Comparative Evaluation of the Cytotoxic Effects of Metal Oxide and Metalloid Oxide Nanoparticles: An Experimental Study

Abstract

Industrial production generates aerosols of complex composition, including an ultrafine fraction. This is typical for mining and metallurgical industries, welding processes, and the production and recycling of electronics, batteries, etc. Since nano-sized particles are the most dangerous component of inhaled air, in this study we aimed to establish the impact of the chemical nature and dose of nanoparticles on their cytotoxicity. Suspensions of CuO, PbO, CdO, Fe2O3, NiO, SiO2, Mn3O4, and SeO nanoparticles were obtained by laser ablation. The experiments were conducted on outbred female albino rats. We carried out four series of a single intratracheal instillation of nanoparticles of different chemical natures at doses ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 mg per animal. Bronchoalveolar lavage was taken 24 h after the injection to assess its cytological and biochemical parameters. At a dose of 0.5 mg per animal, cytotoxicity in the series of nanoparticles changed as follows (in decreasing order): CuO NPs > PbO NPs > CdO NPs > NiO NPs > SiO2 NPs > Fe2O3 NPs. At a lower dose of 0.25 mg per animal, we observed a different pattern of cytotoxicity of the element oxides under study: NiO NPs > Mn3O4 NPs > CuO NPs > SeO NPs. We established that the cytotoxicity increased non-linearly with the increase in the dose of nanoparticles of the same chemical element (from 0 to 0.5 mg per animal). An increase in the levels of intracellular enzymes (amylase, AST, ALT, LDH) in the supernatant of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid indicated a cytotoxic effect of nanoparticles. Thus, alterations in the cytological parameters of the bronchoalveolar lavage and the biochemical characteristics of the supernatant can be used to predict the danger of new nanomaterials based on their comparative assessment with the available tested samples of nanoparticles.

Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity induced by metal-based nanoparticles in humans and animals

“…As previously mentioned, the cytotoxic effectiveness of nanoparticles may be influenced by their size, as smaller particles have greater surface areas that allow them to penetrate through the cell membrane and interact with proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids (Sutunkova et al 2023). Cytotoxicity was also discovered to be directly influenced by the form of the particles.…”

TRIM28-Mediated Excessive Oxidative Stress Induces Cellular Senescence in Granulosa Cells and Contributes to Premature Ovarian Insufficiency In Vitro and In Vivo

“…However, mitochondria are also a major target of ROS oxidative attack. When ROS generation exceeds the scavenging capacity of antioxidant defenses, excess ROS can disrupt mitochondrial integrity, inhibit the activity of the electron transport chain enzyme complex, lead to the collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) [ 12 ], and cause mitochondrial dysfunction, which ultimately increases ROS production and exacerbates cellular damage such as cellular senescence [ 13 ], autophagy [ 14 ], and apoptosis [ 15 ].…”