In 2012 scientists set out to find the toxic level of C60 in rats with some surprising and unexpected results.
Vertical Divider
C60 is still experimental and is not approved by the FDA. Yet, studies have found that C60 increased the lifespan of mice by over 90%. *No human trials have been done.
|
In 2012 scientists set out to find the toxic level of C60 in rats with surprising and unexpected results.
The prolongation of the lifespan of rats by repeated oral administration of [60] fullerene
Biomaterials
Volume 33, Issue 19, June 2012, Pages 4936-4946 Tarek Baati, Fanchon Bourasset, Najla Gharbi, Leila Njim, Manef Abderrabba, Abdelhamid Kerkeni, Henri Szwarc, Fathi Moussa Abstract: Countless studies showed that [60]fullerene (C60) and derivatives could have many potential biomedical applications. However, while several independent research groups showed that C60 has no acute or sub-acute toxicity in various experimental models, more than 25 years after its discovery the in vivo fate and the chronic effects of this fullerene remain unknown. If the potential of C60 and derivatives in the biomedical field have to be fulfilled these issues must be addressed. Here we show that oral administration of C60 dissolved in olive oil (0.8 mg/ml) at reiterated doses (1.7 mg/kg of body weight) to rats not only does not entail chronic toxicity but it almost doubles their lifespan. The effects of C60-olive oil solutions in an experimental model of CCl4 intoxication in rat strongly suggest that the effect on lifespan is mainly due to the attenuation of age-associated increases in oxidative stress. Pharmacokinetic studies show that dissolved C60 is absorbed by the gastro-intestinal tract and eliminated in a few tens of hours. These results of importance in the fields of medicine and toxicology should open the way for the many possible -and waited for- biomedical applications of C60 including cancer therapy, neurodegenerative disorders, and ageing.
Keywords: Fullerenes, Toxicity, Pharmacokinetics, Ageing, Oxidative stress |