Aim: This study was designed to investigate the cytotoxicity of multiwalled carbon nanotube buckypaper (BP) in stimulated human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Materials & methods & results: BP treatment led to a delay in the cell growth, as proven by a minor increase in the cell number over time relative to that seen in untreated cells, assessed by trypan blue, resazurin and neutral red assays. The analysis of cell-cycle profile, by propidium iodide staining, indicated that BP treatment blocked cell-cycle progression by arresting cells at the G0/G1 phase. Moreover, increased apoptosis was also recorded by Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide staining.
Conclusion: The results presented here demonstrate an inhibitor effect of BP on cell growth that was likely through cytostatic and cytotoxic events.
Keywords: apoptosis; biocompatibility; cell-cycle arrest; human peripheral blood lymphocyte; multiwalled carbon nanotube buckypaper.