Articles

Inhaled nanomaterials and the respiratory microbiome: clinical, immunological and toxicological perspectives

Our development and usage of engineered nanomaterials has grown exponentially despite concerns about their unfavourable cardiorespiratory consequence, one that parallels ambient ultrafine particle exposure fro...

Authors: Tuang Yeow Poh, Nur A’tikah Binte Mohamed Ali, Micheál Mac Aogáin, Mustafa Hussain Kathawala, Magdiel Inggrid Setyawati, Kee Woei Ng and Sanjay Haresh Chotirmall

Graphene quantum dots in alveolar macrophage: uptake-exocytosis, accumulation in nuclei, nuclear responses and DNA cleavage

Given the tremendous potential for graphene quantum dots (QDs) in biomedical applications, a thorough understanding of the interaction of these materials with macrophages is essential because macrophages are o...

Authors: Lina Xu, Yanhui Dai, Zhenyu Wang, Jian Zhao, Fei Li, Jason C. White and Baoshan Xing

Chronic pulmonary exposure to traffic-related fine particulate matter causes brain impairment in adult rats

Effects of air pollution on neurotoxicity and behavioral alterations have been reported. The objective of this study was to investigate the pathophysiology caused by particulate matter (PM) in the brain. We ex...

Authors: Chi-Hsiang Shih, Jen-Kun Chen, Li-Wei Kuo, Kuan-Hung Cho, Ta-Chih Hsiao, Zhe-Wei Lin, Yi-Syuan Lin, Jiunn-Horng Kang, Yu-Chun Lo, Kai-Jen Chuang, Tsun-Jen Cheng and Hsiao-Chi Chuang

Group II innate lymphoid cells and microvascular dysfunction from pulmonary titanium dioxide nanoparticle exposure

The cardiovascular effects of pulmonary exposure to engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are poorly understood, and the reproductive consequences are even less understood. Inflammation remains the most frequently ex...

Authors: Alaeddin Bashir Abukabda, Carroll Rolland McBride, Thomas Paul Batchelor, William Travis Goldsmith, Elizabeth Compton Bowdridge, Krista Lee Garner, Sherri Friend and Timothy Robert Nurkiewicz

In vitro nanoparticle dosimetry for adherent growing cell monolayers covering bottom and lateral walls

Even though a continuously high number of in vitro studies on nanoparticles are being published, the issue of correct dose matter is often not sufficiently taken into account. Due to their size, the diffusion ...

Authors: Linda Böhmert, Laura König, Holger Sieg, Dajana Lichtenstein, Niklas Paul, Albert Braeuning, Andreas Voigt and Alfonso Lampen

Usefulness of myeloperoxidase as a biomarker for the ranking of pulmonary toxicity of nanomaterials

In order to examine whether myeloperoxidase (MPO) can be a useful marker for evaluating the pulmonary toxicity of nanomaterials, we analyzed MPO protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples obtained ...

Authors: Taisuke Tomonaga, Hiroto Izumi, Yukiko Yoshiura, Toshihiko Myojo, Takako Oyabu, Byeong-Woo Lee, Takami Okada, Takashi Marui, Ke-Yong Wang, Masaru Kubo, Manabu Shimada, Shingo Noguchi, Chinatsu Nishida, Kazuhiro Yatera and Yasuo Morimoto

Neuroinflammation is induced by tongue-instilled ZnO nanoparticles via the Ca²⁺-dependent NF-κB and MAPK pathways

The extensive biological applications of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in stomatology have created serious concerns about their biotoxicity. In our previous study, ZnO NPs were confirmed to transfer to th...

Authors: Huimin Liang, Aijie Chen, Xuan Lai, Jia Liu, Junrong Wu, Yiyuan Kang, Xinying Wang and Longquan Shao

Genotoxic and epigenotoxic effects in mice exposed to concentrated ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) from São Paulo city, Brazil

The Metropolitan Area of São Paulo has a unique composition of atmospheric pollutants, and positive correlations between exposure and the risk of diseases and mortality have been observed. Here we assessed the...

Authors: Antonio Anax Falcão de Oliveira, Tiago Franco de Oliveira, Michelle Francini Dias, Marisa Helena Gennari Medeiros, Paolo Di Mascio, Mariana Veras, Miriam Lemos, Tania Marcourakis, Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva and Ana Paula Melo Loureiro

Short-term effects of fine particulate matter and ozone on the cardiac conduction system in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization

Air pollution-induced changes in cardiac electrophysiological properties could be a pathway linking air pollution and cardiovascular events. The evidence of air pollution effects on the cardiac conduction syst...

Authors: Siqi Zhang, Susanne Breitner, Wayne E Cascio, Robert B Devlin, Lucas M Neas, David Diaz-Sanchez, William E Kraus, Joel Schwartz, Elizabeth R Hauser, Annette Peters and Alexandra Schneider

Grouping of nanomaterials to read-across hazard endpoints: from data collection to assessment of the grouping hypothesis by application of chemoinformatic techniques

An increasing number of manufactured nanomaterials (NMs) are being used in industrial products and need to be registered under the REACH legislation. The hazard characterisation of all these forms is not only ...

Authors: L. Lamon, D. Asturiol, A. Richarz, E. Joossens, R. Graepel, K. Aschberger and A. Worth

Maternal inhalation of carbon black nanoparticles induces neurodevelopmental changes in mouse offspring

Engineered nanoparticles are smaller than 100 nm and designed to improve or creating even new physico-chemical properties. Consequently, toxicological properties of materials may change as size reaches the nm ...

Authors: Masakazu Umezawa, Atsuto Onoda, Irina Korshunova, Alexander C. Ø. Jensen, Ismo K. Koponen, Keld A. Jensen, Konstantin Khodosevich, Ulla Vogel and Karin S. Hougaard

Differential effects of diesel exhaust particles on T cell differentiation and autoimmune disease

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) has been associated with increased incidence and severity of autoimmune disease. Diesel PM is primarily composed of an elemental carbon core and adsorbed organic compounds s...

Authors: Chelsea A. O’Driscoll, Leah A. Owens, Madeline E. Gallo, Erica J. Hoffmann, Amin Afrazi, Mei Han, John H. Fechner, James J. Schauer, Christopher A. Bradfield and Joshua D. Mezrich

Cardiovascular and inflammatory mechanisms in healthy humans exposed to air pollution in the vicinity of a steel mill

There is a paucity of mechanistic information that is central to the understanding of the adverse health effects of source emission exposures. To identify source emission-related effects, blood and saliva samp...

Authors: Premkumari Kumarathasan, Renaud Vincent, Erica Blais, Agnieszka Bielecki, Josée Guénette, Alain Filiatreault, Orly Brion, Sabit Cakmak, Errol M. Thomson, Robin Shutt, Lisa Marie Kauri, Mamun Mahmud, Ling Liu and Robert Dales

Effects of differently shaped TiO₂NPs (nanospheres, nanorods and nanowires) on the in vitro model (Caco-2/HT29) of the intestinal barrier

The biological effects of nanoparticles depend on several characteristics such as size and shape that must be taken into account in any type of assessment. The increased use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO

Authors: Alba García-Rodríguez, Laura Vila, Constanza Cortés, Alba Hernández and Ricard Marcos

Calcium-dependent cyto- and genotoxicity of nickel metal and nickel oxide nanoparticles in human lung cells

Genotoxicity is an important toxicological endpoint due to the link to diseases such as cancer. Therefore, an increased understanding regarding genotoxicity and underlying mechanisms is needed for assessing th...

Authors: Sebastiano Di Bucchianico, Anda R. Gliga, Emma Åkerlund, Sara Skoglund, Inger Odnevall Wallinder, Bengt Fadeel and Hanna L. Karlsson

Phosphonate coating of SiO₂ nanoparticles abrogates inflammatory effects and local changes of the lipid composition in the rat lung: a complementary bioimaging study

The well-known inflammatory and fibrogenic changes of the lung upon crystalline silica are accompanied by early changes of the phospholipid composition (PLC) as detected in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF)...

Authors: Mandy Großgarten, Matthias Holzlechner, Antje Vennemann, Anna Balbekova, Karin Wieland, Michael Sperling, Bernhard Lendl, Martina Marchetti-Deschmann, Uwe Karst and Martin Wiemann

The effects of facemasks on airway inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in healthy young adults: a double-blind, randomized, controlled crossover study

Facemasks are increasingly worn during air pollution episodes in China, but their protective effects are poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the filtration efficiencies of N95 facemasks and the cardiopulmo...

Authors: Tianjia Guan, Songhe Hu, Yiqun Han, Ruoyu Wang, Qindan Zhu, Yaoqian Hu, Hanqing Fan and Tong Zhu

Silica nanoparticles induce neurodegeneration-like changes in behavior, neuropathology, and affect synapse through MAPK activation

Silica nanoparticles (SiO₂-NPs) are naturally enriched and broadly utilized in the manufacturing industry. While previous studies have demonstrated toxicity in neuronal cell lines after SiO₂-NPs exposure, the rol...

Authors: Ran You, Yuen-Shan Ho, Clara Hiu-Ling Hung, Yan Liu, Chun-Xia Huang, Hei-Nga Chan, See-Lok Ho, Sheung-Yeung Lui, Hung-Wing Li and Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang

Ingested engineered nanomaterials: state of science in nanotoxicity testing and future research needs

Engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are used extensively in food products to fulfill a number of roles, including enhancement of color and texture, for nutritional fortification, enhanced bioavailability, improved ...

Authors: Ikjot Singh Sohal, Kevin S. O’Fallon, Peter Gaines, Philip Demokritou and Dhimiter Bello

Ambient fine particulate matter exposure induces reversible cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis in juvenile and older female mice

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the advanced world, and age is an important determinant of cardiac function. The purpose of the study is to determine whether the PM_2.5-induced cardiac ...

Authors: Guohua Qin, Jin Xia, Yingying Zhang, Lianghong Guo, Rui Chen and Nan Sang

Developmental basis for intestinal barrier against the toxicity of graphene oxide

Intestinal barrier is crucial for animals against translocation of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) into secondary targeted organs. However, the molecular mechanisms for the role of intestinal barrier against E...

Authors: Mingxia Ren, Li Zhao, Xuecheng Ding, Natalia Krasteva, Qi Rui and Dayong Wang

Predicting the in vivo pulmonary toxicity induced by acute exposure to poorly soluble nanomaterials by using advanced in vitro methods

Animal models remain at that time a reference tool to predict potential pulmonary adverse effects of nanomaterials in humans. However, in a context of reduction of the number of animals used in experimentation...

Authors: Thomas Loret, Françoise Rogerieux, Bénédicte Trouiller, Anne Braun, Christophe Egles and Ghislaine Lacroix

Cerium dioxide nanoparticles exacerbate house dust mite induced type II airway inflammation

Nanomaterial inhalation represents a potential hazard for respiratory conditions such as asthma. Cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO₂NPs) have the ability to modify disease outcome but have not been investigated fo...

Authors: Kirsty Meldrum, Sarah B. Robertson, Isabella Römer, Tim Marczylo, Lareb S. N. Dean, Andrew Rogers, Timothy W. Gant, Rachel Smith, Terry D. Tetley and Martin O. Leonard

An updated review of the genotoxicity of respirable crystalline silica

Human exposure to (certain forms of) crystalline silica (CS) potentially results in adverse effects on human health. Since 1997 IARC has classified CS as a Group 1 carcinogen [1], which was confirmed in a later r...

Authors: Paul J. A. Borm, Paul Fowler and David Kirkland

Association of pulmonary, cardiovascular, and hematologic metrics with carbon nanotube and nanofiber exposure among U.S. workers: a cross-sectional study

Commercial use of carbon nanotubes and nanofibers (CNT/F) in composites and electronics is increasing; however, little is known about health effects among workers. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 10...

Authors: Mary K. Schubauer-Berigan, Matthew M. Dahm, Aaron Erdely, John D. Beard, M. Eileen Birch, Douglas E. Evans, Joseph E. Fernback, Robert R. Mercer, Stephen J. Bertke, Tracy Eye and Marie A. de Perio

Lipophilic components of diesel exhaust particles induce pro-inflammatory responses in human endothelial cells through AhR dependent pathway(s)

Exposure to traffic-derived particulate matter (PM), such as diesel exhaust particles (DEP), is a leading environmental cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and may contribute to endothelial dysfunction and ...

Authors: Bendik C. Brinchmann, Tonje Skuland, Mia H. Rambøl, Krisztina Szoke, Jan E. Brinchmann, Arno C. Gutleb, Elisa Moschini, Alena Kubátová, Klara Kukowski, Eric Le Ferrec, Dominique Lagadic-Gossmann, Per E. Schwarze, Marit Låg, Magne Refsnes, Johan Øvrevik and Jørn A. Holme

Radical containing combustion derived particulate matter enhance pulmonary Th17 inflammation via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor

Pollutant particles containing environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) are formed during many combustion processes (e.g. thermal remediation of hazardous wastes, diesel/gasoline combustion, wood smoke...

Authors: Sridhar Jaligama, Vivek S. Patel, Pingli Wang, Asmaa Sallam, Jeffrey Harding, Matthew Kelley, Skylar R. Mancuso, Tammy R. Dugas and Stephania A. Cormier

Multi-cellular human bronchial models exposed to diesel exhaust particles: assessment of inflammation, oxidative stress and macrophage polarization

Diesel exhaust particles (DEP) are a major component of outdoor air pollution. DEP mediated pulmonary effects are plausibly linked to inflammatory and oxidative stress response in which macrophages (MQ), epith...

Authors: Jie Ji, Swapna Upadhyay, Xiaomiao Xiong, Maria Malmlöf, Thomas Sandström, Per Gerde and Lena Palmberg

Prenatal and early-life diesel exhaust exposure causes autism-like behavioral changes in mice

Escalating prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in recent decades has triggered increasing efforts in understanding roles played by environmental risk factors as a way to address this widespread publi...

Authors: Yu-Chi Chang, Toby B. Cole and Lucio G. Costa

Exposure to concentrated ambient PM_2.5 alters the composition of gut microbiota in a murine model

Exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) correlates with abnormal glucose homeostasis, but the underlying biological mechanism has not been fully understood. The gut microbiota is an emerging crucial p...

Authors: Wanjun Wang, Ji Zhou, Minjie Chen, Xingke Huang, Xiaoyun Xie, Weihua Li, Qi Cao, Haidong Kan, Yanyi Xu and Zhekang Ying

Carbon black suppresses the osteogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells: the role of mitochondria

The rapid increase in carbon black poses threats to human health. We evaluated the effect of CB (Printex 90) on the osteogenesis of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Mitochondria play an impor...

Authors: Yulai Shen, Lu Wu, Dongdong Qin, Yankai Xia, Zhu Zhou, Xuemei Zhang and Xin Wu

Detection of titanium particles in human liver and spleen and possible health implications

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is produced at high volumes and applied in many consumer and food products. Recent toxicokinetic modelling indicated the potential of TiO₂ to accumulate in human liver and spleen upon dail...

Authors: M. B. Heringa, R. J. B. Peters, R. L. A. W. Bleys, M. K. van der Lee, P. C. Tromp, P. C. E. van Kesteren, J. C. H. van Eijkeren, A. K. Undas, A. G. Oomen and H. Bouwmeester

Early-life exposure to three size-fractionated ultrafine and fine atmospheric particulates in Beijing exacerbates asthma development in mature mice

Epidemiological studies have suggested that elevated levels of air pollution contribute to an increased incidence or severity of asthma. Although late-onset adult asthma seems to be more attributable to enviro...

Authors: Mei Mei, Haojun Song, Lina Chen, Bin Hu, Ru Bai, Diandou Xu, Ying Liu, Yuliang Zhao and Chunying Chen

Carbon load in airway macrophages as a biomarker of exposure to particulate air pollution; a longitudinal study of an international Panel

Carbon load in airway macrophages (AM) has been proposed as an internal marker to assess long-term exposure to combustion-derived pollutant particles. However, it is not known how this biomarker is affected by...

Authors: Yang Bai, Hannelore Bové, Tim S. Nawrot and Benoit Nemery

Vasomotor function in rat arteries after ex vivo and intragastric exposure to food-grade titanium dioxide and vegetable carbon particles

Humans are continuously exposed to particles in the gastrointestinal tract. Exposure may occur directly through ingestion of particles via food or indirectly by removal of inhaled material from the airways by ...

Authors: Ditte Marie Jensen, Daniel Vest Christophersen, Majid Sheykhzade, Gry Freja Skovsted, Jens Lykkesfeldt, Rasmus Münter, Martin Roursgaard, Steffen Loft and Peter Møller

Concentration-dependent systemic response after inhalation of nano-sized zinc oxide particles in human volunteers

Inhalation of high concentrations of zinc oxide particles (ZnO) may cause metal fume fever. In an earlier human inhalation study, no effects were observed after exposure to ZnO concentrations of 0.5 mg/m³. Furthe...

Authors: Christian Monsé, Olaf Hagemeyer, Monika Raulf, Birger Jettkant, Vera van Kampen, Benjamin Kendzia, Vitali Gering, Günther Kappert, Tobias Weiss, Nadin Ulrich, Eike-Maximilian Marek, Jürgen Bünger, Thomas Brüning and Rolf Merget

Editorial: dose-dependent ZnO particle-induced acute phase response in humans warrants re-evaluation of occupational exposure limits for metal oxides

Epidemiological studies link inhalation of particles to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Inhaled particles may induce cardiovascular disease by several different mechanisms including translocation of ...

Authors: Ulla Vogel and Flemming R. Cassee

Differences in MWCNT- and SWCNT-induced DNA methylation alterations in association with the nuclear deposition

Subtle DNA methylation alterations mediated by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) exposure might contribute to pathogenesis and disease susceptibility. It is known that both multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and sin...

Authors: Deniz Öner, Manosij Ghosh, Hannelore Bové, Matthieu Moisse, Bram Boeckx, Radu C. Duca, Katrien Poels, Katrien Luyts, Eveline Putzeys, Kirsten Van Landuydt, Jeroen AJ Vanoirbeek, Marcel Ameloot, Diether Lambrechts, Lode Godderis and Peter HM Hoet

Pulmonary exposure to carbonaceous nanomaterials and sperm quality

Semen quality parameters are potentially affected by nanomaterials in several ways: Inhaled nanosized particles are potent inducers of pulmonary inflammation, leading to the release of inflammatory mediators. ...

Authors: Astrid Skovmand, Anna Jacobsen Lauvås, Preben Christensen, Ulla Vogel, Karin Sørig Hougaard and Sandra Goericke-Pesch

The crystal structure of titanium dioxide nanoparticles influences immune activity in vitro and in vivo

The use of engineered nanoparticles (NP) is widespread and still increasing. There is a great need to assess their safety. Newly engineered NP enter the market in a large variety; therefore saf...

Authors: Rob J. Vandebriel, Jolanda P. Vermeulen, Laurens B. van Engelen, Britt de Jong, Lisa M. Verhagen, Liset J. de la Fonteyne-Blankestijn, Marieke E. Hoonakker and Wim H. de Jong

ISD3: a particokinetic model for predicting the combined effects of particle sedimentation, diffusion and dissolution on cellular dosimetry for in vitro systems

The development of particokinetic models describing the delivery of insoluble or poorly soluble nanoparticles to cells in liquid cell culture systems has improved the basis for dose-response analysis, hazard r...

Authors: Dennis G. Thomas, Jordan N. Smith, Brian D. Thrall, Donald R. Baer, Hadley Jolley, Prabhakaran Munusamy, Vamsi Kodali, Philip Demokritou, Joel Cohen and Justin G. Teeguarden

The antihyperlipidemic effects of fullerenol nanoparticles via adjusting the gut microbiota in vivo

Nanoparticles (NPs) administered orally will meet the gut microbiota, but their impacts on microbiota homeostasis and the consequent physiological relevance remain largely unknown. Here, we describe the modula...

Authors: Juan Li, Runhong Lei, Xin Li, Fengxia Xiong, Quanyang Zhang, Yue Zhou, Shengmei Yang, Yanan Chang, Kui Chen, Weihong Gu, Chongming Wu and Gengmei Xing

PM_2.5-induced oxidative stress increases intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression in lung epithelial cells through the IL-6/AKT/STAT3/NF-κB-dependent pathway

Epidemiological studies have shown that ambient air pollution is closely associated with increased respiratory inflammation and decreased lung function. Particulate matters (PMs) are major components of air po...

Authors: Chen-Wei Liu, Tzu-Lin Lee, Yu-Chen Chen, Chan-Jung Liang, Shu-Huei Wang, June-Horng Lue, Jaw-Shiun Tsai, Shih-Wei Lee, Shun-Hua Chen, Yi-Fan Yang, Tzu-Yi Chuang and Yuh-Lien Chen

Maternal engineered nanomaterial inhalation during gestation alters the fetal transcriptome

The integration of engineered nanomaterials (ENM) is well-established and widespread in clinical, commercial, and domestic applications. Cardiovascular dysfunctions have been reported in adult populations afte...

Authors: P. A. Stapleton, Q. A. Hathaway, C. E. Nichols, A. B. Abukabda, M. V. Pinti, D. L. Shepherd, C. R. McBride, J. Yi, V. C. Castranova, J. M. Hollander and T. R. Nurkiewicz

Ambient air pollution and thrombosis

Air pollution is a growing public health concern of global significance. Acute and chronic exposure is known to impair cardiovascular function, exacerbate disease and increase cardiovascular mortality. Several...

Authors: Sarah Robertson and Mark R. Miller

Primary genotoxicity in the liver following pulmonary exposure to carbon black nanoparticles in mice

Little is known about the mechanism underlying the genotoxicity observed in the liver following pulmonary exposure to carbon black (CB) nanoparticles (NPs). The genotoxicity could be caused by the presence of ...

Authors: Justyna Modrzynska, Trine Berthing, Gitte Ravn-Haren, Nicklas Raun Jacobsen, Ingrid Konow Weydahl, Katrin Loeschner, Alicja Mortensen, Anne Thoustrup Saber and Ulla Vogel

Sub-chronic inhalation of lead oxide nanoparticles revealed their broad distribution and tissue-specific subcellular localization in target organs

Lead is well known environmental pollutant, which can cause toxic effects in multiple organ systems. However, the influence of lead oxide nanoparticles, frequently emitted to the environment by high temperatur...

Authors: J. Dumková, T. Smutná, L. Vrlíková, P. Le Coustumer, Z. Večeřa, B. Dočekal, P. Mikuška, L. Čapka, P. Fictum, A. Hampl and M. Buchtová

Towards a more effective and efficient governance and regulation of nanomaterials

The uncertainty regarding the effects and risks of nanomaterials on human health and the environment, and how they should be tested and assessed in the context of current regulations, is clearly holding back t...

Authors: Tom Van Teunenbroek, James Baker and Aart Dijkzeul

Suppression of PTPN6 exacerbates aluminum oxide nanoparticle-induced COPD-like lesions in mice through activation of STAT pathway

Inhaled nanoparticles can deposit in the deep lung where they interact with pulmonary cells. Despite numerous studies on pulmonary nanotoxicity, detailed molecular mechanisms of specific nanomaterial-induced l...

Authors: Xiaobo Li, Hongbao Yang, Shenshen Wu, Qingtao Meng, Hao Sun, Runze Lu, Jian Cui, Yuxin Zheng, Wen Chen, Rong Zhang, Michael Aschner and Rui Chen

On the pivotal role of dose for particle toxicology and risk assessment: exposure is a poor surrogate for delivered dose

Authors: Otmar Schmid and Flemming R. Cassee