title: Short term inhalation toxicity of a liquid aerosol of glutaraldehyde-coated CdS/Cd(OH)2 core shell quantum dots in rats.
abstract: Quantum dots exhibit extraordinary optical and mechanical properties, and the number of their applications is increasing. In order to investigate a possible effect of coating on the inhalation toxicity of previously tested non-coated CdS/Cd(OH)2 quantum dots and translocation of these very small particles from the lungs, rats were exposed to coated quantum dots or CdCl2 aerosol (since Cd(2+) was present as impurity), 6h/d for 5 consecutive days. Cd content was determined in organs and excreta after the end of exposure and three weeks thereafter. Toxicity was determined by examination of broncho-alveolar lavage fluid and microscopic evaluation of the entire respiratory tract. There was no evidence for translocation of particles from the respiratory tract. Evidence of a minimal inflammatory process was observed by examination of broncho-alveolar lavage fluid. Microscopically, minimal to mild epithelial alteration was seen in the larynx. The effects observed with coated quantum dots, non-coated quantum dots and CdCl2 were comparable, indicating that quantum dots elicited no significant effects beyond the toxicity of the Cd(2+) ion itself. Compared to other compounds with larger particle size tested at similarly low concentrations, quantum dots caused much less pronounced toxicological effects. Therefore, the present data show that small particle sizes with corresponding high surfaces are not the only factor triggering the toxic response or translocation.
authors.affiliation: BASF SE, Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany; Departament of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma-Hock
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Nanostructures and Biological Interfaces; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil; Graduate Program on Material Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil; Departament of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: P M A
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.affiliation: BASF SE, Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany; Departament of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Nanostructures and Biological Interfaces; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil; Graduate Program on Material Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil; Departament of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: A C D S
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Nanostructures and Biological Interfaces; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil; Graduate Program on Material Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil; Departament of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Nanostructures and Biological Interfaces; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil; Graduate Program on Material Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil; Departament of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: T M S
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Arnaud
authors.affiliation: BASF SE, Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany; BASF SE, Material Physics, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany; Departament of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wohlleben
authors.affiliation: BASF SE, Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany; Departament of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.affiliation: BASF SE, Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany; Departament of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Treumann
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Nanostructures and Biological Interfaces; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil; Graduate Program on Material Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil; Departament of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.affiliation: BASF SE, Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany; Departament of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gröters
authors.affiliation: BASF SE, Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany; Departament of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Landsiedel
authors.affiliation: BASF SE, Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany; Departament of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), 50670-901 Recife, Brazil. Electronic address: bennard.ravenzwaay@basf.com.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Ravenzwaay
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D019256:Cadmium Chloride / Q000633:toxicity; D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005976:Glutaral / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D006878:Hydroxides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D008297:Male; D010316:Particle Size; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013440:Sulfides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D006878:Hydroxides; D013440:Sulfides; C034939:cadmium sulfide; D019256:Cadmium Chloride; D005976:Glutaral
keywords: BALF; Cadmium; GSD; ICP-MS; Inhalation; MMAD; Quantum dots; Rat; SMPS; Sub-acute toxicity; TEM; broncho-alveolar lavage fluid; geometric standard deviation; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; mass median aerodynamic diameter; scanning mobility particle sizer; transmission electron microscopy