Biosafety assessment of P103 stabilized graphene oxide nanosheets

Abstract Biomedical applications of graphene demand a careful scrutiny of its safety profile. In the present study, we reveal the effect of micelle adsorption on minimizing the toxicity of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets. A single dose of sheets (100 μg) was intravenously administered to healthy rats (average weight – 220 g) and changes in hematological and biochemical parameters were recorded until 4 weeks. Cells (erythrocytes and SKBR3) incubated with bare sheets exhibited marked changes at the membrane surface. Histological examination of liver, spleen, lung and kidney showed the symptoms of injury which coincided with biochemical analyses. On the other hand, P103-stabilized sheets displayed high biocompatibility except slight cellular infiltration in spleen. No traces of sheets were detected in the histological section of isolated organs. Our observations on superior biosafety of stabilized sheets lead to two important interpretations; (a) adsorbed P103 micelles minimized the membrane damage resulting from sharp edges, and (b) quick organ clearance of physiologically stable dispersion subdued the insults expected from prolonged retention.