Nanomaterials and hepatic disease: toxicokinetics, disease types, intrinsic mechanisms, liver susceptibility, and influencing factors

Abstract

The widespread use of nanomaterials (NMs) has raised concerns that exposure to them may introduce potential risks to the human body and environment. The liver is the main target organ for NMs. Hepatotoxic effects caused by NMs have been observed in recent studies but have not been linked to liver disease, and the intrinsic mechanisms are poorly elucidated. Additionally, NMs exhibit varied toxicokinetics and induce enhanced toxic effects in susceptible livers; however, thus far, this issue has not been thoroughly reviewed. This review provides an overview of the toxicokinetics of NMs. We highlight the possibility that NMs induce hepatic diseases, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, liver cancer, and metabolic disorders, and explore the underlying intrinsic mechanisms. Additionally, NM toxicokinetics and the potential induced risks in the livers of susceptible individuals, including subjects with liver disease, obese individuals, aging individuals and individuals of both sexes, are summarized. To understand how NM type affect their toxicity, the influences of the physicochemical and morphological (PCM) properties of NMs on their toxicokinetics and toxicity are also explored. This review provides guidance for further toxicological studies on NMs and will be important for the further development of NMs for applications in various fields.

Effect on Mouse Liver Morphology of CeO2, TiO2 and Carbon Black Nanoparticles Translocated from Lungs or Deposited Intravenously

“…Pulmonary and intravenously administrated nanoparticles accumulate in the liver, and nanoparticle clearance from the liver is slow [9,12,42,[64][65][66]. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the liver accumulation of TiO 2 , CeO 2 and carbon black nanoparticles could adversely affect liver function and morphology over time.…”

“…Intravenously (IV) injected nanoparticles preferentially accumulate in the liver [9]. The clearance of insoluble nanoparticles from the liver is slow [10], and little is known about the adverse effects of the long-lasting presence of nanoparticles in the organ [11,12]. On the other hand, there are examples of severe adverse effects following liver accumulation of particles.…”

“…TiO 2 particles including nanosized particles (<100 nm) were detected in human liver and spleen [38,39], human placenta and meconium of newborn infants [40]. This raises questions of a possible health hazard of nanoparticles present in these organs [11,12,41].…”

Nanomaterials alleviating redox stress in neurological diseases: mechanisms and applications

“…This could promote the efficacy of the NMs and reduce their off-target effects on other tissues and cells when administered intravenously or orally. Second, since blood circulation of the brain is not as rich as that of the liver (one of the organs involved in the metabolism and excretion of NMs) [ 169 ], the retention of NMs and their metabolites will be prolonged in the brain. Besides, if NMs reach a toxic concentration after long-term treatment at a site, they would affect the surrounding cells and tissues.…”

In Situ Detection of Nanotoxicity in Living Cells Based on Multiple miRNAs Probed by a Peptide Functionalized Nanoprobe

“…10,11 In the past few years, studies have linked nanoparticle exposure to changes in miRNA levels and corresponding biological pathways. 12,13 A few studies have addressed the impact of nanoparticles on miRNAs, including miR-21, 14,15 miR-29a, 15 miR-208, miR-212, and miR-18a 16 using traditional detection methods such as qPCR. As far as we know, in situ detection of miRNA levels in nanoparticle-exposed living cells has never been reported.…”