Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Part Fibre Toxicol. 2011 Aug 18;8:24. doi: 10.1186/1743-8977-8-24.
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are widely used in many disciplines due to their unique physical and chemical properties. Therefore, some concerns about the possible human health and environmental impacts of manufactured MWCNTs are rising. We hypothesized that instillation of MWCNTs impairs pulmonary function in C57BL/6 mice due to development of lung inflammation and fibrosis.
MWCNTs were administered to C57BL/6 mice by oropharyngeal aspiration (1, 2, and 4 mg/kg) and we assessed lung inflammation and fibrosis by inflammatory cell infiltration, collagen content, and histological assessment. Pulmonary function was assessed using a FlexiVent system and levels of Ccl3, Ccl11, Mmp13 and IL-33 were measured by RT-PCR and ELISA.
Mice administered MWCNTs exhibited increased inflammatory cell infiltration, collagen deposition and granuloma formation in lung tissue, which correlated with impaired pulmonary function as assessed by increased resistance, tissue damping, and decreased lung compliance. Pulmonary exposure to MWCNTs induced an inflammatory signature marked by cytokine (IL-33), chemokine (Ccl3 and Ccl11), and protease production (Mmp13) that promoted the inflammatory and fibrotic changes observed within the lung.
These results further highlight the potential adverse health effects that may occur following MWCNT exposure and therefore we suggest these materials may pose a significant risk leading to impaired lung function following environmental and occupational exposures.
多壁碳纳米管 (MWCNTs) 由于其独特的物理和化学性质，在许多学科中得到了广泛的应用。因此，人们对制造的 MWCNTs 可能对人类健康和环境造成的影响表示担忧。我们假设，由于肺部炎症和纤维化的发展，MWCNTs 的吸入会损害 C57BL/6 小鼠的肺功能。
通过口咽吸入法（1、2 和 4mg/kg）将 MWCNTs 给予 C57BL/6 小鼠，并通过炎症细胞浸润、胶原蛋白含量和组织学评估来评估肺炎症和纤维化。使用 FlexiVent 系统评估肺功能，并通过 RT-PCR 和 ELISA 测量 Ccl3、Ccl11、Mmp13 和 IL-33 的水平。
给予 MWCNTs 的小鼠表现出肺部炎症细胞浸润、胶原蛋白沉积和肉芽肿形成增加，这与肺功能受损有关，表现为阻力增加、组织阻尼增加和肺顺应性降低。MWCNTs 对肺部的暴露诱导了一种炎症特征，表现为细胞因子 (IL-33)、趋化因子 (Ccl3 和 Ccl11) 和蛋白酶 (Mmp13) 的产生，促进了肺部观察到的炎症和纤维化变化。
这些结果进一步强调了 MWCNT 暴露可能导致的潜在健康影响，因此我们建议这些材料可能在环境和职业暴露后导致肺功能受损，从而构成重大风险。
