title: [Study of C-ZnO composite nanoparticles on viability inhibition and DNA damage of mouse embryo fibroblasts].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the cytotoxicity and DNA damage induced by C-ZnO composite nanoparticles in Mouse embryo fibroblasts(MEF) cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  MEF cells were treated with the suspension of carbon nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles and composite nanoparticles at the concentrations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 microg/ml. Cellular morphology and MTT assay were carried out to evaluate the viability of cells treated with particles for 24 h, 48 h and 72h respectively. Single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE, comet assay) was performed to assess DNA damage induced by nanoparticles at the doses of 5 microg x ml(-1) and 10 microg x ml(-1).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three types of nanoparticles could induce morphologic change and viability inhibition with significant logarithmic time-effect and dose-effect relationship. Median lethal concentrations (IC50) of carbon nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles and composite nanoparticles were 21.85, 21.94 and 461.10 mcirog/ml respectively. The inhibitory effect on cellular viability of Zinc oxide nanoparticles increased significantly with the dose enhances. The most DNA damage was induced by composite nanoparticles at lower concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nanoparticles with different chemical composition induced distinct cytotoxicity and DNA damage in MEF cells. The metal content of composite nanoparticles played an important role in the toxic effect.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Science, Tianjin 300050, China. yanghui813@126.com
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Danfeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Huashan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002244:Carbon / Q000633:toxicity*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004249:DNA Damage; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry*; D053758:Nanoparticles; D010316:Particle Size; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon; D015034:Zinc Oxide