Articles

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

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

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

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

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