Maternal exposure to multi-wall carbon nanotubes does not induce embryo-fetal developmental toxicity in rats.
BACKGROUND
Although the potential risk of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to humans has recently increased due to expanding production and widespread use, the potential adverse effects of CNTs on embryo-fetal development have not yet been determined.


METHODS
This study investigated the potential effects of multi-wall CNTs (MWCNTs) on pregnant dams and embryo-fetal development in rats. MWCNTs were administered to pregnant rats by gavage at 0, 40, 200, and 1,000 mg/kg/day. All dams were subjected to Cesarean section on day 20 of gestation, and the fetuses were examined for any morphological abnormalities.


RESULTS
All animals survived to the end of the study. A decrease in thymus weight was observed in the high dose group in a dose-dependent manner. However, maternal body weight, food consumption, and oxidant-antioxidant balance in the liver were not affected by treatment with MWCNTs. No treatment-related differences in gestation index, fetal deaths, fetal and placental weights, or sex ratio were observed between the groups. Morphological examinations of the fetuses demonstrated no significant difference in incidences of abnormalities between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The results show that repeated oral doses of MWCNTs during pregnancy induces minimal maternal toxicity and no embryo-fetal toxicity at 1,000 mg/kg/day in rats. The no-observed-adverse-effect level of MWCNTs is considered to be 200 mg/kg/day for dams and 1,000 mg/kg/day for embryo-fetal development. In this study, the dosing formulation was not analyzed to determine the degree of reaggregation (or not), nor were blood levels of CNT's measured in the dosed animals to verify or characterize absorption.
College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
Jeong-Hyeon
JH
Lim
Sung-Hwan
SH
Kim
In-Sik
IS
Shin
Na-Hyeong
NH
Park
Changjong
C
Moon
Seong-Soo
SS
Kang
Sung-Ho
SH
Kim
Seung-Chun
SC
Park
Jong-Choon
JC
Kim
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000187:drug effects; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000633:toxicity*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018675:Toxicity Tests
D000975:Antioxidants; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D005978:Glutathione