Effect of surface modified reduced graphene oxide nanoparticles on cerebellar granule neurons

Abstract

Graphene has been the cornerstone material in various disciplines owing to its captivating properties. But graphene also exerts some toxic effects apart from its extraordinary characteristics. Various surface functionalizations on graphene are developed in order to overcome the toxicity. In this background, pluronics functionalization of reduced graphene oxide was done as an effort to modify its colloidal stability. Effect of pluronics functionalized reduced graphene oxide (rGO-P) on cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) was examined to infer on its neurotoxic potential. Male Wister rats were exposed to rGO-P and were analyzed for acute toxicity and toxicokinetic studies. Immunotoxicity was performed on rGO-P exposed female rats on the 7th day of gestation by tritiated thymidine incorporation assay. CGNs were also isolated from rat newborns born to female rats dams exposed with rGO-P and examined for any subsequent toxic reactions. The findings suggest that CGNs isolated from rat newborns pups born to particle exposed female rats dams showed normal cell yield and morphology. Findings from toxicokinetic studies using confocal Raman mapping revealed that rGO-P has got cleared off from the blood within 21 days. Overall results validate rGO-P as safe for in vivo systems. Hence rGO-P can be fine-tuned to serve the purpose of neurobiological applications promisingly for neuroregeneration.