In this study, two low-concentration solutions of 1,4,5,8-Naphthalene tetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTCDA) in two imidazolium-based ionic liquids (IL), EMIM-DCA and EMIM-Ac, at room temperature were mixed; after around ten days of storage, the formation of two variants of electron-withdrawing molecules of Naphthalene tetracarboxylic diimide NTCDI-R derivatives were detected. Their radical anions (RA) were registered by EPR via irradiating the resulting mixture of both solutions with visible or UV light. Chemical shift recording and precise concentration control of NTCDA in ionic liquid solutions were accomplished using 500 MHz and 700 MHz 1H NMR. The formation of the NTCDA•− upon light illumination was also confirmed by NMR, which showed paramagnetic broadening of the 1H line due to the electron chemical exchange between NTCDA and NTCDA•− after light-on and light-off modes. The time-dependent line broadening is in quantitative agreement with the corresponding EPR data for the light-on-/light-off-dependent concentration of NTCDA•−. The putative structure of R in NTCDI-R was calculated by DFT. The possibility of using NTCDI-R•− as a spin probe for studying molecular diffusion in high viscous ionic liquid is assessed.

Peri-implant disease due to bacterial infection is the most common cause for dental implant failure. Similarly, surgical site infections (SSI) after orthopedic surgery utilizing Ti-based fracture fixation devices pose a dire clinical problem. Although it is well-known that fullerenes possess excellent biocompatibility, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, their use for surface functionalization of dental and orthopedic implants is poorly investigated. Previously, we established a high-vacuum sublimation process which facilitates coating Ti-6Al-4V implants with complex geometry and a threaded screw design with homogeneous and stable C60 films. This work assessed the effect of fullerene coated zirconia and titanium alloy screw-shaped implants subjected to various surface treatments on the osteogenic, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of these implant surfaces in vitro. Quantitative analysis of osteogenic marker expression by MC3T3-E1 cells was used to characterize the osteogenic properties of the test surfaces. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory properties, expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines from macrophages under LPS challenge were assessed, and the anti-bacterial rate of different surface variants was evaluated by quantification of E.coli adherence and growth. This was in addition to determining the antibacterial rate against P.gingvalis for permucosal surface variants. The results showed that fullerene functionalization rendered excellent antibacterial properties of the implant surfaces and minimized the inflammatory response to zirconia dental implants, while yielding no benefit for osteogenic differentiation. Therefore, a fullerene surface modification of the per-mucosal portion of dental implants or of fracture fixation devices may hold great promise for designing dental implants as well as fracture fixation devices which an enhanced capacity of withstanding the bacterial and inflammatory challenges leading to peri-implantitis and SSI.

Over 90% of consumed alcohol is metabolized through oxidative and non-oxidative pathways, producing highly reactive compounds capable of generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS induce increased oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, thereby disrupting the structural integrity of myocytes and the functions of skeletal muscles in general. It is hypothesized that biocompatible and bioavailable C60 fullerenes, as potent antioxidants, can effectively absorb ROS, normalizing the functional state of the muscular system during the chronic alcoholic myopathy (CAM). Here, for the first time, the effect of C60 fullerenes (oral daily dose of 1 mg/kg) administered together with alcohol (40% ethanol in drinking water) on the contractile activity of the musculus gastrocnemius in male Wistar rats (age 1 month, weight 170 ± 10 g; n = 36) during the development of CAM over 3, 6, and 9 months was analyzed using tensometry. Biochemical analysis was used to evaluate pro- and antioxidant balance indicators in the blood of alcohol-exposed animals under the influence of C60 fullerenes. Finally, the potential mechanism of action of C60 fullerenes under chronic alcohol intoxication in rats was analyzed using a computer simulation technique. The data obtained indicate an improvement in the studied biomechanical markers of contraction in alcohol-exposed musculus gastrocnemius with a range of 16–50 ± 3%. Additionally, significant biochemical changes were observed in the pro- and antioxidant balance in the blood of experimental rats, showing an improvement of 22–39 ± 2% due to the action of C60 fullerenes, compared to the alcohol-exposed group. It is demonstrated that C60 fullerene nanoparticles can bind ethanol molecules, thereby reducing the negative effects of alcohol on the functioning of the muscular system.

It is known that reactive oxygen species are important in the development of alcoholic myopathy, and their suppression by C 60 fullerene nanoparticles, as potent antioxidants, is opening up a new direction for their use in biomedical nanotechnology. Here, for the first time, the biomechanical and biochemical parameters of the functioning of rat muscle soleus under alcohol intoxication at 3, 6, and 9 months were analyzed. C 60 fullerene, as a therapeutic nanoagent, at an oral dose of 1 mg kg −1 was used along with alcohol throughout the experiment. The findings indicate that significant dysfunctions develop in the rat muscle soleus after chronic alcohol intoxication. However, these dysfunctions are significantly reduced due to exposure to C 60 fullerenes, particularly with prolonged alcoholization of animals (9 months) and the development of high‐intensity fatigue processes.

Traumatic skeletal muscle injury is a complex pathology caused by high-energy trauma to muscle tissue. Previously, a positive effect was established when C60 fullerene was administered against the background of muscle ischemia, mechanical muscle injury, and other muscle dysfunctions, which probably protected the muscle tissue from damage caused by oxidative stress. Using tensiometry and biochemical analysis, the biomechanical parameters of skeletal muscle contraction and biochemical indices of the blood of rats 15 days after traumatic injury of the soleus muscle caused by myocyte destruction by compression were studied. The intraperitoneal administration of C60 fullerene aqueous solution (C60FAS) in a daily dose of 1 mg/kg improved its contractile function by 28–40 ± 2% and the values of the investigated biochemical indices of the animals’ blood by 15–34 ± 2% relative to the trauma group. The obtained results indicate the potential ability of C60 fullerenes, as powerful antioxidants, to reduce the development of post-traumatic dysfunction of the soleus muscle.

Muscle fatigue as a defense body mechanism against overload is a result of the products of incomplete oxygen oxidation such as reactive oxygen species. Hence, C 60 fullerene as a powerful nanoantioxidant can be used to speed up the muscle recovery process after fatigue. Here, the residual effect of C 60 fullerene on the biomechanical and biochemical markers of the development of muscle soleus fatigue in rats for 2 days after 5 days of its application was studied. The known antioxidant N -acetylcysteine (NAC) was used as a comparison drug. The atomic force microscopy to determine the size distribution of C 60 fullerenes in an aqueous solution, the tensiometry of skeletal muscles, and the biochemical analysis of their tissues and rat blood were used in this study. It was found that after the cessation of NAC injections, the value of the integrated muscle power is already slightly different from the control (5%–7%) on the first day, and on the second day, it does not significantly differ from the control. At the same time, after the cessation of C 60 fullerene injections, its residual effect was 45%–50% on the first day, and 17%–23% of the control on the second one. A significant difference (more than 25%) between the pro- and antioxidant balance in the studied muscles and blood of rats after the application of C 60 fullerene and NAС plays a key role in the long-term residual effect of C 60 fullerene. This indicates prolonged kinetics of C 60 fullerenes elimination from the body, which contributes to their long-term (at least 2 days) compensatory activation of the endogenous antioxidant system in response to muscle stimulation, which should be considered when developing new therapeutic agents based on these nanoparticles.

The simple method of preparation of highly stable and purified C-70 fullerene aqueous solution (C(70)FAS) is proposed. The features of structural stabilization of C-70 fullerenes in an aqueous solution by studying their structural and optical properties using Raman, photoluminescence, infrared reflection-absorption, UV-VIS absorption, and dynamic light scattering spectroscopy methods were analyzed. The experimental results showed that the most likely mechanism for C-70 fullerenes stabilization in water is surface hydroxylation with covalent attachment of water hydroxyls to C-70 fullerene carbons. Raman and infrared absorption spectra of C(70)FAS showed characteristic vibrational bands of C-70 fullerenes with a slight broadening and low-frequency shift of & SIM;1 cm(-1), indicating the attachment of water hydroxyls to the C-70 fullerene carbons. The photoluminescence spectra showed excitonic emission bands of C-70 molecules with intensity depending on their content. UV-VIS absorption spectra demonstrate the absorption bands typical for monomeric C-70 fullerene. Finally, the dynamic light scattering data confirmed that C(70)FAS is a typical colloidal fluid containing both individual C-70 molecules and their nano aggregates up to 100 nm. These findings provide insights into the stabilization mechanism of C-70 fullerenes in water and may have implications for their potential application in nanobiotechnology.

The carbon fullerene C60 is an anti-inflammatory substance that reduces cellular stress levels. In this study, C60 fullerenes were deposited on complex dental implants to improve cell attachment and vitality. For the first time, fullerene C60 films were deposited via high-vacuum sublimation on complex-shaped Ti-6Al-4V dental implants with a threaded-screw design. The "as-deposited" fullerene C60 films were compared with fullerene C60 films on dental Ti-6Al-4V implants using a threaded-screw design after three weeks of incubation in Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS). It was proven by Raman spectroscopy that the incubation in potassium and alkali-ion rich HBSS at 37 degrees C resulted in a reduction of monomeric fullerene C60 fraction and an increase in dimer, linear chain and polymerized C60 molecules. Furthermore, the structure of the C60 films differed depending on the measurement position on dental implants with a threaded-screw design. The fraction of monomeric fullerene C60 was highest on top of the trapezoidal thread, which had a micropatterned topography. Nano-indentations were performed at this position with a maximum load of 1000 mu N. The fullerene C60 films showed a nano-hardness of 0.3 +/- 0.1 GPa and a Young's modulus of 7.6 +/- 3.6 GPa at this position, which is typical for monomeric fullerene C60 with weak interatomic interaction in the face-centred-cubic crystal structure. The murine embryonal calvarial stem-cell line MC3T3-E1 (ECACC, UK), which is driven toward osteogenic differentiation, spread out extremely well on the fullerene C60 film, with improved cell morphology compared to uncoated Ti-6Al-4V. Cell nuclei density were determined to be 237.5 cell nuclei per mm2 for the Ti-6Al-4V dental implants with a threaded-screw design with fullerene C60 coating in "as-deposited" condition. This was approximately 40 % better than that of uncoated Ti6Al-4V dental implants with a threaded-screw design.

Biomechanical and biochemical changes in the muscle soleus of rats during imitation of hind limbs unuse were studied in the model of the Achilles tendon rupture (Achillotenotomy). Oral administration of water-soluble C-60 fullerene at a dose of 1 mg/kg was used as a therapeutic agent throughout the experiment. Changes in the force of contraction and the integrated power of the muscle, the time to reach the maximum force response, the mechanics of fatigue processes development, in particular, the transition from dentate to smooth tetanus, as well as the levels of pro- and antioxidant balance in the blood of rats on days 15, 30 and 45 after injury were described. The obtained results indicate a promising prospect for C-60 fullerene use as a powerful antioxidant for reducing and correcting pathological conditions of the muscular system arising from skeletal muscle atrophy.

C-60 fullerene (C-60) as a nanocarbon particle, compatible with biological structures, capable of penetrating through cell membranes and effectively scavenging free radicals, is widely used in biomedicine. A protective effect of C-60 on the biomechanics of fast (m. gastrocnemius) and slow (m. soleus) muscle contraction in rats and the pro- and antioxidant balance of muscle tissue during the development of muscle fatigue was studied compared to the same effect of the known antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC). C-60 and NAC were administered intraperitoneally at doses of 1 and 150 mg kg(-1), respectively, daily for 5 days and 1 h before the start of the experiment. The following quantitative markers of muscle fatigue were used: the force of muscle contraction, the level of accumulation of secondary products of lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and the oxygen metabolite H2O2, the activity of first-line antioxidant defense enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)), and the condition of the glutathione system (reduced glutathione (GSH) content and the activity of the glutathione peroxidase (GP(x)) enzyme). The analysis of the muscle contraction force dynamics in rats against the background of induced muscle fatigue showed, that the effect of C-60, 1 h after drug administration, was (15-17)% more effective on fast muscles than on slow muscles. A further slight increase in the effect of C-60 was revealed after 2 h of drug injection, (7-9)% in the case of m. gastrocnemius and (5-6)% in the case of m. soleus. An increase in the effect of using C-60 occurred within 4 days (the difference between 4 and 5 days did not exceed (3-5)%) and exceeded the effect of NAC by (32-34)%. The analysis of biochemical parameters in rat muscle tissues showed that long-term application of C-60 contributed to their decrease by (10-30)% and (5-20)% in fast and slow muscles, respectively, on the 5th day of the experiment. At the same time, the protective effect of C-60 was higher compared to NAC by (28-44)%. The obtained results indicate the prospect of using C-60 as a potential protective nano agent to improve the efficiency of skeletal muscle function by modifying the reactive oxygen species-dependent mechanisms that play an important role in the processes of muscle fatigue development.

Fullerene C60 powder was loaded by 1 N normal force and exposed to sliding under different frequencies for 15 min. It is shown that the velocity of the sliding movement determines the stability of the fullerene C60 powder. At slow velocity of movement with a frequency of 1 Hz under 1 N normal force, the fullerene C60 structure remains undamaged after 15 min sliding. On the contrary, high sliding velocities of 10 Hz and 50 Hz affected fragmentation of the fullerene C60, which resulted in a reduction of the coefficient of friction (COF). During sliding with 1 Hz, the friction reached the highest level with an average COF of 0.59 +/- 0.03. The faster relative motion under 1 N normal force gave a lower average COF with 0.39 +/- 0.03. The initial fullerene C60 powder formed a thick compressed layer in the tribomechanical loaded zone. As proven by Raman spectroscopy, operating the tribomechanical sliding test at 50 Hz stimulated the re-attraction of fresh C60 fullerene island onto the fragmented layer from outside of the loaded powder regions. The COF was increasing again up to 0.44 +/- 0.04 for 1 N normal force and 50 Hz frequency. The fragmentation and decomposition of fullerene C60 with increasing sliding velocity is attributed to thermal heating up during fast relative movement. Raman spectra of the tribomechanical loaded fullerene C60 are compared with Raman spectra from slowly heated up C60 in air and with Raman spectra of laser irradiated fullerene C60.

The widespread use of glyphosate as a herbicide in agriculture can lead to the presence of its residues and metabolites in food for human consumption and thus pose a threat to human health. It has been found that glyphosate reduces energy metabolism in the brain, its amount increases in white muscle fibers. At the same time, the effect of chronic use of glyphosate on the dynamic properties of skeletal muscles remains practically unexplored. The selected biomechanical parameters (the integrated power of muscle contraction, the time of reaching the muscle contraction force its maximum value and the reduction of the force response by 50% and 25% of the initial values during stimulation) of muscle soleus contraction in rats, as well as blood biochemical parameters (the levels of creatinine, creatine phosphokinase, lactate, lactate dehydrogenase, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, hydrogen peroxide, reduced glutathione and catalase) were analyzed after chronic glyphosate intoxication (oral administration at a dose of 10 μg/kg of animal weight) for 30 days. Water-soluble C60 fullerene, as a poweful antioxidant, was used as a therapeutic nanoagent throughout the entire period of intoxication with the above herbicide (oral administration at doses of 0.5 or 1 mg/kg). The data obtained show that the introduction of C60 fullerene at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg reduces the degree of pathological changes by 40–45%. Increasing the dose of C60 fullerene to 1 mg/kg increases the therapeutic effect by 55–65%, normalizing the studied biomechanical and biochemical parameters. Thus, C60 fullerenes can be effective nanotherapeutics in the treatment of glyphosate-based herbicide poisoning.

Based on WHO reports the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is currently widespread all over the world. So far > 162 million cases have been confirmed, including > 3 million deaths. Because of the pandemic still spreading across the globe the accomplishment of computational methods to find new potential mechanisms of virus inhibitions is necessary. According to the fact that C-60 fullerene (a sphere-shaped molecule consisting of carbon) has shown inhibitory activity against various protein targets, here the analysis of the potential binding mechanism between SARS-CoV-2 proteins 3CLpro and RdRp with C-60 fullerene was done; it has resulted in one and two possible binding mechanisms, respectively. In the case of 3CLpro, C-60 fullerene interacts in the catalytic binding pocket. And for RdRp in the first model C-60 fullerene blocks RNA synthesis pore and in the second one it prevents binding with Nsp8 co-factor (without this complex formation, RdRp can't perform its initial functions). Then the molecular dynamics simulation confirmed the stability of created complexes. The obtained results might be a basis for other computational studies of 3CLPro and RdRp potential inhibition ways as well as the potential usage of C-60 fullerene in the fight against COVID-19 disease.

The biomechanical parameters of muscle soleus contraction in rats and their blood biochemical indicators after the intramuscular administration of water-soluble C60 fullerene at doses of 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg 1 h before the onset of muscle ischemia were investigated. In particular, changes in the contraction force of the ischemic muscle soleus, the integrated power of the muscle, the time to achieve the maximum force response, the dynamics of fatigue processes, and the parameters of the transition from dentate to smooth tetanus, levels of creatinine, creatine kinase, lactate and lactate dehydrogenase, and parameters of prooxidant–antioxidant balance (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, hydrogen peroxide, and reduced glutathione and catalase) were analyzed. The positive therapeutic changes in the studied biomechanical and biochemical markers were revealed, which indicate the possibility of using water-soluble C60 fullerenes as effective prophylactic nanoagents to reduce the severity of pathological conditions of the muscular system caused by ischemic damage to skeletal muscles.

Functional biomechanical parameters of muscle soleus contraction in rats as well as selected blood biochemical parameters were studied during the first 3 days of post-traumatic syndrome progression caused by the destruction of muscle cells by compression. Single administration of the antioxidant C60 fullerene and the selective agonist of TRPM8 channels menthol were used as therapeutic agents. Injection of C60 fullerene at a concentration of 1 mg/kg into the damaged muscle improved its contractile function by 25–28%. The use of combined injections of C60 fullerene and menthol (at the concentration 1 mg/kg) improved this index by additional 27–39% and simultaneously stabilized the decrease in muscle strength observed throughout the experiment. A tendency towards a decrease in the indexes of the above described biochemical parameters by 10–15% were found with the therapeutic administration of C60 fullerene. With combined injections of C60 fullerene and menthol, the above described biochemical parameters decreased by an additional 17–24%. The synergism between the action of menthol and C60 fullerene on the post-traumatic recovery of skeletal muscle function opens up new perspectives for the clinical application of this combination therapy.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are characterized by a combination of rather unique physical and chemical properties, which makes them interesting biocompatible nanostructured materials for various applications, including in the biomedical field. SWCNTs are not inert carriers of drug molecules, as they may interact with various biological macromolecules, including ion channels. To investigate the mechanisms of the inhibitory effects of SWCNTs on the muscarinic receptor cation current (mICAT), induced by intracellular GTPγs (200 μM), in isolated mouse ileal myocytes, we have used the patch-clamp method in the whole-cell configuration. Here, we use molecular docking/molecular dynamics simulations and direct patch-clamp recordings of whole-cell currents to show that SWCNTs, purified and functionalized by carboxylation in water suspension containing single SWCNTs with a diameter of 0.5–1.5 nm, can inhibit mICAT, which is mainly carried by TRPC4 cation channels in ileal smooth muscle cells, and is the main regulator of cholinergic excitation–contraction coupling in the small intestinal tract. This inhibition was voltage-independent and associated with a shortening of the mean open time of the channel. These results suggest that SWCNTs cause a direct blockage of the TRPC4 channel and may represent a novel class of TRPC4 modulators.

Excessive production of reactive oxygen species is the main cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) initiation and progression. Water-soluble pristine C60 fullerene is a powerful and non-toxic antioxidant, therefore, its effect under rat HCC model and its possible mechanisms were aimed to be discovered. Studies on HepG2 cells (human HCC) demonstrated C60 fullerene ability to inhibit cell growth (IC50 = 108.2 μmol), to induce apoptosis, to downregulate glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, to upregulate vimentin and p53 expression and to alter HepG2 redox state. If applied to animals experienced HCC in dose of 0.25 mg/kg per day starting at liver cirrhosis stage, C60 fullerene improved post-treatment survival similar to reference 5-fluorouracil (31 and 30 compared to 17 weeks) and inhibited metastasis unlike the latter. Furthermore, C60 fullerene substantially attenuated liver injury and fibrosis, decreased liver enzymes, and normalized bilirubin and redox markers (elevated by 1.7–7.7 times under HCC). Thus, C60 fullerene ability to inhibit HepG2 cell growth and HCC development and metastasis and to improve animal survival was concluded. C60 fullerene cytostatic action might be realized through apoptosis induction and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase downregulation in addition to its antioxidant activity.

C(60)fullerenes have proved their therapeutic effects and efficacy by the results of countless experiments. For further usage of these nanoparticles, the systematic toxicological investigations are required. Blood compatibility should be studied for C(60)fullerenes due to the potential blood contact. Currently, available data is not systematic and has not provided insights into possible side effects of C(60)fullerenes on blood components. In this study, water-soluble pristine C(60)fullerenes were tested in vitro to assess their biocompatibility in rabbit. The blood compatibility has been evaluated looking at the impact of C(60)fullerenes on erythrocyte integrity, platelet aggregation, and some blood factors involved in coagulation. Our results revealed that C(60)fullerenes cannot elicit hemolysis at studied concentrations and did not show any effect on coagulation process. C(60)fullerenes in concentration-dependent manner increased ADP-dependent platelet aggregation and changed the key kinetic parameters of these processes. C(60)fullerenes inhibited thrombin amidolytic activity but did not affect the activities of other studied coagulation factors. The prothrombotic property of C(60)fullerenes could be the potential risk factor that leads to enhancement of vascular thrombosis. The ability of fullerene to inhibit thrombin activity is important for the pharmacological use of these carbon nanoparticles as anticoagulant agents.