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Saravanan J, Nair A, Krishna SS, Viswanad V. Nanomaterials in biology and medicine: a new perspective on its toxicity and applications. Drug Chem Toxicol 2024; 47:767-784. [PMID: 38682270 DOI: 10.1080/01480545.2024.2340002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Nanotechnology offers excellent prospects for application in biology and medicine. It is used for detecting biological molecules, imaging, and as therapeutic agents. Due to nano-size (1-100 nm) and high surface-to-volume ratio, nanomaterials possess highly specific and distinct characteristics in the biological environment. Recently, the use of nanomaterials as sensors, theranostic, and drug delivery agents has become popular. The safety of these materials is being questioned because of their biological toxicity, such as inflammatory responses, cardiotoxicity, cytotoxicity, inhalation problems, etc., which can have a negative impact on the environment. This review paper focuses primarily on the toxicological effects of nanomaterials along with the mechanisms involved in cell interactions and the generation of reactive oxygen species by nanoparticles, which is the fundamental source of nanotoxicity. We also emphasize the greener synthesis of nanomaterials in biomedicine, as it is non-hazardous, feasible, and economical. The review articles shed light on the complexities of nanotoxicology in biosystems and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janani Saravanan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Amrita School of Pharmacy, AIMS Health Science Campus, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, India
| | - Ayushi Nair
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Amrita School of Pharmacy, AIMS Health Science Campus, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, India
| | - Sivadas Swathi Krishna
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Amrita School of Pharmacy, AIMS Health Science Campus, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, India
| | - Vidya Viswanad
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Amrita School of Pharmacy, AIMS Health Science Campus, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, India
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2
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Pereira D, Ferreira S, Ramírez-Rodríguez GB, Alves N, Sousa Â, Valente JFA. Silver and Antimicrobial Polymer Nanocomplexes to Enhance Biocidal Effects. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1256. [PMID: 38279254 PMCID: PMC10815966 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance has become a major problem over the years and threatens to remain in the future, at least until a solution is found. Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and antimicrobial polymers (APs) are known for their antimicrobial properties and can be considered an alternative approach to fighting resistant microorganisms. Hence, the main goal of this research is to shed some light on the antimicrobial properties of Ag-NPs and APs (chitosan (CH), poly-L-lysine (PLL), ε-poly-L-lysine (ε-PLL), and dopamine (DA)) when used alone and complexed to explore the potential enhancement of the antimicrobial effect of the combination Ag-NPs + Aps. The resultant nanocomplexes were chemically and morphologically characterized by UV-visible spectra, zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Moreover, the Ag-NPs, APs, and Ag-NPs + APs nanocomplexes were tested against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and the Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, as well as the fungi Candida albicans (C. albicans). Overall, the antimicrobial results showed potentiation of the activity of the nanocomplexes with a focus on C. albicans. For the biofilm eradication ability, Ag-NPs and Ag-NPs + DA were able to significantly remove S. aureus preformed biofilm, and Ag-NPs + CH were able to significantly destroy C. albicans biofilm, with both performing better than Ag-NPs alone. Overall, we have proven the successful conjugation of Ag-NPs and APs, with some of these formulations showing potential to be further investigated for the treatment of microbial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Pereira
- CICS-UBI-Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Avenida Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal; (D.P.); (S.F.)
| | - Susana Ferreira
- CICS-UBI-Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Avenida Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal; (D.P.); (S.F.)
| | - Gloria Belén Ramírez-Rodríguez
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry (BioNanoMetals Group), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Avenida Fuente Nueva, s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain;
| | - Nuno Alves
- CDRSP-PL-Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development, Polytechnic of Leiria, Marinha Grande, 2430-028 Leiria, Portugal;
| | - Ângela Sousa
- CICS-UBI-Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Avenida Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal; (D.P.); (S.F.)
| | - Joana F. A. Valente
- CDRSP-PL-Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development, Polytechnic of Leiria, Marinha Grande, 2430-028 Leiria, Portugal;
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Kim DY, Patel SKS, Rasool K, Lone N, Bhatia SK, Seth CS, Ghodake GS. Bioinspired silver nanoparticle-based nanocomposites for effective control of plant pathogens: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168318. [PMID: 37956842 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Plant pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, pose significant challenges to the farming community due to their extensive diversity, the rapidly evolving phenomenon of multi-drug resistance (MDR), and the limited availability of effective control measures. Amid mounting global pressure, particularly from the World Health Organization, to limit the use of antibiotics in agriculture and livestock management, there is increasing consideration of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) as promising alternatives for antimicrobial applications. Studies focusing on the application of ENMs in the fight against MDR pathogens are receiving increasing attention, driven by significant losses in agriculture and critical knowledge gaps in this crucial field. In this review, we explore the potential contributions of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their nanocomposites in combating plant diseases, within the emerging interdisciplinary arena of nano-phytopathology. AgNPs and their nanocomposites are increasingly acknowledged as promising countermeasures against plant pathogens, owing to their unique physicochemical characteristics and inherent antimicrobial properties. This review explores recent advancements in engineered nanocomposites, highlights their diverse mechanisms for pathogen control, and draws attention to their potential in antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral applications. In the discussion, we briefly address three crucial dimensions of combating plant pathogens: green synthesis approaches, toxicity-environmental concerns, and factors influencing antimicrobial efficacy. Finally, we outline recent advancements, existing challenges, and prospects in scholarly research to facilitate the integration of nanotechnology across interdisciplinary fields for more effective treatment and prevention of plant diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dae-Young Kim
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32 Dongguk-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Kashif Rasool
- Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nasreena Lone
- School of Allied Healthcare and Sciences, JAIN Deemed University, Whitefield, Bangalore 560066, India
| | - Shashi Kant Bhatia
- Department of Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Gajanan Sampatrao Ghodake
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32 Dongguk-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
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4
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Qi M, Wang X, Chen J, Liu Y, Liu Y, Jia J, Li L, Yue T, Gao L, Yan B, Zhao B, Xu M. Transformation, Absorption and Toxicological Mechanisms of Silver Nanoparticles in the Gastrointestinal Tract Following Oral Exposure. ACS NANO 2023; 17:8851-8865. [PMID: 37145866 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Oral exposure is known as the primary way for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which are commonly used as food additives or antibacterial agents in commercial products, to enter the human body. Although the health risk of AgNPs has been a concern and extensively researched over the past few decades, there are still numerous knowledge gaps that need to be filled to disclose what AgNPs experience in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and how they cause oral toxicity. In order to gain more insight into the fate of AgNPs in the GIT, the main gastrointestinal transformation of AgNPs, including aggregation/disaggregation, oxidative dissolution, chlorination, sulfuration, and corona formation, is first described. Second, the intestinal absorption of AgNPs is presented to show how AgNPs interact with epithelial cells and cross the intestinal barrier. Then, more importantly, we make an overview of the mechanisms underlying the oral toxicity of AgNPs in light of recent advances as well as the factors affecting the nano-bio interactions in the GIT, which have rarely been thoroughly elaborated in published literature. At last, we emphatically discuss the issues that need to be addressed in the future to answer the question "How does oral exposure to AgNPs cause detrimental effects on the human body?".
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengying Qi
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xudong Wang
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiahao Chen
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yin Liu
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yun Liu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, HFIPS, Anhui, Chinese Academy of Science, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Jianbo Jia
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Lingxiangyu Li
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tongtao Yue
- Institute of Coastal Environmental Pollution Control, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Lirong Gao
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bing Yan
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Bin Zhao
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ming Xu
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Varga M, Žuna Pfeiffer T, Begović L, Mlinarić S, Horvatić J, Miloloža T, Štolfa Čamagajevac I. Physiological Response of Nutrient-Stressed Lemna gibba to Pulse Colloidal Silver Treatment. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1367. [PMID: 36987055 PMCID: PMC10055381 DOI: 10.3390/plants12061367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater is a source of many environmental pollutants and potentially high concentrations of essential plant nutrients. Site-specific nutrient levels may influence the response of exposed plants to a chemical stressor. In the present study, we focused on the responses of model aquatic macrophyte swollen duckweed (Lemna gibba L.) to a short pulse exposure and a commercially available colloidal silver product as a potential environmental chemical stressor, combined with two levels of total nitrogen and phosphorus nutrition. Treatment with the commercially available colloidal silver product caused oxidative stress in L. gibba plants under both high and low nutrient levels. Plants grown and treated under high nutrient levels showed lower levels of lipid peroxidation and hydrogen peroxide accumulation, as well as higher levels of photosynthetic pigment content in comparison to treated plants under low nutrient levels. Higher free radical scavenging activity for plants treated with silver in combination with high nutrient levels resulted in better overall protection from silver-induced oxidative stress. The results showed that external nutrient levels significantly affected the L. gibba plant's response to the colloidal silver presence in the environment and that nutrient levels should be considered in the assessment of potential environmental impact for contaminants.
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Beus M, Pongrac IM, Capjak I, Ilić K, Vrček E, Ćurlin M, Milić M, Čermak AMM, Pavičić I. Particle surface functionalization affects mechanism of endocytosis and adverse effects of silver nanoparticles in mammalian kidney cells. J Appl Toxicol 2023; 43:416-430. [PMID: 36065485 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) show a plethora of possible applications due to their antimicrobial properties. Different coatings of AgNPs are used in order to increase stability, availability, and activity. However, the question about the toxicity after prolonged exposure still remains. Here, we show that different surface coatings affect in vitro toxicity and internalization of AgNPs in porcine kidney (PK15) cells. AgNPs coated with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)-sulfosuccinate (AOT), poly-L-lysine (PLL), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were toxic at the concentration of 10 mg Ag/L and higher. The toxicity increased in the following manner: PVP-AgNPs < CTAB-AgNPs < PLL-AgNPs < AOT-AgNPs < BSA-AgNPs. All types of AgNPs were internalized by the PK15 cells in a dose-dependent manner with greater internalization of AgNPs bearing positive surface charge. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) experiments showed that AgNPs were located in the lysosomal compartments, while the co-treatment with known inhibitors of endocytosis pathways suggested macropinocytosis as the preferred internalization pathway. When inside the cell, all types of AgNPs induced the formation of reactive oxygen species while decreasing the concentration of the cell's endogenous antioxidant glutathione. The comet assay indicated possible genotoxicity of tested AgNPs starting at the concentration of 2 mg Ag/L or higher, depending on the surface functionalization. This study demonstrates the toxicity of AgNPs pointing to the importance of biosafety evaluation when developing novel AgNPs-containing materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Beus
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Igor M Pongrac
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivona Capjak
- Croatian Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Krunoslav Ilić
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ena Vrček
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marija Ćurlin
- School of Medicine, Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mirta Milić
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Ivan Pavičić
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia
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Singh P, Mijakovic I. Antibacterial Effect of Silver Nanoparticles Is Stronger If the Production Host and the Targeted Pathogen Are Closely Related. Biomedicines 2022; 10:628. [PMID: 35327429 PMCID: PMC8945545 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10030628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial resistance to antibiotics is one of the key challenges that lead to the search for alternate antimicrobial treatment approaches. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are well known for their antimicrobial effects against a wide variety of drug-resistant microorganisms. AgNPs can be synthesized using microbial hosts, using a green and economical synthesis route, which produces extremely stable and highly active nanoparticles. Such green AgNPs are coated with a biological coating often referred to as a corona, originating from the production microorganism. In this study, we asked whether the composition of the biological corona might influence the antimicrobial activity of green AgNPs. To investigate this, we produced AgNPs in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 and Escherichia coli K12 MG1655, and tested them against pathogen species from the corresponding genera. AgNPs exhibited a size range of 15-40 nm for P. putida and 30-70 nm for E. coli, and both types of nanoparticles were surrounded by a thick biological corona layer, providing extreme stability. The nanoparticles remained stable over long periods and exhibited negative zeta potential values. P-AgNPs (obtained from P. putida) were tested against pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, and E-AgNPs (obtained from E. coli) were tested against pathogenic Escherichia coli UTI 89. Antimicrobial studies were conducted by Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), live/dead staining and SEM analysis. MBC of P-AgNPs against P. aeruginosa was 1 μg/mL, and MBC of E-AgNPs against E. coli UTI 89 was 8 μg/mL. In both cases, the MBC values were superior to those of green AgNPs produced in organisms unrelated to the target pathogens, available in the literature. Our results suggest that NPs produced in microorganisms closely related to the target pathogen may be more effective, indicating that the composition of the biological corona may play a crucial role in the antimicrobial mechanism of AgNPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Singh
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation, Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kogens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ivan Mijakovic
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation, Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kogens Lyngby, Denmark
- Systems and Synthetic Biology Division, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
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Biba R, Košpić K, Komazec B, Markulin D, Cvjetko P, Pavoković D, Peharec Štefanić P, Tkalec M, Balen B. Surface Coating-Modulated Phytotoxic Responses of Silver Nanoparticles in Plants and Freshwater Green Algae. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 12:24. [PMID: 35009971 PMCID: PMC8746378 DOI: 10.3390/nano12010024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been implemented in a wide range of commercial products, resulting in their unregulated release into aquatic as well as terrestrial systems. This raises concerns over their impending environmental effects. Once released into the environment, they are prone to various transformation processes that modify their reactivity. In order to increase AgNP stability, different stabilizing coatings are applied during their synthesis. However, coating agents determine particle size and shape and influence their solubility, reactivity, and overall stability as well as their behavior and transformations in the biological medium. In this review, we attempt to give an overview on how the employment of different stabilizing coatings can modulate AgNP-induced phytotoxicity with respect to growth, physiology, and gene and protein expression in terrestrial and aquatic plants and freshwater algae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Biljana Balen
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102a, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (R.B.); (K.K.); (B.K.); (D.M.); (P.C.); (D.P.); (P.P.Š.); (M.T.)
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Ćurlin M, Barbir R, Dabelić S, Ljubojević M, Goessler W, Micek V, Žuntar I, Pavić M, Božičević L, Pavičić I, Vinković Vrček I. Sex affects the response of Wistar rats to polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)-coated silver nanoparticles in an oral 28 days repeated dose toxicity study. Part Fibre Toxicol 2021; 18:38. [PMID: 34663357 PMCID: PMC8522010 DOI: 10.1186/s12989-021-00425-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in biomedicine due to their strong antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral activities. Concerns about their possible negative impacts on human and environmental health directed many researchers towards the assessment of the safety and toxicity of AgNPs in both in vitro and in vivo settings. A growing body of scientific information confirms that the biodistribution of AgNPs and their toxic effects vary depending on the particle size, coating, and dose as well as on the route of administration and duration of exposure. This study aimed to clarify the sex-related differences in the outcomes of oral 28 days repeated dose exposure to AgNPs. METHODS Wistar rats of both sexes were gavaged daily using low doses (0.1 and 1 mg Ag/kg b.w.) of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated small-sized (10 nm) AgNPs. After exposure, blood and organs of all rats were analysed through biodistribution and accumulation of Ag, whereas the state of the liver and kidneys was evaluated by the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), expression of metallothionein (Mt) genes and levels of Mt proteins. RESULTS In all animals, changes in oxidative stress markers and blood parameters were observed indicating the toxicity of AgNPs applied orally even at low doses. Sex-related differences were noticed in all assessed parameters. While female rats eliminated AgNPs from the liver and kidneys more efficiently than males when treated with low doses, the opposite was observed for animals treated with higher doses of AgNPs. Female Wistar rats exposed to 1 mg PVP-coated AgNPs/kg b.w. accumulated two to three times more silver in the blood, liver, kidney and hearth than males, while the accumulation in most organs of digestive tract was more than ten times higher compared to males. Oxidative stress responses in the organs of males, except the liver of males treated with high doses, were less intense than in the organs of females. However, both Mt genes and Mt protein expression were significantly reduced after treatment in the liver and kidneys of males, while they remained unchanged in females. CONCLUSIONS Observed toxicity effects of AgNPs in Wistar rats revealed sex-related differences in response to an oral 28 days repeated exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Ćurlin
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 3, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Rinea Barbir
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Sanja Dabelić
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Ante Kovačića 1, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marija Ljubojević
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Walter Goessler
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 1/1, 8 010, Graz, Austria
| | - Vedran Micek
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Irena Žuntar
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Ante Kovačića 1, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mirela Pavić
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Lucija Božičević
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivan Pavičić
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivana Vinković Vrček
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia.
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