Acute and subacute pulmonary toxicity and mortality in mice after intratracheal instillation of ZnO nanoparticles in three laboratories

TY - JOUR

T1 - Acute and subacute pulmonary toxicity and mortality in mice after intratracheal instillation of ZnO nanoparticles in three laboratories

AU - Jacobsen, Nicklas Raun

AU - Stoeger, Tobias

AU - van den Brule, Sybille

AU - Saber, Anne Thoustrup

AU - Beyerle, Andrea

AU - Vietti, Giulia

AU - Mortensen, Alicja

AU - Szarek, Józef

AU - Budtz, Hans Christian

AU - Kermanizadeh, Ali

AU - Banerjee, Atrayee

AU - Ercal, Nuran

AU - Vogel, Ulla

AU - Wallin, Erik Håkan Richard

AU - Møller, Peter

N1 - Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

PY - 2015/11/1

Y1 - 2015/11/1

N2 - Inhalation is the main pathway of ZnO exposure in the occupational environment but only few studies have addressed toxic effects after pulmonary exposure to ZnO nanoparticles (NP). Here we present results from three studies of pulmonary exposure and toxicity of ZnO NP in mice. The studies were prematurely terminated because interim results unexpectedly showed severe pulmonary toxicity. High bolus doses of ZnO NP (25 up to 100 μg; ≥1.4 mg/kg) were clearly associated with a dose dependent mortality in the mice. Lower doses (≥6 μg; ≥0.3 mg/kg) elicited acute toxicity in terms of reduced weight gain, desquamation of epithelial cells with concomitantly increased barrier permeability of the alveolar/blood as well as DNA damage. Oxidative stress was shown via a strong increase in lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione in the pulmonary tissue. Two months post-exposure revealed no obvious toxicity for 12.5 and 25 μg on a range of parameters. However, mice that survived a high dose (50 μg; 2.7 mg/kg) had an increased pulmonary collagen accumulation (fibrosis) at a similar level as a high bolus dose of crystalline silica. The recovery from these toxicological effects appeared dose-dependent. The results indicate that alveolar deposition of ZnO NP may cause significant adverse health effects.

AB - Inhalation is the main pathway of ZnO exposure in the occupational environment but only few studies have addressed toxic effects after pulmonary exposure to ZnO nanoparticles (NP). Here we present results from three studies of pulmonary exposure and toxicity of ZnO NP in mice. The studies were prematurely terminated because interim results unexpectedly showed severe pulmonary toxicity. High bolus doses of ZnO NP (25 up to 100 μg; ≥1.4 mg/kg) were clearly associated with a dose dependent mortality in the mice. Lower doses (≥6 μg; ≥0.3 mg/kg) elicited acute toxicity in terms of reduced weight gain, desquamation of epithelial cells with concomitantly increased barrier permeability of the alveolar/blood as well as DNA damage. Oxidative stress was shown via a strong increase in lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione in the pulmonary tissue. Two months post-exposure revealed no obvious toxicity for 12.5 and 25 μg on a range of parameters. However, mice that survived a high dose (50 μg; 2.7 mg/kg) had an increased pulmonary collagen accumulation (fibrosis) at a similar level as a high bolus dose of crystalline silica. The recovery from these toxicological effects appeared dose-dependent. The results indicate that alveolar deposition of ZnO NP may cause significant adverse health effects.

U2 - 10.1016/j.fct.2015.08.008

DO - 10.1016/j.fct.2015.08.008

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26260750

SN - 0278-6915

VL - 85

SP - 84

EP - 95

JO - Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

JF - Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

ER -