Carbon-based nanomaterials (C-BNM) have recently attracted an increased attention as the materials with potential applications in industry and medicine. Bioresistance and proinflammatory potential of C-BNM is the main obstacle for their medicinal application which was documented in vivo and in vitro. However, there are still limited data especially on graphene derivatives such as graphene platelets (GP). In this work, we compared multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and two different types of pristine GP in their potential to activate inflammasome NLRP3 (The nod-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3) in vitro. Our study is focused on exposure of THP-1/THP1-null cells and peripheral blood monocytes to C-BNM as representative models of canonical and alternative pathways, respectively. Although all nanomaterials were extensively accumulated in the cytoplasm, increasing doses of all C-BNM did not lead to cell death. We observed direct activation of NLRP3 via destabilization of lysosomes and release of cathepsin B into cytoplasm only in the case of MWCNTs. Direct activation of NLRP3 by both GP was statistically insignificant but could be induced by synergic action with muramyl dipeptide (MDP), as a representative molecule of the family of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). This study demonstrates a possible proinflammatory potential of GP and MWCNT acting through NLRP3 activation.

Center of Materials and Nanotechnologies Faculty of Chemical Technology University of Pardubice 53002 Pardubice Czech Republic

Department of Clinical Medicine Trinity Translational Medicine Institute Trinity College Dublin D08 W9RT Dublin Ireland

Department of Histology Cytology and Embryology 1st Moscow State Sechenov Medical University 119992 Moscow Russia

Department of Immunology and Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Palacky University Olomouc 77515 Olomouc Czech Republic

Institute of Clinical Immunology and Allergology University Hospital Hradec Kralove and Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove Charles University 50005 Hradec Kralove Czech Republic

Institute of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove Charles University 50003 Hradec Kralove Czech Republic

Institute of Physics Czech Academy of Sciences 18200 Prague Czech Republic

J Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences 18223 Prague Czech Republic

Veterinary Research Institute 62100 Brno Czech Republic

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