title: Polyethylene glycol-coated graphene oxide attenuates antigen-specific IgE production and enhanced antigen-induced T-cell reactivity in ovalbumin-sensitized BALB/c mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising nanomaterial for potential application in the versatile field of biomedicine. Graphene-based nanomaterials have been reported to modulate the functionality of immune cells in culture and to induce pulmonary inflammation in mice. Evidence pertaining to the interaction between graphene-based nanomaterials and the immune system in vivo remains scarce. The present study investigated the effect of polyethylene glycol-coated GO (PEG-GO) on antigen-specific immunity in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  BALB/c mice were intravenously administered with a single dose of PEG-GO (0.5 or 1 mg/kg) 1 hour before ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization, and antigen-specific antibody production and splenocyte reactivity were measured 7 days later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure to PEG-GO significantly attenuated the serum level of OVA-specific immunoglobulin E. The production of interferon-γ and interleukin-4 by splenocytes restimulated with OVA in culture was enhanced by treatment with PEG-GO. In addition, PEG-GO augmented the metabolic activity of splenocytes restimulated with OVA but not with the T-cell mitogen concanavalin A.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Collectively, these results demonstrate that systemic exposure to PEG-GO modulates several aspects of antigen-specific immune responses, including the serum production of immunoglobulin E and T-cell functionality.
authors.affiliation: Department and Graduate Institute of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsin-Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Animal Molecular Imaging Center and Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kun-Ju
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department and Graduate Institute of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ping-Yen
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hong-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chen-Chi M
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Jen
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department and Graduate Institute of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tong-Rong
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Jan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D006108:Graphite; D010047:Ovalbumin
keywords: T-cell; antigen-specific; graphene oxide; immune; ovalbumin