Effects of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on Pulmonary Morphology, Redox System, Production of Immunoglobulins
and Chemokines in Rats: In Vivo and in Vitro Studies
Brigitta Szalay1, Zuzana Kováciková2, Márta Brózik3,
Tamás Pándics1, and Erzsébet Tátrai1
1 National Institute of Environmental Health, Budapest, Hungary
2 Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
3 National Institute of Rheumatology and Physiotherapy, Budapest, Hungary
Corresponding author: Brigitta Szalay
National Institute of Environmental Health
1097, Gyáli út 2-6
Budapest H-1437, PO Box 839, Hungary
Telephone: +36-1-476-1100
Fax number: 36-1-215-0148
E-mail: brszalay@gmail.com
CEJOEM 2008, Vol.14. No.2.: 149-164
Key words:
iron oxide, nanoparticles, EC-SOD, immunoglobulins, lungs, MCP-1; MIP-1 alpha, pulmonary morphology, rats, total glutathione
Abstract:
Nano-sized iron oxide has recently been hypothesized to change pulmonary morphology, metabolism, and
immunological reactions. The aim of our study was the determination of the effect of iron oxide nanoparticles on
pulmonary morphology, redox system, production of immunoglobulins and chemokines based on single intratracheal
instillation in male SPRD rats. Histology of the lungs and their regional lymph nodes was examined after iron
(III) oxide exposure. IgA, IgG and IgM were determined in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and the whole blood by
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Total glutathione (GSH) and extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) were
measured after one week and one month of exposure. In addition, the primary culture of alveolar macrophages and type II
alveolar epithelial cells was exposed with iron oxide (average particle size: 29 nm) for determination of LC50. The cell
membranes were studied by lectin histochemistry. The expression of macrophage inhibitory protein-1α (MIP-1α)
and macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) was determined from the supernatant of primary culture of these cells.
Iron oxide caused interstitial pulmonary inflammation with moderate fibrosis by the end of the 4th postexposure
week. IgA decreased significantly in the whole blood, but not in bronchoalveolar lavage. IgG and IgM significantly
decreased in BAL, whereas they were unchanged in blood. The expression of MCP-1 and MIP-1α in alveolar macrophages
and pneumocytes type II increased significantly. These results show that iron oxide nanoparticles caused mild pulmonary
toxicity: they induced moderate interstitial inflammation and fibrosis furthermore immunosuppression of immunoglobulins
examined.
Received: 6 October 2008
Accepted: 28 November 2008
| Back |