Low-dose graphene oxide promotes tumor cells proliferation by activating PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling via cellular membrane protein integrin αV

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) 2023-08, Vol.330, p.121817-121817, Article 121817
• Main Authors: Zheng, Zhiwen, Halifu, Abuduliaizezi, Ma, Juan, Liu, Leyi, Fu, Qingfeng, Yi, Bocun, Du, E., Tian, Dawei, Xu, Yong, Zhang, Zhihong, Zhu, Jianqiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Apoptosis; biosafety; Cell Line, Tumor; cell membranes; Cell Proliferation; environmental exposure; Environmental health; Graphene oxide; Integrin alphaV - metabolism; Integrin alphaV - pharmacology; Integrin αV; integrins; Low dose; mitosis; neoplasm cells; neoplasms; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases - metabolism; pollution; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - metabolism; Signal Transduction; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism; toxicity; Tumor proliferation
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121817

Along with the increasing production and application of graphene oxide (GO), its environmental health and safety (EHS) risks have become a global concern. Numerous studies have investigated the biosafety and toxicity mechanisms associated with GO, however, the majority of previous studies were based on its direct toxic dose, which could not reflect the realistic state of environmental exposure of GO with an indirect toxic dose (low dose). Meanwhile, the effects of low-dose GO on the progression of tumors are still unclearly. Herein, we found that GO can promote multiple types of tumor cell proliferation under its low-dose treatment. Moreover, the lateral size of GO has no obvious distinction on its promoting effect on tumor proliferation. The mechanistic investigation revealed that low-dose GO treatment increased the expression level of integrin αV protein, a cell membrane receptor, and further lead to the constitutively activated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and promoted mitotic progression. Collectively, these findings increased our understanding of the detrimental effects of GO in promoting tumor proliferation, as well as improved our biosafety assessment at its realistic exposure doses. [Display omitted] •Graphene oxide nanosheet promotes tumor progression at low-dose exposure.•Uncovered the pivotal role of the integrin αV in GO-promoting tumor proliferation.•Low-dose nanomaterials exposure is closer to realistic exposure states.•Improving the biosafety evaluation of GO is beneficial to its green development.