title: Efficient internalization and intracellular translocation of inhaled gold nanoparticles in rat alveolar macrophages.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship of alveolar macrophages and inhaled nanoparticles (NPs) in the lung.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were exposed by inhalation to 16-nm gold NPs for 6 h, and ultramicroscopic observation on the frequency and localization of gold NPs within lavaged macrophages was performed for 7 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of macrophages examined on day 0 (94%) contained internalized gold NPs, and the percentage decreased to 59% on day 7. Gold NPs were exclusively found within cytoplasmic vesicles. On day 0, most gold NPs appeared to be individual or slightly agglomerated, while they were frequently agglomerated on day 7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alveolar macrophages efficiently internalized NPs by endocytosis, and rearrangements of vesicles and of NPs in the vesicles of macrophages occurred.
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Pneumology Center-Institute of Lung Biology & Disease, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany. takenaka@helmholtz-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Semmler-Behnke
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karg
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wenk
authors.forename: Otmar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stoeger
authors.forename: Luise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jennen
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aichler
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walch
authors.forename: Suman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pokhrel
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mädler
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Eickelberg
authors.forename: Wolfgang G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Kreyling
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D004705:Endocytosis; D006046:Gold / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY
chemical_list: D006046:Gold