Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters
Published on: July 12, 2024
Identification of systemic markers from a pulmonary carbon nanotube exposure
Aaron Erdely1, Angie Liston, Rebecca Salmen-Muniz
1Toxicology and Molecular Biology Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA. efi4@cdc.gov
Objective:
Interest exists for early monitoring of worker exposure to engineered nanomaterials. Here, we highlight quantitative systemic markers of early effects after carbon nanotube (CNT) exposure.
Methods:
Mice were exposed by pharyngeal aspiration to 40-μg CNT and harvested 24 hours, 7 days, and 28 days postexposure for measurements of whole blood, lung and extrapulmonary tissue gene expression, blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) differentials, and serum protein profiling.
Results:
Early effects included increased inflammatory blood gene expression and serum cytokines followed by an acute phase response (eg, CRP, SAA-1, SAP). Beyond 24 hours, there was a consistent increase in blood and BAL eosinophils. At 28 day, serum acute phase proteins with immune function including complement C3, apolipoproteins A-I and A-II, and α₂-macroglobulin were increased.
Conclusions:
Carbon nanotube exposure resulted in measurable systemic markers but lacked specificity to distinguish from other pulmonary exposures.
