Objective To observe the acute toxicity of nano grapehene oxide on mice in vitro and in vivo.

Methods Sixty healthy ICR mice, half male and half female, were divided into six groups and treated with nano graphene oxide dissolved in ultrapure water by intragastric administration at the dosage of 0, 3.125 mg/(kg·bw), 6.25 mg/(kg·bw), 12.5 mg/(kg·bw), 25.0 mg/(kg·bw) and 50.0 mg/(kg·bw) respectively. Another 60 ICR mice were treated with nano graphene oxide dissolved in sterile pure water at the dosage of 0, 1.0 mg/(kg·bw), 2.0 mg/(kg·bw), 4.0 mg/(kg·bw), 8.0 mg/(kg·bw) and 16.0 mg/(kg·bw) respectively by intravenous injection under aseptic condition.Meanwhile, A549 cells were co-cultured with nanograpehene oxide at the concentrations of 0, 9.875 mg/(kg·bw), 18.75 mg/(kg·bw), 37.5 mg/(kg·bw), 75 mg/(kg·bw), 150 mg/(kg·bw), 300 mg/(kg·bw), and 600 mg/(kg·bw) respectively.

Results No pathological change of main organs had been observed in mice caused by intragastric administration of nano graphene oxide, and the LD₅₀ was 5.657 mg/(kg·bw) of nano graphene oxide for mice caused by caudal vein injection. The LC₅₀ of nano graphene oxide for A549 cell was 56.885 μg/mL.

Conclusion Intravenous injection of unmodified nano graphene oxide could cause mice death and the existence of nano graphene oxide in culture medium could inhibit the survival of A549 cell.