Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA.
J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2010;73(5):378-95. doi: 10.1080/15287390903486527.
Carbon nanotubes (CNT), since their discovery, have become one of the most promising nanomaterials in many industrial and biomedical applications. Due to their unique physicochemical properties, interest is growing in the manufacture of CNT-based products and their subsequent marketing. Since their discovery, the prospect of possible undesirable human health effects has been a focus of many scientific studies. Although CNT possess unique physical properties that include (1) nanoscale diameter, (2) a wide length distribution ranging from tens of nanometers to several micrometers, and (3) high aspect ratio, the fibrous-like shape and durability suggest that their toxic properties may be analogous to those observed with other fibrous particles, such as asbestos. The present study provides a summary of published findings on CNT bioactivity, such as the potential of CNT, especially of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), to activate signaling pathways modulating transcription factor activity, induce apoptosis, induce DNA damage, and initiate biological responses. Assessment of risks to human health and adoption of appropriate exposure controls is critical for the safe and successful introduction of CNT -based products for future applications.
碳纳米管（CNT）自发现以来，已成为许多工业和生物医学应用中最有前途的纳米材料之一。由于其独特的物理化学性质，人们对基于 CNT 的产品的制造及其随后的营销越来越感兴趣。自发现以来，可能对人类健康产生不良影响的前景一直是许多科学研究的重点。尽管 CNT 具有独特的物理性质，包括（1）纳米级直径，（2）几十纳米到几微米的宽长度分布，和（3）高纵横比，但纤维状形状和耐久性表明其毒性可能与其他纤维状颗粒（如石棉）观察到的相似。本研究总结了已发表的关于 CNT 生物活性的研究结果，例如 CNT（特别是多壁碳纳米管（MWCNT））激活调节转录因子活性的信号通路、诱导细胞凋亡、诱导 DNA 损伤和引发生物反应的潜力。评估对人类健康的风险并采取适当的暴露控制措施对于基于 CNT 的产品的安全和成功引入未来的应用至关重要。
