 
        
						Sumner SJ
	
					    												
Tanzania						                            
                            
						
 Research Article
												Vascular Tissue Contractility Changes Following Late Gestational Exposure to Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes or their Dispersing Vehicle
in Sprague Dawley Rats 						
Author(s): Vidanapathirana AK, Thompson LC, Odom J, Holland NA, Sumner SJ, Fennell TR, Brown JM and Wingard CJVidanapathirana AK, Thompson LC, Odom J, Holland NA, Sumner SJ, Fennell TR, Brown JM and Wingard CJ             
						
												
				 Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are increasingly used in industry and in nanomedicine raising safety concerns, especially during unique life-stages such as pregnancy. We hypothesized that MWCNT exposure during pregnancy will increase vascular tissue contractile responses by increasing Rho kinase signaling. Pregnant (17-19 gestational days) and non-pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to 100 μg/kg of MWCNTs by intratracheal instillation or intravenous administration. Vasoactive responses of uterine, mesenteric, aortic and umbilical vessels were studied 24 hours post-exposure by wire myography. The contractile responses of the vessel segments were different between the pregnant and non-pregnant rats, following MWCNT exposure. Maximum stress generation in the uterine artery segments from the pregnant rats following pulmonary MWCNT exposure was increased in response to angi.. View More»
				  
												DOI:
												 10.4172/2157-7439.1000201