Open AccessIn vivo clearance of nanoparticles by transcytosis across alveolar epithelial cells
Author(s) -
Pascal Detampel,
Anutosh Ganguly,
Sara Tehranian,
Francis Green,
Santiswarup Singha,
Pere Santamaría,
Ayodeji Jeje,
Clifford S. Cho,
Björn Petri,
Matthias Amrein
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0223339
Subject(s) - transcytosis , in vivo , intravital microscopy , alveolar epithelium , lung , epithelium , chemistry , aerosolization , nanoparticle , a549 cell , respiratory epithelium , biophysics , pathology , endocytosis , microbiology and biotechnology , inhalation , materials science , biology , medicine , cell , nanotechnology , anatomy , biochemistry
Nanoparticles in polluted air or aerosolized drug nanoparticles predominantly settle in the alveolar lung. Here, we describe a novel, highly effective pathway for the particles to cross the alveolar epithelium and reach the lymph and bloodstream. Amorphous silica nanoparticles, suspended in perfluorocarbon, were instilled into the lungs of mice for intravital microscopy. Particles formed agglomerates that settled on the alveolar wall, half of which were removed from the lung within 30 minutes. TEM histology showed agglomerates in stages of crossing the alveolar epithelium, in large compartments inside the epithelial cells and crossing the basal membrane into the interstitium. This pathway is consistent with published kinetic studies in rats and mice, using a host of (negatively) charged and polar nanoparticles.