Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Induce Dopaminergic Damage: In vitro Pathways and In Vivo Imaging Reveals Mechanism of Neuronal Damage.

Various iron-oxide nanoparticles have been in use for a long time as therapeutic and imaging agents and for supplemental delivery in cases of iron-deficiency. While all of these products have a specified size range of ∼ 40 nm and above, efforts are underway to produce smaller particles, down to ∼ 1 nm. Here, we show that after a 24-h exposure of SHSY-5Y human neuroblastoma cells to 10 µg/ml of 10 and 30 nm ferric oxide nanoparticles (Fe-NPs), cellular dopamine content was depleted by 68 and 52 %, respectively. Increases in activated tyrosine kinase c-Abl, a molecular switch induced by oxidative stress, and neuronal α-synuclein expression, a protein marker associated with neuronal injury, were also observed (55 and 38 % percent increases, respectively). Inhibition of cell-proliferation, significant reductions in the number of active mitochondria, and a dose-dependent increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) were observed in neuronal cells. Additionally, using a rat in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model, a dose-dependent increase in ROS accompanied by increased fluorescein efflux demonstrated compromised BBB integrity. To assess translational implications, in vivo Fe-NP-induced neurotoxicity was determined using in vivo MRI and post-mortem neurochemical and neuropathological correlates in adult male rats after exposure to 50 mg/kg of 10 nm Fe-NPs. Significant decrease in T 2 values was observed. Dynamic observations suggested transfer and retention of Fe-NPs from brain vasculature into brain ventricles. A significant decrease in striatal dopamine and its metabolites was also observed, and neuropathological correlates provided additional evidence of significant nerve cell body and dopaminergic terminal damage as well as damage to neuronal vasculature after exposure to 10 nm Fe-NPs. These data demonstrate a neurotoxic potential of very small size iron nanoparticles and suggest that use of these ferric oxide nanoparticles may result in neurotoxicity, thereby limiting their clinical application.

Inhibition of gp91(phox) contributes towards normobaric hyperoxia afforded neuroprotection in focal cerebral ischemia.

Oxygen therapy is a promising treatment strategy for ischemic stroke. One potential safety concern with oxygen therapy, however, is the possibility of increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which could exacerbate ischemic brain injury. Our previous study indicated that normobaric hyperoxia (NBO, 95% O(2) with 5% CO(2)) treatment during ischemia salvaged ischemic brain tissue and significantly reduced ROS generation in transient experimental stroke. In this follow-up study, we tested the hypothesis that suppression of NADPH oxidase is an important mechanism for NBO-induced reduction of ROS generation in focal cerebral ischemia. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given NBO (95% O(2)) or normoxia (21% O(2)) during 90-min filament occlusion of the middle cerebral artery, followed by 22.5-hour reperfusion. NBO treatment increased the tissue oxygen partial pressure (pO(2)) level in the ischemic penumbra close to the pre-ischemic value, as measured by electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and led to a 30.2% reduction in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) lesion volume. Real time PCR and western blot analyses showed that the mRNA and protein expression of NADPH oxidase catalytic subunit gp91(phox) were upregulated in the ischemic brain, which was significantly inhibited by NBO. As a consequence of gp91(phox) inhibition, NBO treatment reduced NADPH oxidase activity in the ischemic brain. Our results suggest that NBO treatment given during ischemia reduces ROS generation via inhibiting NADPH oxidase, which may serve as an important mechanism underlying NBO's neuroprotection in acute ischemic stroke.