title: Pulmonary Toxicity, Distribution, and Clearance of Intratracheally Instilled Silicon Nanowires in Rats.
abstract: Silicon nanowires (Si NWs) are being manufactured for use as sensors and transistors for circuit applications. The goal was to assess pulmonary toxicity and fate of Si NW using anin vivoexperimental model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were intratracheally instilled with 10, 25, 50, 100, or 250μg of Si NW (~20-30 nm diameter; ~2-15μm length). Lung damage and the pulmonary distribution and clearance of Si NW were assessed at 1, 3, 7, 28, and 91 days after-treatment. Si NW treatment resulted in dose-dependent increases in lung injury and inflammation that resolved over time. At day 91 after treatment with the highest doses, lung collagen was increased. Approximately 70% of deposited Si NW was cleared by 28 days with most of the Si NW localized exclusively in macrophages. In conclusion, Si NW induced transient lung toxicity which may be associated with an early rapid particle clearance; however, persistence of Si NW over time related to dose or wire length may lead to increased collagen deposition in the lung.
authors.affiliation: Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: Jenny R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Mercer
authors.affiliation: Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.affiliation: T.J. Watson Research Center, IBM, Route 134, P.O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA.
authors.forename: Guy M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: T.J. Watson Research Center, IBM, Route 134, P.O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA.
authors.forename: Sarunya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bangsaruntip
authors.affiliation: Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schwegler-Berry
authors.affiliation: Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Scabilloni
authors.affiliation: Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Castranova
authors.affiliation: Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Antonini
authors.affiliation: Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Leonard