Poly-dispersed-acid-functionalized-single-walled carbon nanotubes(AF-SWCNTs) are potent inhibitor of BCG induced inflammatory response in macrophage cell lines

Present study is focussed on the modulation of Mycobacterium bovis BCG induced inflammatory response by poly-dispersed acid-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (AF-SWCNTs) in macrophages. Flow cytometric and confocal microscopy studies indicated that both BCG and AF-SWCNTs were efficiently internalized by RAW 264.7 and MH-S macrophage cell lines and were essentially localized in the cytoplasmic area. The results indicated strong antioxidant activity of AF-SWCNTs in mitigating BCG induced oxidative and nitrosative stress. We also found a marked decline in expression of BCG induced pro-inflammatory genes like COX-2, iNOS, TNF-, IL-6 and IL-1{beta} on treatment with AF-SWCNTs at transcriptional level. Decline in expression of BCG induced COX-2 by AF-SWCNTs was also confirmed at protein level using Western blotting. Anti-inflammatory activity of AF-SWCNTs was further validated by our results showing that AF-SWCNTs treatment induced a precipitous decline in BCG induced release of Matrix Metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 by macrophage cell lines, by using Gelatin zymography. Taken together, our results demonstrate potent anti-inflammatory role of AF-SWCNTs in alleviating BCG induced inflammation.