EVALUATION OF THE POTENTIAL NEUROACTIVITY IN THE BRAIN NERVE TERMINALS OF THE C60 FULLERENE PLANETARY DUST COMPONENT

Abstract

A study of the infrared spectrum of the environment of the planetary nebula Tc 1 revealed the radiation of cold and neutral fullerenes C60 and C70. The results of the analysis of infrared spectra obtained using the Hubble space telescope conclusively proved the existence of C60+ fullerene in the interstellar medium. These large carbon-containing molecules can form and exist in the interstellar medium and are candidates to explain many diffuse interstellar absorption bands. In this study, the potential neuroactivity of the C60 fullerene as a planetary dust component was assessed in the isolated rat brain nerve terminals. It was shown that C60 fullerene in the unirradiated state at concentrations of 0.05—0.25 mg/ml did not change the extracellular levels of excitatory neurotransmitter L-[ 14C]glutamate and inhibitory neurotransmitter [ 3H]GABA in the preparations of rat brain nerve terminals. An increase in fullerene C60 concentrations up to 0.5 and 1.00 mg/ml was accompanied by an increase in the extracellular levels of L-[ 14C]glutamate and [3 H]GABA in the preparations of nerve terminals. Therefore, fullerene C60 did not cause signs of acute neurotoxicity in the brain nerve terminals within the concentration range of 0.05—0.25 mg/ml. However, given that C60 undergoes photooxidation, it can be expected that it may acquire neurotoxic properties in situ.