Cytotoxic Effects of Short Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes on Pancreatic Cancer Cells

摘要

Although carbon nanotubes(CNTs)are increasingly exploited in diverse industrial and biomedical applications,their health hazard to humans is poorly understood.We have developed many cell models in vitro to systematically study the putative cytotoxicity of nanomaterials,including CNTs,on many cell types.Because pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer with poor prognosis and current treatments are ineffective,new and/or improved treatments are urgently needed.Since CNTs'putative cytotoxic effects on pancreatic cancer cells are unknown,we examined the effects of functionalized(carboxylated(SMWCNTCOOH))and non-functionalized SMWCNTs on PANC-1 pancreatic cells.Exposure of PANC-1 cells to SMWCNTs-COOH and SMWCNTs induced dose-and time-related decreases in their survival,the non-functionalized SMWCNTs being more cytotoxic.The non-functionalized SMWCNTs exerted more apoptotic and metabolic effects on these cells than the SMWCNT-COOH.Thus,our findings may have pathophysiological implications in the biocompatibility and health hazard of CNTs.Furthermore,they suggest the cytotoxic effects of CNTs could be productively exploited in designing new drug delivery systems to treat this deadly cancer.