BackgroundThe in vivo kinetics of nanoparticles is an essential to understand the hazard of nanoparticles. Here, the absorption, distribution, and excretion patterns of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles following oral administration were evaluated.MethodsNanoparticles were orally administered to rats for 13 weeks (7 days/week). Samples of blood, tissues (liver, kidneys, spleen, and brain), urine, and feces were obtained at necropsy. The level of Ti or Zn in each sample was measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.ResultsTiO2 nanoparticles had extremely low absorption, while ZnO nanoparticles had higher absorption and a clear dose-response curve. Tissue distribution data showed that TiO2 nanoparticles were not significantly increased in sampled organs, even in the group receiving the highest dose (1041.5 mg/kg body weight). In contrast, Zn concentrations in the liver and kidney were significantly increased compared with the vehicle control. ZnO nanoparticles in the spleen and brain were minimally increased. Ti concentrations were not significantly increased in the urine, while Zn levels were significantly increased in the urine, again with a clear dose-response curve. Very high concentrations of Ti were detected in the feces, while much less Zn was detected in the feces.ConclusionsCompared with TiO2 nanoparticles, ZnO nanoparticles demonstrated higher absorption and more extensive organ distribution when administered orally. The higher absorption of ZnO than TiO2 nanoparticles might be due to the higher dissolution rate in acidic gastric fluid, although more thorough studies are needed.
Gold nanoparticles are known to be distributed to many tissues following their oral, inhalation, or intravenous exposure. Information on the biodistribution and clearance of gold nanoparticles from these tissues is, therefore, important to understand their behavior in vivo. To study the effect of size on the biodistribution of gold nanoparticles, Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed by inhalation to small gold nanoparticles (13 nm in diameter on average) at an exposure concentration of 12.8 ± 2.42 µg/m(3), and to large gold nanoparticles (105 nm in diameter on average) at an exposure concentration of 13.7 ± 1.32 µg/m(3). The experimental animals were exposed to the gold nanoparticles and the control animals to fresh air for 5 days (6 h/day), followed by a recovery period of 1, 3, and 28 days in fresh air. None of the exposed animals exhibited any toxic response to the gold nanoparticles. Despite the difference in size, both small and large gold nanoparticles deposited mainly in rat lungs. Their biodistribution from the lungs to secondary target organs was significantly higher with the small compared to the large gold nanoparticles. While the large gold nanoparticles were only found in the blood, the small gold nanoparticles were detected in the liver, spleen, brain, testes, and blood. In addition, the elimination half-life of the small gold nanoparticles from the lungs was significantly shorter than that of the large gold nanoparticles. The present data may, therefore, suggest that the smaller gold nanoparticles are able to translocate from the lungs, the primary exposure organ to extrapulmonary organs at a faster rate than the larger gold nanoparticles and thus confirming previous observations reported in the literature.
Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) are used in diverse applications ranging from paints and cosmetics to biomedicine and food. Although micron-sized ZnO is a traditional food supplement, ZnO NPs are an unknown public health risk because of their unique physicochemical properties. Herein, we studied the 13-week subchronic toxicity of ZnO NPs administered via the oral route according to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) test guideline 408. Well-dispersed ZnO NPs were administered to Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (11/sex/group) at doses of 67.1, 134.2, 268.4 or 536.8 mg kg(-1) per body weight over a 13-week period. The mean body weight gain in males given 536.8 mg kg(-1) ZnO NPs was significantly lower than that of control male rats, whereas no significant differences were observed between the other treatment groups and the controls. Male and female rats dosed at 536.8 mg kg(-1) ZnO NPs had significant changes in anemia-related hematologic parameters. Mild to moderate pancreatitis also developed in both sexes dosed at 536.8 mg kg(-1) , whereas no histological changes were observed in the other treatment groups. To evaluate the mechanism of toxicity, we performed a bio-persistence study and evaluated the effects of the ZnO NPs on cell proliferation. The treatment of a human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line with ZnO NPs resulted in a significant inhibition of cellular proliferation. The anti-proliferative effect of ZnO NPs or Zn(2+) was effectively blocked by treatment with chelators. These results indicate that the bio-persistence of ZnO NPs after ingestion is key to their toxicity; the no-observed-adverse effect level (NOAEL) of ZnO NPs was found to be 268.4 mg kg(-1) per day for both sexes.
Indium is an essential element in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays and other electronic devices, and several forms of indium compounds have been developed, including nanopowders, films, nanowires, and indium metal complexes. Although there are several reports on lung injury caused by indium-containing compounds, the toxicity of nanoscale indium oxide (In2O3) particles has not been reported. Here, we compared lung injury induced by a single exposure to In2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) to that caused by benchmark high-toxicity nickel oxide (NiO) and copper oxide (CuO) NPs. In2O3 NPs at doses of 7.5, 30, and 90 cm(2)/rat (50, 200, and 600 µg/rat) were administered to 6-week-old female Wistar rats via pharyngeal aspiration, and lung inflammation was evaluated 1, 3, 14, and 28 days after treatment. Neutrophilic inflammation was observed on day 1 and worsened until day 28, and severe pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) was observed on post-aspiration days 14 and 28. In contrast, pharyngeal aspiration of NiO NPs showed severe neutrophilic inflammation on day 1 and lymphocytic inflammation with PAP on day 28. Pharyngeal aspiration of CuO NPs showed severe neutrophilic inflammation on day 1, but symptoms were completely resolved after 14 days and no PAP was observed. The dose of In2O3 NPs that produced progressive neutrophilic inflammation and PAP was much less than the doses of other toxic particles that produced this effect, including crystalline silica and NiO NPs. These results suggest that occupational exposure to In2O3 NPs can cause severe lung injury.
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