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Toxicogenomic comparison of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and asbestos

  • Inorganic Compounds
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Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have specific properties, including electrical and thermal conductivity, great strength, and rigidity, that allow them to be used in many fields. However, this increasing contact with humans and the environment is also raising health and safety concerns. Thus, research on the safety of CNTs has attracted much interest, including a comparison of the toxic effects of asbestos and carbon nanotubes, due to their physical similarity of a high aspect ratio (length/diameter). Nonetheless, there has not yet been a toxicogenomic comparison. Therefore, to examine toxicogenomic effects, the 50% growth inhibition (GI50) concentration was determined for multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and asbestos (crocidolite) and found to be approximately 0.0135 and 0.066%, respectively, in the case of 24-h treatment of normal human bronchial epithelia (NHBE) cells. Using these GI50 concentrations, NHBE cells were then treated with MWCNTs and asbestos for 6 and 24 h, followed by a DNA microarray analysis. Among 31,647 genes, 1,201 and 1,252 were up-regulated by both asbestos and MWCNTs after 6 and 24 h of exposure, respectively. Meanwhile, 1,977 and 1,542 genes were down-regulated by both asbestos and MWNCTs after 6 and 24 h of exposure, respectively. In particular, the asbestos and MWCNTs both induced an over twofold up- and down-regulated expression of 12 mesothelioma-related genes and 22 lung cancer-related genes when compared with the negative control. Plus, the genes induced by the MWCNT exposure were expressed in the brain, lungs, epithelium, liver, and colon.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Nano R&D program through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2010-0019156).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Korea Conformity Laboratories, Incheon, Korea

    Jin Sik Kim, Kyung Seuk Song & Jin Kyu Lee

  2. Hanwha Nanotech, Incheon, Korea

    Young C. Choi

  3. Department of Biological Science and the Research Institute for Basic Sciences, Hoseo University, Asan, Korea

    In Seok Bang

  4. Toxicological Research Center, Hoseo University, 165 Sechul-ri, Baebang-myun, Asan, 336-795, Korea

    Chang Soo Kang & Il Je Yu

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  1. Jin Sik Kim
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Correspondence to Il Je Yu.

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Kim, J.S., Song, K.S., Lee, J.K. et al. Toxicogenomic comparison of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and asbestos. Arch Toxicol 86, 553–562 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-011-0770-6

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