The harmful effects of ultrafine particles (UFPs) in the atmosphere have caused widespread concern. Ultrafine carbon black (UFCB) is an important component of UFPs. In this study, we explored the impact of UFCB on the structure, the antioxidant defense system, and the ATPase activity of human red blood cells (hRBCs). It was found that UFCB decreased the activity of SOD (73.58%), CAT (89.79%), and GSH-Px (81.02%), leading to oxidative stress in hRBCs. UFCB had no destructive effect on the structure of hRBCs in 4 hours. ATPase activity increased (119.34%) and UFCB had weakly stimulated the cell membrane. On the molecular level, spectroscopic experiments showed that bovine hemoglobin (BHb) can bind to the UFCB by electrostatic force, leading to the shrinking of the BHb skeleton and increase in microenvironment polarity. This study demonstrates the negative hematological effect of UFCB on hemoglobin and hRBCs and reveals the potential risks in animals and humans.
Keywords: BHb; UFCB; hRBCs; oxidative stress; spectroscopy.
© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.