title: Potential toxic effects of iron oxide nanoparticles in in vivo and in vitro experiments.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the potential toxic effects of iron(II,III)oxide nanoparticles (IONPs). In in vivo experiments, the toxic effects of IONPs were monitored in adult male Wistar rats by morphological methods after a single intratracheal instillation. For the control group 1 ml of physiological saline per animal was given, and the treatment group received the same volume of a suspension containing 1 and 5 mg kg⁻¹ body weight IONPs. Lungs and internal organs underwent histopathological examination after 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days. The mutagenic effect of these nanoparticles was evaluated by the bacterial reverse mutation assay on Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535 and TA1537 strains, and on Escherichia coli WP2uvrA strain, in the presence and absence of the mammalian metabolic activation system S9. The in vitro cytotoxic effect of IONPs was also examined in Vero cells after short-term (4 h) and long-term (24 h) exposure. There were no pathological changes in examined internal organs, except a very weak pulmonary fibrosis developing by the end of the first month in the treated rats. While in vitro MTT assay showed a moderate cytotoxic effect, IONPs proved to be devoid of mutagenic effect in the bacterial systems tested. The results may be a useful extension of our knowledge on the safety of magnetite nanoparticles in view of their possible medical applications, such as in hyperthermia and magnetic resonance imaging.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Environmental Health, Department of Toxicology, H-1097, Budapest, Gyáli út 2-6, Hungary. szalay.brigitta@oki.antsz.hu
authors.forename: Brigitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Szalay
authors.forename: Erzsébet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tátrai
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nyírő
authors.forename: Tünde
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vezér
authors.forename: Gyula
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001711:Biotransformation; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004249:DNA Damage; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000091243:Ribosomal Protein S9; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D014709:Vero Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; D009153:Mutagens; D000091243:Ribosomal Protein S9; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins; C000499:ferric oxide