Poland Craig A, Duffin Rodger, Kinloch Ian, Maynard Andrew, Wallace William A H, Seaton Anthony, Stone Vicki, Brown Simon, Macnee William, Donaldson Ken
Nat Nanotechnol. 2008 Jul;3(7):423-8. doi: 10.1038/nnano.2008.111. Epub 2008 May 20.
Carbon nanotubes have distinctive characteristics, but their needle-like fibre shape has been compared to asbestos, raising concerns that widespread use of carbon nanotubes may lead to mesothelioma, cancer of the lining of the lungs caused by exposure to asbestos. Here we show that exposing the mesothelial lining of the body cavity of mice, as a surrogate for the mesothelial lining of the chest cavity, to long multiwalled carbon nanotubes results in asbestos-like, length-dependent, pathogenic behaviour. This includes inflammation and the formation of lesions known as granulomas. This is of considerable importance, because research and business communities continue to invest heavily in carbon nanotubes for a wide range of products under the assumption that they are no more hazardous than graphite. Our results suggest the need for further research and great caution before introducing such products into the market if long-term harm is to be avoided.
碳纳米管具有独特的特性，但其针状纤维形状被拿来与石棉作比较，这引发了人们的担忧，即碳纳米管的广泛使用可能会导致间皮瘤，一种因接触石棉而引发的肺部内衬癌症。在此我们表明，将小鼠体腔的间皮内衬作为胸腔间皮内衬的替代物，暴露于长的多壁碳纳米管下，会导致类似石棉的、与长度相关的致病行为。这包括炎症以及被称为肉芽肿的病变形成。这具有相当重要的意义，因为研究界和商业界继续在碳纳米管上投入大量资金用于广泛的产品，他们假定碳纳米管并不比石墨更具危害性。我们的结果表明，如果要避免长期危害，在将此类产品推向市场之前需要进一步研究并极其谨慎。
