ZnO nanoparticles affect nutrient transport in an in vitro model of the small intestine

Abstract

Nano-sized zinc oxide (ZnO) is present in food packaging, putting consumers at risk of ingestion. There is little information on the amount of ZnO nanoparticles (NP) present in food packaging and the effects of ZnO NP ingestion on intestinal function. To estimate physiologically relevant ZnO NP exposures from food that are commonly packaged with ZnO NP, food samples were analyzed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). An in vitro model of the small intestine was used to investigate the effects of ZnO NP exposure. Cells were exposed to pristine NP in culture medium and to NP subjected to an in vitro digestion process to better reflect the transformation that the NP undergo in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The findings show that a physiologically relevant dose of ZnO NP can cause a significant decrease in glucose transport, which is consistent with gene expression changes for the basolateral glucose transporter GLUT2. There is also evidence that the ZnO NP affect the microvilli of the intestinal cells, therefore reducing the amount of surface area available to absorb nutrients. These results suggest that the ingestion of ZnO NP can alter nutrient absorption in an in vitro model of the human small intestine.

A Guide to Human Zinc Absorption: General Overview and Recent Advances of In Vitro Intestinal Models

“…Moreover, this co-culture does not only improve the in vitro intestinal Caco-2 model regarding the presence of a mucus layer, but was also reported to optimize the cellular permeability of conventional Caco-2 monocultures [299,300] and is considered a more physiological in vitro model [256,301]. The Caco-2/HT-29-MTX model is well characterized [299,[302][303][304] and was already used to investigate the absorption of different metal species [254,[305][306][307], the effect of nanoparticles on nutrient absorption [308], and bacterial adhesion [309]. Recently, a Caco-2/HT-29-MTX model, optimized with respect to its buffer composition and basolateral serum concentration, was applied to study the absorption of zinc via the human intestinal epithelium in the presence of a mucus layer [102,103].…”

Cellular Uptake and Toxicological Effects of Differently Sized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in Intestinal Cells

“…Furthermore, they can improve mechanical, thermal, and gas barrier capacities when used as an additive in packaging [ 10 , 11 ]. Notably, ZnO NP are transferred from packaging materials to food, a phenomenon that results in direct oral human exposure to these NP [ 12 ].…”

Influence of 3-Hydroxyflavone on Colloidal Stability and Internationalization of Ag Nanomaterials Into THP-1 Macrophages

“…With the presence of H3, the retention of intracellular Calcein fluorescence further decreased. It has been shown before that exposure to ZnO NPs, 45,46 silicon dioxide NPs, 47 and TiO 2 NPs 48 altered the messenger RNA and/or protein levels of nutrient transporters in intestinal cells leading to decreased uptake of nutrients. Alternatively, it also has been shown that CdTe quantum dots 49 and TiO 2 NPs induced ABC transporters, which could be a protective mechanism against toxic NP exposure.…”