Effects of carbon nanotubes studied on pregnant mothers

Iranian researchers from Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, in association with researchers from Veterinary Medicine, Razi University of Kermanshah, studied the effects of the use of carbon nanotubes on pregnant mothers. The researchers realized that the use of carbon nanotubes during the pregnancy did not cause permanent malfunction in reproduction indices, however it increased anxiety and depression in the pups. Although carbon nanotubes have numerous applications in various industries, including as new drug carriers in medical sciences, their effects on the body have not been discovered yet. Therefore, this research studies probable side effects caused by the entrance of the nanomaterials into the body of the pregnant mothers, neurobehavioral endpoints in the pups, and the effects of the nanomaterials on reproduction indices. The aim of the research was to present a new approach to the consequences of the use of such materials for the next generations. Results of the research showed that exposure to carbon nanotubes during pregnancy did not cause any permanent malfunction in the reproduction indices. However, the observation of some neurobehavioral endpoints caused by the delay related to the dosage of the nanomaterials can be considered a warning to pregnant women and mothers who breastfeed their babies. Moreover, babies that are born to mothers who have been exposed to carbon nanotubes are more depressed and anxious. In the hand, the weight of internal organs of the babies decrease as time passes by. The reductive trend is a sign of the toxicity of carbon nanotubes. The research was carried out on female mice. In this research, various concentrations of multi-walled carbon nanotubes were prepared in phosphate buffer solution, and were injected into each mouse in two steps. A number of the mice received only phosphate buffer solution as the control group. Results of the research have been published in details in The Journal of Toxicological Sciences, vol. 39, issue 6, October 2012, pp. 1191-1205.