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Toxicity of multi-wall carbon nanotubes inhalation on the brain of rats

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A Correction to this article was published on 16 June 2020

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Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the brain toxicity following the respiratory contact with multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in male Wistar rats. Rats were exposed to 5 mg/m3 MWCNT aerosol in different sizes and purities for 5 h/day, 5 days/week for 2 weeks in a whole-body exposure chamber. After 2-week exposure, mitochondrial isolation was performed from different parts of rat brain (hippocampus, frontal cortex, and cerebellum) and parameters of mitochondrial toxicity including mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) collapse, mitochondrial swelling, and cytochrome c release, ATP level, mitochondrial GSH, and lipid peroxidation were evaluated. Our results demonstrated that MWCNTs with different characteristics, in size and purity, significantly (P < 0.05) decreased SDH activity, GSH, and ATP level, and increased mitochondrial ROS production, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial swelling, MMP collapse, and cytochrome c release in the brain mitochondria. In conclusion, we suggested that MWCNTs with different characteristics, in size and purity, induce damage in varying degrees on the mitochondrial respiratory chain and increase mitochondrial ROS formation in different parts of rat brain (hippocampus, frontal cortex, and cerebellum).

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  • 16 June 2020

    This research was financially supported by National Institute for Medical Research Development (NIMAD).

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Funding

This paper was financially supported by Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 14155-6153, Tehran, Iran

    Fatemeh Samiei, Farshad Hosseini Shirazi, Parvaneh Naserzadeh, Faezeh Dousti & Jalal Pourahmad

  2. Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Farshad Hosseini Shirazi

  3. Department of Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, School of Health, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

    Enayatollah Seydi

  4. Research Center for Health, Safety and Environment, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

    Enayatollah Seydi

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  1. Fatemeh Samiei
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  2. Farshad Hosseini Shirazi
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  3. Parvaneh Naserzadeh
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  4. Faezeh Dousti
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  5. Enayatollah Seydi
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  6. Jalal Pourahmad
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Correspondence to Enayatollah Seydi or Jalal Pourahmad.

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Samiei, F., Shirazi, F.H., Naserzadeh, P. et al. Toxicity of multi-wall carbon nanotubes inhalation on the brain of rats. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 12096–12111 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-07740-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-07740-5

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