Hepatic, Metabolic, and Toxicity Evaluation of Repeated Oral Administration of SnS2 Nanoflowers in Mice

Abstract

Tin sulfide (SnS2) nanoflowers (NFs) with highly photocatalytic activity for wastewater treatment may lead to potential health hazards via oral routes of human exposure. No studies have reported the hepatic effects of SnS2 NFs on the metabolic function and hepatotoxicity. In this study, we examined the hepatic effects of the oral administration of SnS2 NFs (250-1000 mg/kg) to ICR mice for 14 days, with the particle size ranging from 50 to 200 nm. Serum and liver tissue samples were assayed using biochemical analysis, liver histopathology and metabolic gene expression. The different sizes of SnS2 NFs (250 mg/kg dose), such as 50, 80, and 200 nm, did not induce any adverse hepatic effect related to biochemical parameters or histopathology in the treated mice compared with controls. The oral administration of 50-nm SnS2 NFs at doses of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg for 14 days produced dose-dependent hepatotoxicity and inflammatory responses in treated mice. Furthermore, the expression of metabolic genes in the liver tissues was altered, supporting the SnS2 NF-related hepatotoxic phenotype. The oral administration of SnS2 NFs also produced abnormal microstructures in the livers of the treated mice. Taken together, these data indicate that the increased risk of hepatotoxicity in SnS2 NF-treated mice was independent of the particle size but was dependent on their dose. The no-observed-adverse effect level was <250 mg/kg for the 50-nm SnS2 NFs. Our study provides an experimental basis for the safe application of SnS2 NFs.

Neurotoxicity, behavioral changes and gene-expression profile of mice exposed to SnS2 nanoflowers

“…The method of synthesis and characterization of SnS 2 NFs has been introduced in our recent article. 18,19 Pure SnCl 4 •5H 2 O was purchased from Tianjin Superstar st source Chemistry Technological Co., Ltd (Tianjin, China). Triton X-100 was purchased from Shanghai Yiteng Biological Science and Technology Co., Ltd (Shanghai, China).…”

“…SnS 2 NFs have been characterized in our recent article. 18,19 Simply, SnS 2 NFs exhibit flowerlike structures with a diameter of 50 nm. Each flowerlike structure consists of tens of nanosheets, which act as building blocks.…”

“…18 Furthermore, we also reported the hepatic effects of SnS 2 NFs on metabolic function and hepatotoxicity in mice, and we observed that increased risk of hepatotoxicity in SnS 2 NF-treated mice was independent of particle size but was dependent on dosage. 19 Therefore, in the present study, we chose 50 nm SnS 2 NFs to investigate their effects on neurotoxicity, brain cognition and behavioural injury, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects. Currently, it is unclear if SnS 2 NFs pose a hazard to human neurological health and their effects on the health of in vivo hippocampal neurons remain unknown.…”

A review of hepatic nanotoxicology – summation of recent findings and considerations for the next generation of study designs

“…Further, the expressions of metabolic genes in the liver tissues were altered following exposure to the 50 nm NMs at the highest administered dose. In addition, tissues exposed to 1000 mg/kg of NMs displayed slightly disrupted cellular arrangements, moderate interstitial hyperemia, sporadic and focal infiltration of inflammatory cells and moderate apoptosis in the liver (Bai et al 2018).…”