Free radical scavenging and formation by multi-walled carbon nanotubes in cell free conditions and in human bronchial epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND: Certain multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been shown to elicit asbestos-like toxicological effects. To reduce needs for risk assessment it has been suggested that the physicochemical characteristics or reactivity of nanomaterials could be used to predict their hazard. Fibre-shape and ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important indicators of high hazard materials. Asbestos is a known ROS generator, while MWCNTs may either produce or scavenge ROS. However, certain biomolecules, such as albumin - used as dispersants in nanomaterial preparation for toxicological testing in vivo and in vitro - may reduce the surface reactivity of nanomaterials. METHODS: Here, we investigated the effect of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and cell culture medium with and without BEAS 2B cells on radical formation/scavenging by five MWCNTs, Printex 90 carbon black, crocidolite asbestos, and glass wool, using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy and linked this to cytotoxic effects measured by trypan blue exclusion assay. In addition, the materials were characterized in the exposure medium (e.g. for hydrodynamic size-distribution and sedimentation rate). RESULTS: The test materials induced highly variable cytotoxic effects which could generally be related to the abundance and characteristics of agglomerates/aggregates and to the rate of sedimentation. All carbon nanomaterials were found to scavenge hydroxyl radicals (•OH) in at least one of the solutions tested. The effect of BSA was different among the materials. Two types of long, needle-like MWCNTs (average diameter >74 and 64.2 nm, average length 5.7 and 4.0 µm, respectively) induced, in addition to a scavenging effect, a dose-dependent formation of a unique, yet unidentified radical in both absence and presence of cells, which also coincided with cytotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Culture medium and BSA affects scavenging/production of •OH by MWCNTs, Printex 90 carbon black, asbestos and glass-wool. An unidentified radical is generated by two long, needle-like MWCNTs and these two CNTs were more cytotoxic than the other CNTs tested, suggesting that this radical could be related to the adverse effects of MWCNTs.

Interaction of biologically relevant proteins with ZnO nanomaterials: A confounding factor for in vitro toxicity endpoints.

The results of in vitro toxicological studies for manufactured nanomaterials (MNs) are often contradictory and not reproducible. Interference of the MNs with assays has been suggested. However, understanding for which materials and how these artefacts occur remains a major challenge. This study investigated interactions between two well-characterized ZnO MNs (NM-110 and NM-111) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and two interleukins (IL-6 and IL-8). Particles (10 to 640 µg/mL) and proteins were incubated for up to 24 h in routine in vitro assays test conditions. LDH activity (ODLDH), but not interleukins concentrations, decreased sharply in a dose-dependent manner within an hour after exposure (ODLDH < 60% of ODref for both MNs at 10 µg/mL). A Freundlich adsorption isotherm was successfully applied, indicating multilayer adsorption of LDH. ZnO MNs and LDH had neutral to slightly negative surface charges in dispersion, precluding electrostatic attachment. Particle sedimentation was not a limiting factor. Fast dissolution of ZnO MNs was shown and Zn2+ could play a role in the ODLDH drop. To summarize, ZnO MNs quickly reduced ODLDH due to concentration-dependent adsorption and LDH inhibition by interaction with dissolved Zn. The control of particle interference in toxicological in vitro assays should become mandatory to avoid misleading interpretation of results.

Data supporting the investigation of interaction of biologically relevant proteins with ZnO nanomaterials: A confounding factor for in vitro toxicity endpoints.

Test materials, like manufactured nanomaterials (MN), may interact with serum proteins, interleukins (IL) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and cause measurement artefacts as a result of e.g., physical adsorption and electrostatic forces, and/or interaction with dissolved species or conditional chemical changes during testing. In this article, data are given on the zeta-potentials of two manufactured ZnO nanomaterials (NM-110 and NM-111) dispersed in 0.05% w/v Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) water batch dispersions and in Ham's F12 nutrient mixture added Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS), penicillin, and streptomycin and particle free mediums (cHam's F12). Data on the Zeta-potential and the iso-electrical point of lactate hydrogenase in pure Ham's F12 nutrient mixture is also provided. The percentage of added IL-6, IL-8 and LDH remaining after 24-h incubation in cHam's F12 are given as function of MN concentrations. Finally data from thermodynamic chemical reaction modeling of changes in pH and Zn-speciation during dissolution of ZnO or dissolved ZnCl2 additions to Ham's F12 using Geochemist Workbench® are given. For further information, data interpretation and discussion please refer to the research article "Interaction of biologically relevant proteins with ZnO nanomaterials: a confounding factor for in vitro toxicity endpoints" (E. Da Silva et al. 2019).