Tissue distribution and acute toxicity of silver after single intravenous administration in mice: nano-specific and size-dependent effects

Abstract

BackgroundSilver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are an important class of nanomaterials used as antimicrobial agents for a wide range of medical and industrial applications. However toxicity of AgNPs and impact of their physicochemical characteristics in in vivo models still need to be comprehensively characterized. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of size and coating on tissue distribution and toxicity of AgNPs after intravenous administration in mice, and compare the results with those obtained after silver acetate administration.MethodsMale CD-1(ICR) mice were intravenously injected with AgNPs of different sizes (10 nm, 40 nm, 100 nm), citrate-or polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated, at a single dose of 10 mg/kg bw. An equivalent dose of silver ions was administered as silver acetate. Mice were euthanized 24 h after the treatment, and silver quantification by ICP-MS and histopathology were performed on spleen, liver, lungs, kidneys, brain, and blood.ResultsFor all particle sizes, regardless of their coating, the highest silver concentrations were found in the spleen and liver, followed by lung, kidney, and brain. Silver concentrations were significantly higher in the spleen, lung, kidney, brain, and blood of mice treated with 10 nm AgNPs than those treated with larger particles. Relevant toxic effects (midzonal hepatocellular necrosis, gall bladder hemorrhage) were found in mice treated with 10 nm AgNPs, while in mice treated with 40 nm and 100 nm AgNPs lesions were milder or negligible, respectively. In mice treated with silver acetate, silver concentrations were significantly lower in the spleen and lung, and higher in the kidney than in mice treated with 10 nm AgNPs, and a different target organ of toxicity was identified (kidney).ConclusionsAdministration of the smallest (10 nm) nanoparticles resulted in enhanced silver tissue distribution and overt hepatobiliary toxicity compared to larger ones (40 and 100 nm), while coating had no relevant impact. Distinct patterns of tissue distribution and toxicity were observed after silver acetate administration. It is concluded that if AgNPs become systemically available, they behave differently from ionic silver, exerting distinct and size-dependent effects, strictly related to the nanoparticulate form.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12989-016-0124-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective role of selenium against silver nanoparticles

“…61,62 However, it has been concluded that deposition of AgNPs in tissue samples is sizedependent in the liver and kidneys of male and female rats. 63,64 In this study, Se treatment of AgNPs exposed rats showed alleviation of the histopathological changes in rat livers.…”

The in Vitro Effect of Polyvinylpyrrolidone and Citrate Coated Silver Nanoparticles on Erythrocytic Oxidative Damage and Eryptosis

“…In addition, coating has been reported to play an important role in NPs toxicity. In this context, in vivo studies have reported that polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and citrate (CT) coated AgNPs induce tissue specific toxicity and aggravate cardiac ischemic reperfusion injury [20,21]. Moreover, a previous in vitro study has shown that PVPand CT-AgNPs induce toxicity in J774A.1 macrophage and HT29 epithelial cells [22].…”

Functional status of reproductive system under treatment of silver nanoparticles in female mice

“…The largest share of silver that reaches the blood is filtered by the liver and excreted through the gall. 7,9,15 The scheme of silver treatment has been described depending on the size in the liver and it has been suggested that absorption of silver by the Kupffer cells hardly occurs after administration of 100 nm AgNPs, while the introduction of 10 nm and 40 nm AgNPs led to the absorption of silver both endothelial cells and hepatocytes, in addition to the Kupffer cells. Only occasionally, silver was identified in gallbladder of 10 nm AgNP-treated mice (within the epithelial cells of the gallbladder and endothelial cells of blood vessels).…”

“…In lungs silver was found in the alveolar walls, capillaries, and interstitial tissue. 15 In literature, there are data about the impact of nanoparticles on oocytes. [16][17][18] There have been published data about the effect nanoparticles of gold, silver, and gold-silver alloy, which were covered with bovine serum albumin (BSA) on in vitro cumulus-oocytes-cellcomplexes of pigs.…”