This study had investigated the possible toxicity of graphene oxide and its mechanisms on multiple myeloma cells (RPMI 8226 cells) using flow cytometry and a multifunctional microplate reader. RPMI 8226 cells were cultured with various concentrations of graphene oxide, then cell viability, malondialdehyde, glutathione and apoptosis were measured. We found that graphene oxide dose-dependently reduced the viability of human multiple myeloma RPMI 8226 cells. We also found that the intracellular levels of malondialdehyde increased, whereas the levels of glutathione decreased dose-dependently. There was no obvious change in the cell apoptosis rate compared with the control group. In summary, graphene oxide is dose-dependently cytotoxic to cultured RPMI 8226 cells, and its toxicity is closely associated with increased oxidative stress.
Keywords: Graphene oxide; RPMI 8226 cells; cytotoxicity; oxidative stress.