Dose-Related Alterations of Carbon Nanoparticles in Mammalian Cells Detected Using Biospectroscopy: Potential for Real-World Effects

Abstract

Nanotechnologies generate a wide range of engineered nanomaterials that enter into our ecosystem, especially carbon-based nanoparticles (CNPs). As these novel materials acquire ever increasing numbers of applications, they may pose a risk to organisms, including humans. However, our knowledge of nanoparticle-induced effects remains limited. We are yet to understand the interaction between nanoparticles and organisms, and classical toxicology fails to provide models for risk assessment. Biospectroscopy techniques were employed to identify the effects induced by real-world levels of a panel of CNPs. MCF-7 cells concentrated in S-phase or G0/G1-phase were treated for 24 h with short or long multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) or Fullerene (C60) at the following concentrations: 0.0025 mg/L, 0.005 mg/L, 0.01 mg/L, 0.025 mg/L, 0.05 mg/L, and 0.1 mg/L. Attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy coupled with computational analysis was then applied to interrogate the cells and significant dose-related effects were detected. From derived infrared spectra, distinct spectral biomarkers of cell alteration induced by each CNP type were identified. Additionally, Raman spectroscopy was applied and allowed us to determine that reactive oxygen species (ROS) were generated by CNPs. These observations highlight the potential of biospectroscopy techniques to determine CNP-induced alterations in target mammalian cells at ppb levels.

Mid-infrared spectroscopic assessment of nanotoxicity in Gram-negative vs. Gram-positive bacteria

“…45 This study has shown that CBNs induced a profile of alterations in vanbaalenii, carbohydrate was the potential marker. In both bacteria, the nanoparticles induced a similar ranking of alteration extent with C 60 causing the most significant differences.…”

Vibrational spectroscopy of biofluids for disease screening or diagnosis: translation from the laboratory to a clinical setting

“…The sensitivity of vibrational spectroscopy, especially ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, to identify low-level effects [104,105] that may lead to transformation (a precursor of malignancy) [106] has been demonstrated. Not only do computational algorithms allow one to classify according to cell type (or phenotype; also applicable to biofluids), but they also allow one to extract discriminating features that may give rise to a new concept of spectral biomarkers.…”

Fingerprinting microbiomes towards screening for microbial antibiotic resistance

“…Detailed information of the most widely used peak frequencies and their assignments refers to the reviews of IR spectroscopy 108 , Raman spectroscopy 52,87 , and ratios (X cm -1 /Y cm -1 ) 109 . These peaks with remarkable alterations are determined as discriminating biomarkers for diagnosis of changes resulted by specific exposures in many studies 69,87,104,105,108,110 . However, no biospectroscopy-relevant study has yet been found associated with biomarkers for antibiotic 13 resistance of microbiomes.…”