Halloysite nanotubes‐induced Al accumulation and oxidative damage in liver of mice after 30‐day repeated oral administration

Abstract

Halloysite (Al Si O (OH) ·nH O) nanotubes (HNTs) are natural clay materials and widely applied in many fields due to their natural hollow tubular structures. Many in vitro studies indicate that HNTs exhibit a high level of biocompatibility, however the in vivo toxicity of HNTs remains unclear. The objective of this study was to assess the hepatic toxicity of the purified HNTs in mice via oral route. The purified HNTs were orally administered to mice at 5, 50, and 300 mg/kg body weight (BW) every day for 30 days. Oral administration of HNTs stimulated the growth of the mice at the low dose (5 mg/kg BW) with no liver toxicity, but inhibited the growth of the mice at the middle (50 mg/kg BW) and high (300 mg/kg BW) doses. In addition, oral administration of HNTs at the high dose caused Al accumulation in the liver but had no marked effect on the Si content in the organ. The Al accumulation caused significant oxidative stress in the liver, which induced hepatic dysfunction and histopathologic changes. These findings demonstrated that Al accumulation-induced oxidative stress played an important role in the oral HNTs-caused liver injury.

The Protective Effects of Melatonin on Aluminum-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Nephrotoxicity in Rats

“…The majority of this Al is rapidly removed by the kidneys, which leads to nephrotoxicity and renal impairment. Additionally, Wang et al [ 8 ] concluded that Al accumulation in the hepatic tissue causes hepatotoxicity, and Al-Kahtani et al [ 9 ] recently found that Al-induced hepatotoxicity causes oxidative stress and apoptosis in rats.…”

Halloysite Nanoclay/Biopolymers Composite Materials in Tissue Engineering

“…Wang et al. estimated the hepatic toxicity of the purified HNTs in mice via oral route . They observed that HNTs stimulated the growth of the mice at the low dose (5 mg kg −1 ) with no liver toxicity, but inhibited the growth of the mice at the middle (50 mg kg −1 ) and high (300 mg kg −1 ) doses.…”

Past, Present and Future Perspectives on Halloysite Clay Minerals

“…Eventually, in 2018, Hu et al [ 72 ] investigated, for the first time, the hepatic toxicity of purified halloysite in mice via the oral route. They found that the oral administration of HNTs was beneficial for mice growth at low dose (5 mg·kg −1 per body weight (BW)), but it became dangerous at middle or high dose in a dose-dependent manner (from 50 to 300 mg·kg −1 BW).…”