Direct fibrogenic effects of dispersed single-walled carbon nanotubes on human lung fibroblasts.

Nanomaterials, including single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), are being developed for a variety of commercial products. However, adverse health effects attributed to these new materials are not well understood. Recent reports showed that exposure of mice to dispersed SWCNT (DSWCNT) produced a rapid and progressive interstitial lung fibrosis without persistent inflammation. To understand the mechanism underlying this unusual fibrogenicity of DSWCNT, the present investigation focused on the direct bioactivity of DSWCNT using a cell culture of lung fibroblasts that represent a major cell type resident in the lung interstitium and responsible for the production of collagen matrix. At concentrations relevant to those used in vivo, in vitro exposure of lung fibroblasts to DSWCNT stimulated cell proliferation and induced collagen production without producing cell damage. One of the major matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), MMP-9, which is known to be involved in lung fibrosis, was also elevated by DSWCNT treatment both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, these results suggest that direct stimulation of fibroblasts by DSWCNT translocated into the interstitium may play a significant role in DSWCNT-induced lung fibrosis. Our data also suggest that the dispersion status and/or size of the SWCNT structures is a critical factor in determining nanoparticle fibrogenicity and that MMP-9 may be involved in the fibrogenic process. The results obtained may aid in the development of in vitro models for rapid screening of the potential fibrogenicity of carbon nanotubes, which are lacking and urgently needed.