title: Subchronic inhalation toxicity of silver nanoparticles.
abstract: The subchronic inhalation toxicity of silver nanoparticles was studied in Sprague-Dawley rats. Eight-week-old rats, weighing approximately 253.2 g (males) and 162.6 g (females), were divided into four groups (10 rats in each group): fresh-air control, low dose (0.6 x 10(6) particle/cm(3), 49 microg/m(3)), middle dose (1.4 x 10(6) particle/cm(3), 133 microg/m(3)), and high dose (3.0 x 10(6) particle/cm(3), 515 microg/m(3)). The animals were exposed to silver nanoparticles (average diameter 18-19 nm) for 6 h/day, 5 days/week, for 13 weeks in a whole-body inhalation chamber. In addition to mortality and clinical observations, body weight, food consumption, and pulmonary function tests were recorded weekly. At the end of the study, the rats were subjected to a full necropsy, blood samples were collected for hematology and clinical chemistry tests, and the organ weights were measured. Bile-duct hyperplasia in the liver increased dose dependently in both the male and female rats. Histopathological examinations indicated dose-dependent increases in lesions related to silver nanoparticle exposure, including mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate, chronic alveolar inflammation, and small granulomatous lesions. Target organs for silver nanoparticles were considered to be the lungs and liver in the male and female rats. No observable adverse effect level of 100 microg/m(3) is suggested from the experiments.
authors.affiliation: Korea Environment & Merchandise Testing Institute, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Hyuck
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Jun Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Jung Duck
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jin Uk
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Dae Sung
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Moon Yong
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jayoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Beom Seok
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jeong Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Yong Hyun
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Hee Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ji Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Myung Haing
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Bruce J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kelman
authors.forename: Il Je
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D004903:Erythrocyte Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010316:Particle Size; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012834:Silver / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D012834:Silver