Nanoscale graphene oxide (NGO) has emerged as extremely attractive nanomaterials for diagnostics and therapeutics. In this work, we present a systematic study on the in vivo distribution and pulmonary toxicity of NGO for up to 3 months after exposure. Radioisotope tracing and morphological observation demonstrated that intratracheally instilled NGO was mainly retained in the lung. NGO could result in acute lung injury (ALI) and chronic pulmonary fibrosis, which raises environmental concerns about the large-scale production of graphene oxide. Nevertheless, we also noted that the NGO-induced ALI was related to oxidative stress and could effectively be relieved with dexamethasone treatment.
- Bo Li
- Jianzhong Yang
- Chunhai Fan