title: Genotoxicity evaluation of amorphous silica nanoparticles of different sizes using the micronucleus and the plasmid lacZ gene mutation assay.
abstract: We investigated the potential of four well-characterized amorphous silica nanoparticles to induce chromosomal aberrations and gene mutations using two in vitro genotoxicity assays. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to verify the manufacturer's nominal size of 10, 30, 80 and 400 nm which showed actual sizes of 11, 34, 34 and 248 nm, respectively. The 80 (34) nm silica nanoparticles induced chromosomal aberrations in the micronucleus assay using 3T3-L1 mouse fibroblasts and the 30 (34) and 80 (34) nm silica nanoparticles induced gene mutations in mouse embryonic fibroblasts carrying the lacZ reporter gene. TEM imaging demonstrated that the majority of nanoparticles were localized in vacuoles and not in the nucleus of 3T3-L1 cells, indicating that the observed DNA damage was most likely a result of indirect mechanisms. Further studies are needed to reveal these mechanisms and to determine the biological relevance of the effects of these particular silica nanoparticles in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Health Protection Research, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands. margriet.park@rivm.nl
authors.forename: Margriet V D Z
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Henny W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Verharen
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zwart
authors.forename: Lya G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Benthem
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elsaesser
authors.forename: Clifford
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McKerr
authors.forename: C Vyvyan
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salvati
authors.forename: Iseult
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: Wim H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: de Jong
mesh_terms: D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D000818:Animals; D004249:DNA Damage; D007763:Lac Operon; D051379:Mice; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D009154:Mutation; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010316:Particle Size; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D012822:Silicon Dioxide