Fullerene (C60) Is Negative in the In Vivo Pig-A Gene Mutation Assay

[摘要] References(16)Cited-By(5)Carbon nanoparticles, such as carbon nanotubes and fullerene (C60), are potential candidates as leading substances in nanotechnological fields, but little is known about their safety. Here we examined in vivo genotoxicity of C60, by performing the Pig-A gene mutation assay in the peripheral blood of male C57BL/6Cr mice. Mice were given single intraperitoneal injection of 3 mg of C60 particles in 0.5 mL suspension containing 0.1%-Tween80-saline. As a positive control for the Pig-A gene mutation assay, mice were given a single oral administration of N-nitroso-N-ethylurea. At 2 and 8 weeks after treatments, we analyzed CD24-negative and -positive red blood cells in peripheral blood and calculated Pig-A mutant frequencies. As a result, we detected no significant differences in the mutant frequencies between C60 treated and non-treated mice, indicating that C60 is negative for genotoxicity in vivo in the limited target tissues assessed in this study. For the full assessment, we need comprehensive whole body survey on the genotoxicity of C60.

[学科分类] 分子生物学，细胞生物学和基因

[关键词] carbon nanoparticle;in vivo genotoxicity;Pig-A gene mutation assay;fullerene