Articles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pro-inflammatory adjuvant properties of pigment-grade titanium dioxide particles are augmented by a genotype that potentiates interleukin 1β processing

Pigment-grade titanium dioxide (TiO₂) particles are an additive to some foods (E171 on ingredients lists), toothpastes, and pharma−/nutraceuticals and are absorbed, to some extent, in the human intestinal tract. ...

Authors: Sebastian Riedle, Laetitia C. Pele, Don E. Otter, Rachel E. Hewitt, Harjinder Singh, Nicole C. Roy and Jonathan J. Powell

Metabolomic effects of CeO₂, SiO₂ and CuO metal oxide nanomaterials on HepG2 cells

To better assess potential hepatotoxicity of nanomaterials, human liver HepG2 cells were exposed for 3 days to five different CeO₂ (either 30 or 100 μg/ml), 3 SiO₂ based (30 μg/ml) or 1 CuO (3 μg/ml) nanomaterial...

Authors: Kirk T. Kitchin, Steve Stirdivant, Brian L. Robinette, Benjamin T. Castellon and Xinhua Liang

Biodistribution of single and aggregated gold nanoparticles exposed to the human lung epithelial tissue barrier at the air-liquid interface

The lung represents the primary entry route for airborne particles into the human body. Most studies addressed possible adverse effects using single (nano)particles, but aerosolic nanoparticles (NPs) tend to a...

Authors: Estelle Durantie, Dimitri Vanhecke, Laura Rodriguez-Lorenzo, Flavien Delhaes, Sandor Balog, Dedy Septiadi, Joel Bourquin, Alke Petri-Fink and Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser

Kinetics and dissolution of intratracheally administered nickel oxide nanomaterials in rats

The toxicokinetics of nanomaterials are an important factor in toxicity, which may be affected by slow clearance and/or distribution in the body.

Authors: Naohide Shinohara, Guihua Zhang, Yutaka Oshima, Toshio Kobayashi, Nobuya Imatanaka, Makoto Nakai, Takeshi Sasaki, Kenji Kawaguchi and Masashi Gamo

The unrecognized occupational relevance of the interaction between engineered nanomaterials and the gastro-intestinal tract: a consensus paper from a multidisciplinary working group

There is a fundamental gap of knowledge on the health effects caused by the interaction of engineered nanomaterials (ENM) with the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT). This is partly due to the incomplete knowledge ...

Authors: Antonio Pietroiusti, Enrico Bergamaschi, Marcello Campagna, Luisa Campagnolo, Giuseppe De Palma, Sergio Iavicoli, Veruscka Leso, Andrea Magrini, Michele Miragoli, Paola Pedata, Leonardo Palombi and Ivo Iavicoli

Effects of urban coarse particles inhalation on oxidative and inflammatory parameters in the mouse lung and colon

Air pollution is a recognized aggravating factor for pulmonary diseases and has notably deleterious effects on asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia. Recent studies suggest that air pollution may also cause adverse...

Authors: Cécile Vignal, Muriel Pichavant, Laurent Y. Alleman, Madjid Djouina, Florian Dingreville, Esperanza Perdrix, Christophe Waxin, Adil Ouali Alami, Corinne Gower-Rousseau, Pierre Desreumaux and Mathilde Body-Malapel

Mechanistic insight into the impact of nanomaterials on asthma and allergic airway disease

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease known for its high susceptibility to environmental exposure. Inadvertent inhalation of engineered or incidental nanomaterials is a concern for human health, particularly...

Authors: Kirsty Meldrum, Chang Guo, Emma L. Marczylo, Timothy W. Gant, Rachel Smith and Martin O. Leonard

Impaired Ciliogenesis in differentiating human bronchial epithelia exposed to non-Cytotoxic doses of multi-walled carbon Nanotubes

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are engineered nanomaterials used for a variety of industrial and consumer products. Their high tensile strength, hydrophobicity, and semi-conductive properties have enab...

Authors: Ryan J. Snyder, Salik Hussain, Charles J. Tucker, Scott H. Randell and Stavros Garantziotis

Silica nanoparticles inhibit the cation channel TRPV4 in airway epithelial cells

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) have numerous beneficial properties and are extensively used in cosmetics and food industries as anti-caking, densifying and hydrophobic agents. However, the increasing exposure le...

Authors: Alicia Sanchez, Julio L. Alvarez, Kateryna Demydenko, Carole Jung, Yeranddy A. Alpizar, Julio Alvarez-Collazo, Stevan M. Cokic, Miguel A. Valverde, Peter H. Hoet and Karel Talavera

Protein corona: implications for nanoparticle interactions with pulmonary cells

We previously showed that cerium oxide (CeO₂), barium sulfate (BaSO₄) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) exhibited different lung toxicity and pulmonary clearance in rats. We hypothesize that these NPs acqu...

Authors: Nagarjun V. Konduru, Ramon M. Molina, Archana Swami, Flavia Damiani, Georgios Pyrgiotakis, Paulo Lin, Patrizia Andreozzi, Thomas C. Donaghey, Philip Demokritou, Silke Krol, Wolfgang Kreyling and Joseph D. Brain

Multiparametric analysis of anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of gold nanoprisms on mouse and human primary and transformed cells, biodistribution and toxicity in vivo

The special physicochemical properties of gold nanoprisms make them very useful for biomedical applications including biosensing and cancer therapy. However, it is not clear how gold nanoprisms may affect cell...

Authors: Marta Pérez-Hernández, María Moros, Grazyna Stepien, Pablo del Pino, Sebastián Menao, Marcelo de las Heras, Maykel Arias, Scott G. Mitchell, Beatriz Pelaz, Eva M. Gálvez, Jesús M. de la Fuente and Julián Pardo

An integrated methodology for assessing the impact of food matrix and gastrointestinal effects on the biokinetics and cellular toxicity of ingested engineered nanomaterials

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are increasingly added to foods to improve their quality, sensory appeal, safety and shelf-life. Human exposure to these ingested ENMs (iENMS) is inevitable, yet little is known...

Authors: Glen M. DeLoid, Yanli Wang, Klara Kapronezai, Laura Rubio Lorente, Roujie Zhang, Georgios Pyrgiotakis, Nagarjun V. Konduru, Maria Ericsson, Jason C. White, Roberto De La Torre-Roche, Hang Xiao, David Julian McClements and Philip Demokritou

In vitro toxicoproteomic analysis of A549 human lung epithelial cells exposed to urban air particulate matter and its water-soluble and insoluble fractions

Toxicity of airborne particulate matter (PM) is difficult to assess because PM composition is complex and variable due to source contribution and atmospheric transformation. In this study, we used an in vitro ...

Authors: Ngoc Q. Vuong, Dalibor Breznan, Patrick Goegan, Julie S. O’Brien, Andrew Williams, Subramanian Karthikeyan, Premkumari Kumarathasan and Renaud Vincent

Cobalt nanoparticles induce lung injury, DNA damage and mutations in mice

We and other groups have demonstrated that exposure to cobalt nanoparticles (Nano-Co) caused oxidative stress and inflammation, which have been shown to be strongly associated with genotoxic and carcinogenic e...

Authors: Rong Wan, Yiqun Mo, Zhenyu Zhang, Mizu Jiang, Shichuan Tang and Qunwei Zhang

Stat-6 signaling pathway and not Interleukin-1 mediates multi-walled carbon nanotube-induced lung fibrosis in mice: insights from an adverse outcome pathway framework

The accumulation of MWCNTs in the lung environment leads to inflammation and the development of disease similar to pulmonary fibrosis in rodents. Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) are a framework for defining an...

Authors: Jake Nikota, Allyson Banville, Laura Rose Goodwin, Dongmei Wu, Andrew Williams, Carole Lynn Yauk, Håkan Wallin, Ulla Vogel and Sabina Halappanavar

Imipramine blocks acute silicosis in a mouse model

Inhalation of crystalline silica is associated with pulmonary inflammation and silicosis. Although silicosis remains a prevalent health problem throughout the world, effective treatment choices are limited. Im...

Authors: Rupa Biswas, Kevin L. Trout, Forrest Jessop, Jack R. Harkema and Andrij Holian

Diesel engine exhaust accelerates plaque formation in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

Increasing evidence from toxicological and epidemiological studies indicates that the central nervous system is an important target for ambient air pollutants. We have investigated whether long-term inhalation...

Authors: Maja Hullmann, Catrin Albrecht, Damiën van Berlo, Miriam E. Gerlofs-Nijland, Tina Wahle, Agnes W. Boots, Jean Krutmann, Flemming R. Cassee, Thomas A. Bayer and Roel P. F. Schins

NF-κB-regulated microRNA-574-5p underlies synaptic and cognitive impairment in response to atmospheric PM_2.5 aspiration

PM_2.5 (particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm) is one of the leading environmental risk factors for the global burden of disease. Whereas increasing evidence has linked the adverse roles of PM_2.5 with cardiovascular and res...

Authors: Tingting Ku, Ben Li, Rui Gao, Yingying Zhang, Wei Yan, Xiaotong Ji, Guangke Li and Nan Sang

Erratum to: Reduction of pulmonary toxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles by phosphonate-based surface passivation

Authors: Xiaoming Cai, Anson Lee, Zhaoxia Ji, Cynthia Huang, Chong Hyun Chang, Xiang Wang, Yu-Pei Liao, Tian Xia and Ruibin Li

Extracellular vesicle-packaged miRNA release after short-term exposure to particulate matter is associated with increased coagulation

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and increased coagulation, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these associations remain unknown. Obesit...

Authors: Laura Pergoli, Laura Cantone, Chiara Favero, Laura Angelici, Simona Iodice, Eva Pinatel, Mirjam Hoxha, Laura Dioni, Marilena Letizia, Benedetta Albetti, Letizia Tarantini, Federica Rota, Pier Alberto Bertazzi, Amedea Silvia Tirelli, Vincenza Dolo, Andrea Cattaneo…

Impact of copper oxide nanomaterials on differentiated and undifferentiated Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells; assessment of cytotoxicity, barrier integrity, cytokine production and nanomaterial penetration

Copper oxide nanomaterials (CuO NMs) are exploited in a diverse array of products including antimicrobials, inks, cosmetics, textiles and food contact materials. There is therefore a need to assess the toxicit...

Authors: Victor C. Ude, David M. Brown, Luca Viale, Nilesh Kanase, Vicki Stone and Helinor J. Johnston

Prenatal tobacco smoke exposure predisposes offspring mice to exacerbated allergic airway inflammation associated with altered innate effector function

Epidemiological studies suggest that prenatal and early life environmental exposures have adverse effects on pulmonary function and are important contributors in the development of childhood asthma and allergi...

Authors: Maria Ferrini, Sophia Carvalho, Yoon Hee Cho, Britten Postma, Lucas Miranda Marques, Kent Pinkerton, Kevan Roberts and Zeina Jaffar

Composition, Respirable Fraction and Dissolution Rate of 24 Stone Wool MMVF with their Binder

Man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) are produced on a large scale for thermal insulation purposes. After extensive studies of fibre effects in the 1980ies and 1990ies, the composition of MMVF was modified to reduc...

Authors: Wendel Wohlleben, Hubert Waindok, Björn Daumann, Kai Werle, Melanie Drum and Heiko Egenolf

Comparison between micro- and nanosized copper oxide and water soluble copper chloride: interrelationship between intracellular copper concentrations, oxidative stress and DNA damage response in human lung cells

Nano- and microscale copper oxide particles (CuO NP, CuO MP) are applied for manifold purposes, enhancing exposure and thus the potential risk of adverse health effects. Based on the pronounced in vitro cytoto...

Authors: Bettina Maria Strauch, Rebecca Katharina Niemand, Nicola Lisa Winkelbeiner and Andrea Hartwig

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes-induced alterations in microRNA let-7 and its targets activate a protection mechanism by conferring a developmental timing control

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been produced and applied for diverse purposes. MWCNTs can potentially cause the adverse effects on organisms. MicroRNA let-7 and its targets of HBL-1 and LIN-41 play a...

Authors: Li Zhao, Hanxiao Wan, Qizhan Liu and Dayong Wang

STAT1-dependent and -independent pulmonary allergic and fibrogenic responses in mice after exposure to tangled versus rod-like multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Pulmonary toxicity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is influenced by physicochemical characteristics and genetic susceptibility. We hypothesized that contrasting rigidities of tangled (t) versus rod-l...

Authors: Katherine S. Duke, Alexia J. Taylor-Just, Mark D. Ihrie, Kelly A. Shipkowski, Elizabeth A. Thompson, Erinn C. Dandley, Gregory N. Parsons and James C. Bonner

Evaluating the potential of gold, silver, and silica nanoparticles to saturate mononuclear phagocytic system tissues under repeat dosing conditions

As nanoparticles (NPs) become more prevalent in the pharmaceutical industry, questions have arisen from both industry and regulatory stakeholders about the long term effects of these materials. This study was ...

Authors: James L. Weaver, Grainne A. Tobin, Taylor Ingle, Simona Bancos, David Stevens, Rodney Rouse, Kristina E. Howard, David Goodwin, Alan Knapton, Xiaohong Li, Katherine Shea, Sharron Stewart, Lin Xu, Peter L. Goering, Qin Zhang, Paul C. Howard…

A combined experimental and numerical study on upper airway dosimetry of inhaled nanoparticles from an electrical discharge machine shop

Exposure to nanoparticles in the workplace is a health concern to occupational workers with increased risk of developing respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological disorders. Based on animal inhalation stud...

Authors: Lin Tian, Yidan Shang, Rui Chen, Ru Bai, Chunying Chen, Kiao Inthavong and Jiyuan Tu

Effects from a 90-day inhalation toxicity study with cerium oxide and barium sulfate nanoparticles in rats

Nanomaterials like cerium oxide and barium sulfate are frequently processed in industrial and consumer products and exposure of humans and other organisms is likely. Generally less information is given on heal...

Authors: Daniela Schwotzer, Heinrich Ernst, Dirk Schaudien, Heiko Kock, Gerhard Pohlmann, Clemens Dasenbrock and Otto Creutzenberg

Mechanistic understanding of nanoparticles’ interactions with extracellular matrix: the cell and immune system

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is an extraordinarily complex and unique meshwork composed of structural proteins and glycosaminoglycans. The ECM provides essential physical scaffolding for the cellular constituent...

Authors: Ayse Basak Engin, Dragana Nikitovic, Monica Neagu, Petra Henrich-Noack, Anca Oana Docea, Mikhail I. Shtilman, Kirill Golokhvast and Aristidis M. Tsatsakis

Programming of mouse obesity by maternal exposure to concentrated ambient fine particles

Many diseases including obesity may originate through alterations in the early-life environment that interrupts fetal development. Increasing evidence has shown that exposure to ambient fine particles (PM_2.5) is ...

Authors: Minjie Chen, Xiaoke Wang, Ziying Hu, Huifen Zhou, Yanyi Xu, Lianglin Qiu, Xiaobo Qin, Yuhao Zhang and Zhekang Ying