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Atherosclerosis represents an ever-present global concern, as it is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and an immense public welfare issue. Macrophages play a key role in the onset of the disease state and are popular targets in vascular research and therapeutic treatment. Carbon nanodots (CNDs) represent a type of carbon-based nanomaterial and have garnered attention in recent years for potential in biomedical applications. This investigation serves as a foremost attempt at characterizing the interplay between macrophages and CNDs. We have employed THP-1 monocyte-derived macrophages as our target cell line representing primary macrophages in the human body. Our results showcase that CNDs are non-toxic at a variety of doses. THP-1 monocytes were differentiated into macrophages by treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and co-treatment with 0.1 mg/mL CNDs. This co-treatment significantly increased the expression of CD 206 and CD 68 (key receptors involved in phagocytosis) and increased the expression of CCL2 (a monocyte chemoattractant and pro-inflammatory cytokine). The phagocytic activity of THP-1 monocyte-derived macrophages co-treated with 0.1 mg/mL CNDs also showed a significant increase. Furthermore, this study also examined potential entrance routes of CNDs into macrophages. We have demonstrated an inhibition in the uptake of CNDs in macrophages treated with nocodazole (microtubule disruptor), N-phenylanthranilic acid (chloride channel blocker), and mercury chloride (aquaporin channel inhibitor). Collectively, this research provides evidence that CNDs cause functional changes in macrophages and indicates a variety of potential entrance routes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanodots (CNDs) have shown good antioxidant capabilities by scavenging oxidant free radicals such as diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH•) and reactive oxygen species. While some studies suggest that the antioxidation activities associate to the proton donor role of surface active groups like carboxyl groups (–COOH), it is unclear how exactly the extent of oxidant scavenging potential and its related mechanisms are influenced by functional groups on CNDs' surfaces. In this work, carboxyl and the amino functional groups on CNDs' surfaces are modified to investigate the individual influence of intermolecular interactions with DPPH• free radical by UV-Vis spectroscopy and electrochemistry. The results suggest that both the carboxyl and the amino groups contribute to the antioxidation activity of CNDs through either a direct or indirect hydrogen atom transfer reaction with DPPH•. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]