| Abstract
| - A cytotoxicity test protocol for single-wall nanotubes(SWNTs), multi-wall nanotubes (with diameters rangingfrom 10 to 20 nm, MWNT10), and fullerene (C60) was tested.Profound cytotoxicity of SWNTs was observed in alveolarmacrophage (AM) after a 6-h exposure in vitro. Thecytotoxicity increases by as high as ∼35% when the dosageof SWNTs was increased by 11.30 μg/cm2. No significanttoxicity was observed for C60 up to a dose of 226.00μg/cm2. The cytotoxicity apparently follows a sequenceorder on a mass basis: SWNTs > MWNT10 > quartz >C60. SWNTs significantly impaired phagocytosis of AM at thelow dose of 0.38 μg/cm2, whereas MWNT10 and C60induced injury only at the high dose of 3.06 μg/cm2. Themacrophages exposed to SWNTs or MWNT10 of 3.06μg/cm2 showed characteristic features of necrosis anddegeneration. A sign of apoptotic cell death likely existed.Carbon nanomaterials with different geometric structuresexhibit quite different cytotoxicity and bioactivity in vitro,although they may not be accurately reflected in thecomparative toxicity in vivo.
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