Subchronic inhalation toxicity of silver nanoparticles.
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.
Sung
Jae Hyuck
JH
Korea Environment & Merchandise Testing Institute, Incheon, Korea.
Ji
Jun Ho
JH
Park
Jung Duck
JD
Yoon
Jin Uk
JU
Kim
Dae Sung
DS
Jeon
Ki Soo
KS
Song
Moon Yong
MY
Jeong
Jayoung
J
Han
Beom Seok
BS
Han
Jeong Hee
JH
Chung
Yong Hyun
YH
Chang
Hee Kyung
HK
Lee
Ji Hyun
JH
Cho
Myung Haing
MH
Kelman
Bruce J
BJ
Yu
Il Je
IJ
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*
D012834:Silver