title: Toxicological assessment of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in vitro: potential mitochondria effects on male reproductive cells.
abstract: Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been widely used in many fields and were reported to cause reversible testis damage in mice at high-dose. However the reproductive effects of low dose MWCNTs remained elusive. Herein, we used the mice spermatocyte cell line (GC-2spd) to assess the reproductive effects of MWCNTs. Size distribution, zeta potential, and intensity of MWCNTs were characterized. A maximal concentration of 0.5 μg/mL MWCNTs was found to be nonlethal to GC-2spd. At this dose, cell cycles and the ROS levels were in normal status. We also found MWCNTs accumulated in mitochondria, which caused potential mitochondrial DNA damage in spermatocyte. Furthermore, the expression level of mitochondria-related genes, the oxygen consumption rate, and cellular ATP content were declined compared to controls, even at the nonlethal dose. Our results suggested for the first time that, in germ cells, mitochondrion was a cellular organelle that accumulated MWCNTs.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.|Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.|Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.|Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.|Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Chunlan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.|Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Wentao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.|Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Aihua
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D004249:DNA Damage; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000633:toxicity*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate
keywords: Pathology Section; in vitro; male reproduction; mitochondria; multiwalled carbon nanotubes; spermatocyte