abstract: The interaction of manufactured nanomaterials with environmental and biological systems has been a subject of great research interest for a long time. In the present study, adsorption of a universal environmental organic material (named tannic acid (TA)) on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was investigated. The influence of CNT properties and pH values on the sorption capacity of CNTs for TA was also evaluated. Our results demonstrated that the sorption capacity of CNTs was positively correlated with their specific surface areas. Furthermore, TA could effectively enhance the water dispersibility of CNTs and reduce their cytotoxicity. Our results implied that TA could influence the environmental behavior and biological responses of the manufactured nanomaterials, reminding us that much more attention should be paid to the synergistic toxicity of nanomaterials when we evaluate their environmental impacts.

Surfactant-dispersed nanodiamond: biocompatibility evaluation and drug delivery applications

Abstract: Effective dispersion of nanodiamond (ND) in aqueous media especially in the physiological solution is of significant importance for its biomedical applications. Herein, the effect of surfactants on the water dispersibility of ND were investigated. On the basis of the dispersion results, biocompatibility as well as utilization of zwitterionic surfactant (lecithin) dispersed ND for intracellular delivery of doxorubicin hydrochloride were explored. We demonstrated that ND nanoparticles displayed enhanced dispersibility in both water and physiological solution in the present of lecithin. Given its facile, effective and low-cost features, the method for dispersion of ND nanoparticles described in this work will contribute significantly to the practical applications of ND.

Cellular responses of aniline oligomers: a preliminary study

Abstract: The biomedical applications of aniline oligomers and their derivatives have attracted increasing interest due to their electroactive and biodegradable properties. However, no reports have systematically examined the toxicity of these electroactive materials, which has severely hindered their biomedical applications. In this work, the cellular responses of aniline oligomers including aniline dimer, trimer and tetramer to mouse embryo fibroblast (NIH-3T3) cells and adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial (A549) cells were determined and compared for the first time. Our results demonstrated that the aniline trimer showed the highest cytotoxicity to both types of cells. Compared with the NIH-3T3 cells, aniline oligomers exhibited the least cytotoxicity to A549 cells. Taken together, we demonstrate that both the properties of aniline oligomers and cell types could influence the cellular responses of aniline oligomers. As the first report focused on the cytotoxicity of aniline oligomers, this work provides some fundamental and important information about the cytotoxicity of aniline oligomers, which should be valuable for their biomedical applications.