Vasoactive effects of stable aqueous suspensions of single walled carbon nanotubes in hamsters and mice. Issue 8 (December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frame, Mary D; Dewar, Anthony M; Mullick Chowdhury, Sayan; Sitharaman, Balaji
• Is Part Of: Nanotoxicology. Volume 8:Issue 8(2014:Dec.)
• Page Start: 867
• Page End: 875
• Publication Date: 2014-12
• Subjects: Toxicology -- Periodicals; 615.9
• DOI: 10.3109/17435390.2013.837209
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1743-5390

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Single-walled carbon nanotubes synthesized with iron (Fe-SWCNT) or gadolinium (Gd-SWCNT) show promise as high performance multimodal contrast and drug-delivery agents. Our purpose was to evaluate potential vasoactive effects of SWCNT. Stable aqueous solutions of Fe-SWCNTs or Gd-SWCNTs were made using the biocompatible amphiphilic polymer N-(carbonyl-methoxypolyethyleneglycol 2000)-1, 2-distearoylsn-glycero-3- phosphoethanolamine (PEG-DSPE). Both aggregated and non-aggregated (sonicated) formulations were tested. The initial vasoactivity of the formulations and their potential for inducing pro-inflammatory endothelial dysfunction were investigated in the hamster cheek pouch and murine cremaster muscle intravital microscopy models. These models provide an assay to test several formulations/dosages in a paired fashion. Abluminal exposure to small arterioles exposes both endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells. Using abluminal exposures of dosages that would approximate the first pass of an <italic>i.v.</italic> bolus injection, both Fe-SWCNTs and Gd-SWCNTs were immediately vasoactive. Aggregated formulations induced dilation and non-aggregated formulations induced constriction in both hamsters and mice. Endothelial dysfunction was evident after exposure to either aggregated or non-aggregated forms. General loss of dilator capability was seen after exposure to non-aggregated but not aggregated forms. Thus concentrations mimicking bolus dosing of PEG-DSPE coated SWCNT induce both acute and chronic vascular responses.</p> </abstract>