Comparative study of biological action of fullerenes C₆₀ and carbon nanotubes in thymus cells

In a model experiment on T‐cells isolated from Wistar rat thymus the biological activity of nonmodified fullerenes (C 60 ) and multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) is studied. It is demonstrated that C 60 at a concentration of 14.4 μg/ml in the cell incubation medium inhibit the activity of plasma membrane Ca 2+ ‐stimulated ecto‐ATPase. Both, the initial rate of the extracellular ATP hydrolysis and the time of reaching the half‐maximum level of the enzyme activity are decreased, while MWCNT (12.5 and 25 μg/ml) have no effect on the kinetic parameters of the ecto‐ATPase reaction. It is shown that both C 60 and MWCNT demonstrate a protective effect against H 2 O 2 ‐induced injury of thymic T‐cells.