Genotoxicity evaluation of amorphous silica nanoparticles of different sizes using the micronucleus and the plasmid lacZ gene mutation assay.
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.
Park
Margriet V D Z
MV
Laboratory for Health Protection Research, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands. margriet.park@rivm.nl
Verharen
Henny W
HW
Zwart
Edwin
E
Hernandez
Lya G
LG
van Benthem
Jan
J
Elsaesser
Andreas
A
Barnes
Clifford
C
McKerr
George
G
Howard
C Vyvyan
CV
Salvati
Anna
A
Lynch
Iseult
I
Dawson
Kenneth A
KA
de Jong
Wim H
WH
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*
D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D012822:Silicon Dioxide