title: Identifying a size-specific hazard of silica nanoparticles after intravenous administration and its relationship to the other hazards that have negative correlations with the particle size in mice.
abstract: Many of the beneficial and toxic biological effects of nanoparticles have been shown to have a negative correlation with particle size. However, few studies have demonstrated biological effects that only occur at specific nanoparticle sizes. Further elucidation of the size-specific biological effects of nanoparticles may reveal not only unknown toxicities, but also novel benefits of nanoparticles. We used surface-unmodified silica particles with a wide range of diameters and narrow size intervals between the diameters (10, 30, 50, 70, 100, 300, and 1000 nm) to investigate the relationship between particle size and acute toxicity after intravenous administration in mice. Negative correlations between particle size and thrombocytopenia, liver damage, and lethal toxicity were observed. However, a specific size-effect was observed for the severity of hypothermia, where silica nanoparticles with a diameter of 50 nm induced the most severe hypothermia. Further investigation revealed that this hypothermia was mediated not by histamine, but by platelet-activating factor, and it was independent of the thrombocytopenia and the liver damage. In addition, macrophages/Kupffer cells and platelets, but not neutrophils, play a critical role in the hypothermia. The present results reveal that silica nanoparticles have particle size-specific toxicity in mice, suggesting that other types of nanoparticles may also have biological effects that only manifest at specific particle sizes. Further study of the size-specific effects of nanoparticles is essential for safer and more effective nanomedicines.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology and Safety Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Handa
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Natsumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Izumi
authors.forename: Shun-Ichi
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Eto
authors.forename: Shin-Ichi
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Tsunoda
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagano
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higashisaka
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
mesh_terms: D061605:Administration, Intravenous; D000818:Animals; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D007728:Kupffer Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D010316:Particle Size; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute
chemical_list: D010972:Platelet Activating Factor; D012822:Silicon Dioxide