The Differential Cytotoxicity of Water-Soluble Fullerenes

Abstract

We show that the cytotoxicity of water-soluble fullerene species is a sensitive function of surface derivatization; in two different human cell lines, the lethal dose of fullerene changed over 7 orders of magnitude with relatively minor alterations in fullerene structure. In particular, an aggregated form of C60, the least derivatized of the four materials, was substantially more toxic than highly soluble derivatives such as C3, Na+ 2 - 3[C60O7 - 9(OH)12 - 15](2-3)-, and C60(OH)24. Oxidative damage to the cell membranes was observed in all cases where fullerene exposure led to cell death. We show that under ambient conditions in water fullerenes can generate superoxide anions and postulate that these oxygen radicals are responsible for membrane damage and subsequent cell death. This work demonstrates both a strategy for enhancing the toxicity of fullerenes for certain applications such as cancer therapeutics or bactericides, as well as a remediation for the possible unwarranted biological effects of pristine fullerenes.

Behavioral and Physiological Changes inDaphnia magnawhen Exposed to Nanoparticle Suspensions (Titanium Dioxide, Nano-C60, and C60HxC70Hx)

“…This is especially noticeable from the ability of the Daphnia to recovery to pre-exposure behavior levels when exposed to C 60 HxC 70 Hx but not the suspension of nano-C 60 . Sayes et al (2004) and Chen et al (2006) showed that cytotoxicity of nanoparticles is affected by addition of functional groups. Furthermore, functional groups and sites of attachments determine the effectiveness of antifouling agents against barnacle settlement (39).…”

Phototoxicity and cytotoxicity of fullerol in human lens epithelial cells

“…Although the water-soluble fullerenes are not genotoxic (Zakharenko et al, 1997) they are retained in the body for long periods, raising concerns about chronic toxic effects (Yamago et al, 1995). Fullerol and other water soluble hydroxylated fullerenes have been found to be cytotoxic to human dermal fibroblasts, human liver carcinoma cells (HepG2) and neuronal human astrocytes (Sayes et al, 2004;Sayes et al, 2005).…”

Pristine (C60) and Hydroxylated [C60(OH)24] Fullerene Phototoxicity towards HaCaT Keratinocytes: Type I vs Type II Mechanisms

“…Buckministerfullerenes (fullerenes) are a class of carbon nanomaterials with biomedical, electronic, and semiconductor applications (1)(2)(3)(4). The potential environmental and health effects of fullerenes have attracted increasing attention in recent years (5)(6)(7)(8), especially with the development of water-soluble forms that facilitate their use in biological systems (3,9).…”