Synthesis and Toxicity of Graphene Oxide Nanoparticles: A Literature Review of In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

Table 1

In vitro cytotoxicity of GO.

Dose of GO (μg/mL)	Cell line	Diameter (nm)	Time (h)	Toxic effect	Reference
3.125-200	Human erythrocytes; Human skin fibroblasts CRL-2522	342-765	24	Hemolytic activity, ROS generation, LDH release, decreased cell viability	[86]
5-100	Human fibroblast cells	1 (height)	24	Dose-dependent cytotoxicity, apoptosis	[79]
50–100	Mouse CT26 colon carcinoma cell	Thickness: <2; Lateral size: 450	18	Triggered autophagy, enhances cell death	[96]
100-500	MDA-MB-231	156.4	48	Dose-dependent cytotoxicity; DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis	[77]
0–80	HeLa cells	Size distribution: in PBS, in FBS	24	Released LDH, increased MDA and ROS generation, decreased SOD, reduction of cell viability	[97]
20	Macrophage cell J774A.1; THP-1 cells; HEK293 cells; MEL cells; HUT102 cells	Smaller-sized GO: 50-350; Intermediate-sized GO: 350-750; Larger-sized GO: 750-1300	1-24	Size-dependent M1 induction of macrophages, proinflammatory responses	[98]
10-200	Human lung epithelial A549 cells	Thickness of 0.9; Lateral size: s-GO,; m-GO,; l-GO,	24	Dose-dependent oxidative stress, cell viability decreased at high concentration	[80]
7.8, 15.6, 31.2, 62.5, and 125	MCF-7, HUVEC, KMBC/71 cells	100	4-24 h	Significant alterations in the expression level of miR-21, miR-29a, Bax, Bcl2, and PTEN genes after treatment in all three cells; Alteration in mitochondrial activity at cellular level	[99]
50	Embryonic stem cell- (ESC-) derived cells	Thickness 1.3	24 h	No significant difference between the level of apoptosis of GO-treated hRPE cells and untreated hRPE controls	[100]