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Potential toxic effects of iron oxide nanoparticles in in vivo and in vitro experiments
Author(s) -
Szalay Brigitta,
Tátrai Erzsébet,
Nyírő Gábor,
Vezér Tünde,
Dura Gyula
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of applied toxicology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.784
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1099-1263
pISSN - 0260-437X
DOI - 10.1002/jat.1779
Subject(s) - in vivo , in vitro , chemistry , salmonella , iron oxide nanoparticles , mtt assay , cytotoxic t cell , pharmacology , toxicity , microbiology and biotechnology , iron oxide , biochemistry , medicine , biology , bacteria , genetics , organic chemistry
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 WP2 uvr A 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. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.