Particle size dependent deposition and pulmonary inflammation after short-term inhalation of silver nanoparticles.

BACKGROUND: Although silver nanoparticles are currently used in more than 400 consumer products, it is not clear to what extent they induce adverse effects after inhalation during production and use. In this study, we determined the lung burden, tissue distribution, and the induction and recovery of adverse effects after short-term inhalation exposure to 15 nm and 410 nm silver nanoparticles. METHODS: Rats were nose-only exposed to clean air, 15 nm silver nanoparticles (179 µg/m³) or 410 nm silver particles (167 µg/m³) 6 hours per day, for four consecutive days. Tissue distribution and the induction of pulmonary toxicity were determined at 24 hours and 7 days after exposure and compared with the internal alveolar dose. Presence of silver nanoparticles in lung cells was visualized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RESULTS: Exposure to 15 nm silver nanoparticles induced moderate pulmonary toxicity compared to the controls, indicated by a 175-fold increased influx of neutrophils in the lungs, a doubling of cellular damage markers in the lungs, a 5-fold increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines, and a 1.5-fold increase in total glutathione at 24 hours after exposure. All the observed effects disappeared at 7 days after exposure. No effects were observed after exposure to 410 nm silver particles. The internal alveolar mass dose of the 15 nm nanoparticles was 3.5 times higher compared to the 410 nm particles, which equals to a 66,000 times higher particle number. TEM analysis revealed 15 nm nanoparticles in vesicles and nuclei of lung cells, which were decreased in size to <5 nm at 24 hours after exposure. This demonstrates substantial dissolution of the silver nanoparticles. CONCLUSION: The results show a clear size-dependent effect after inhalation of similar mass concentrations of 15 nm and 410 nm silver (nano)particles. This can be partially explained by the difference in the internal alveolar dose between the 15 nm and 410 nm silver (nano)particles as well as by a difference in the release rate of silver ions.

The effect of zirconium doping of cerium dioxide nanoparticles on pulmonary and cardiovascular toxicity and biodistribution in mice after inhalation.

Development and manufacture of nanomaterials is growing at an exponential rate, despite an incomplete understanding of how their physicochemical characteristics affect their potential toxicity. Redox activity has been suggested to be an important physicochemical property of nanomaterials to predict their biological activity. This study assessed the influence of redox activity by modification of cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) via zirconium (Zr) doping on the biodistribution, pulmonary and cardiovascular effects in mice following inhalation. Healthy mice (C57BL/6 J), mice prone to cardiovascular disease (ApoE-/-, western-diet fed) and a mouse model of neurological disease (5 × FAD) were exposed via nose-only inhalation to CeO2 NPs with varying amounts of Zr-doping (0%, 27% or 78% Zr), or clean air, over a four-week period (4 mg/m3 for 3 h/day, 5 days/week). Effects were assessed four weeks post-exposure. In all three mouse models CeO2 NP exposure had no major toxicological effects apart from some modest inflammatory histopathology in the lung, which was not related to the amount of Zr-doping. In ApoE-/- mice CeO2 did not change the size of atherosclerotic plaques, but there was a trend towards increased inflammatory cell content in relation to the Zr content of the CeO2 NPs. These findings show that subacute inhalation of CeO2 NPs causes minimal pulmonary and cardiovascular effect four weeks post-exposure and that Zr-doping of CeO2 NPs has limited effect on these responses. Further studies with nanomaterials with a higher inherent toxicity or a broader range of redox activities are needed to fully assess the influence of redox activity on the toxicity of nanomaterials.