Abstract

Before their large-scale applications, it is necessary to understand the biological effects of nanomaterials. Although two-dimensional nanomaterials (2D NMs) molybdenum disulfide nanosheets (MoS 2 NSs) are promising in biomedical fields, the current knowledge regarding their toxicities is inadequate. Using apolipoprotein E deficient (ApoE −/− ) mice as a long-term exposure model, this study demonstrated that intravenous ( i.v. ) injection of MoS 2 NSs most accumulated in the liver and caused in situ hepatic damage. Histopathological examination indicated severe infiltration of inflammatory cells and irregular central veins in the MoS 2 NSs-treated mouse liver. Meanwhile, the overwhelming expressions of inflammatory cytokines, dyslipidemia, and dysregulated hepatic lipid metabolism implied the potential vascular toxicity of MoS 2 NSs. Indeed, our result supported that MoS 2 NSs exposure is highly associated with atherosclerotic progression. This study provided the first line of evidence on the vascular toxicity of MoS 2 NSs, which remind scientists to pay attention to the rational use of MoS 2 NSs, especially in the biomedical fields.