Teolliset nanomateriaalit - haaste vaaran ja riskinarvioinnille

Vertaisarvioitu.Nanohiukkasten yksi yhdensuuntainen halkaisija on 1-100 nm. Nanohiukkasia käytetään yhä enemmän kuluttajatuotteissa, kuten kodin elektroniikassa ja vaatteissa, sekä teollisuuden raaka-aineissa ja esimerkiksi tv-kalvoissa, koska niillä on tärkeitä teknisiä etuja. Teolliset nanohiukkaset ovat heterogeeninen ryhmä aineita, joista osa lienee haitattomia ja osa terveydelle haitallisia. Ne on räätälöity tiettyyn käyttötarkoitukseen. Haaste on tunnistaa haitalliset haitattomista. Terveyshaittoja ovat muun muassa keuhkotulehdus, immuunijärjestelmän häiriöt, perimämyrkyllisyys ja mahdollinen syöpävaarallisuus. Teollisten nanomateriaalien runsaslukuisuuden vuoksi useimpien niistä terveyshaitat on tutkittu puutteellisesti. Nykymenetelmiä käytettäessä materiaalien luotettavan turvallisuustutkimuksen tarpeet ylittävät tarjolla olevat resurssit. Nykyään pyritäänkin kehittämään uusia, bioinformatiikkaan ja systeemibiologiaan perustuvia menetelmiä, jotka mahdollistaisivat entistä huokeamman ja silti luotettavan tavan arvioida teollisten nanomateriaalien turvallisuutta.Peer reviewe

Uutta teknologiaa ihmisten ja ympäristön ehdoilla? Asiantuntijoiden näkemyksiä teknologisesta kehityksestä ja tulevaisuuden riskeistä

Teknologisen kehityksen vuoksi työympäristö on jatkuvassa muutostilassa. Työympäristön muutostilan kartoittamiseksi selvitettiin asiantuntijoiden näkemyksiä uusien teknologioiden kehityksestä ja niiden vaikutuksesta työterveyteen ja -turvallisuuteen. Tutkimuksessa kartoitettiin 12 toimialan tulevaisuusnäkymiä erityisesti uusien teknologioiden ja mahdollisten terveysriskien näkökulmasta. Hankkeessa sovellettiin argumentoivaa Delfoi-menetelmää. Tulevaisuuden teknologista kehitystä sekä mahdollisia terveysriskejä luodattiin asiantuntijapaneelin arvioiden perusteella. Tulosten mukaan nanoteknologian, bioteknologian sekä tieto- ja viestintäteknologian arvioitiin olevan tulevaisuuden avainteknologioita. Asiantuntijoiden näkemykset uusien teknologioiden terveysriskeistä jakautuivat: toisten mukaan terveysriskit ovat todellinen uhka, kun taas toisten mukaan terveysriskit eivät tule toteutumaan. Terveydelle haitallisimpina uusina teknologioina pidettiin nanoteknologiaa ja bioteknologia

ROS-mediated TNF-α and MIP-2 gene expression in alveolar macrophages exposed to pine dust

BACKGROUND: Respiratory symptoms, impaired lung function, and asthma have been reported in workers exposed to wood dust in a number of epidemiological studies. The underlying pathomechanisms, however, are not well understood. Here, we studied the effects of dust from pine (PD) and heat-treated pine (HPD) on the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory mediators in rat alveolar macrophages. METHODS: Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) protein release, TNF-α and MIP-2 mRNA expression, and generation of ROS were studied as end points after treatment of rat alveolar macrophages with PD or HPD. In a separate series of experiments, the antioxidants glutathione and N-acetyl-L-cysteine were included in combination with wood dust. To determine the endogenous oxidative and antioxidant capacity of wood dusts, electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy was used. RESULTS: After 4 h incubation, both PD and HPD elicited a significantly (p < 0.05) increased mRNA expression of TNF-α and MIP-2 as well as a concentration-dependent release of TNF-α and MIP-2 protein. Interestingly, PD induced a significantly higher TNF-α and MIP-2 production than HPD. Moreover, a significantly increased ROS production was observed in alveolar macrophages exposed to both PD and HPD. In the presence of the antioxidants glutathione and N-acetyl-L-cysteine, the PD- and HPD-induced release of ROS, TNF-α, and MIP-2 was significantly reduced. Finally, electron spin resonance analyses demonstrated a higher endogenous antioxidant capacity of HPD compared to PD. Endotoxin was not present in either dust sample. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that pine dust is able to induce expression of TNF-α and MIP-2 in rat alveolar macrophages by a mechanism that is, at least in part, mediated by ROS

Excitatory amino acid-induced slow biphasic responses of free intracellular calcium in human neuroblastoma cells

AbstractEffects of an excitatory amino acid, glutamate, and of ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists on the levels of free intracellular calcium, and their specific receptor binding in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were studied. The calcium response was always biphasic, except for AMPA, suggesting both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on free intracellular calcium upon glutamate receptor stimulation, both with ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists. Specific binding of glutamate and other glutamate receptor agonists, together with the biphasic calcium response, suggests that human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells express both ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors. These findings shed new light on the use of human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells as a human neuronal tumor cell model

Inhalation exposure to nanosized and fine TiO2 particles inhibits features of allergic asthma in a murine model

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nanotechnology and engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are here to stay. Recent evidence suggests that exposure to environmental particulate matter exacerbates symptoms of asthma. In the present study we investigated the modulatory effects of titanium dioxide particle exposure in an experimental allergic asthma.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Nonallergic (healthy) and ovalbumin-sensitized (asthmatic) mice were exposed via inhalation to two different sizes of titanium dioxide particles, nanosized (nTiO₂) and fine (fTiO₂), for 2 hours a day, three days a week, for four weeks at a concentration of 10 mg/m³. Different endpoints were analysed to evaluate the immunological status of the mice.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Healthy mice elicited pulmonary neutrophilia accompanied by significantly increased chemokine CXCL5 expression when exposed to nTiO₂. Surprisingly, allergic pulmonary inflammation was dramatically suppressed in asthmatic mice which were exposed to nTiO₂or fTiO₂particles - i.e. the levels of leucocytes, cytokines, chemokines and antibodies characteristic to allergic asthma were substantially decreased.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggest that repeated airway exposure to TiO₂particles modulates the airway inflammation depending on the immunological status of the exposed mice.</p

Molecular Signature of Asthma-Enhanced Sensitivity to CuO Nanoparticle Aerosols from 3D Cell Model

More than 5% of any population suffers from asthma, and there are indications that these individuals are more sensitive to nanoparticle aerosols than the healthy population. We used an air-liquid interface model of inhalation exposure to investigate global transcriptomic responses in reconstituted three-dimensional airway epithelia of healthy and asthmatic subjects exposed to pristine (nCuO) and carboxylated (nCuO(COOH)) copper oxide nanoparticle aerosols. A dose-dependent increase in cytotoxicity (highest in asthmatic donor cells) and pro-inflammatory signaling within 24 h confirmed the reliability and sensitivity of the system to detect acute inhalation toxicity. Gene expression changes between nanoparticle-exposed versus air-exposed cells were investigated. Hierarchical clustering based on the expression profiles of all differentially expressed genes (DEGs), cell-death-associated DEGs (567 genes), or a subset of 48 highly overlapping DEGs categorized all samples according to "exposure severity", wherein nanoparticle surface chemistry and asthma are incorporated into the dose-response axis. For example, asthmatics exposed to low and medium dose nCuO clustered with healthy donor cells exposed to medium and high dose nCuO, respectively. Of note, a set of genes with high relevance to mucociliary clearance were observed to distinctly differentiate asthmatic and healthy donor cells. These genes also responded differently to nCuO and nCuO(COOH) nanoparticles. Additionally, because response to transition-metal nanoparticles was a highly enriched Gene Ontology term (FDR 8 X 10(-13)) from the subset of 48 highly overlapping DEGs, these genes may represent biomarkers to a potentially large variety of metal/metal oxide nanoparticles.Peer reviewe

Research roadmap for nanosafety - Part III: Closer to the market (CTTM)

Nano-products and nano-enabled applications need a clear and easy-to-follow human and environmental safety framework for the development along the innovation chain from initial idea to market and beyond that facilitates navigation through the complex regulatory and approval processes under which different product categories fall. The missing framework results in a lack of (i) solid data regarding roadblocks to market penetration of nano-enabled products as well as the absence of (ii) transparency in terms of which products (e.g. containing nanomaterials (NMs); nano-enabled products) are on the market (e.g. registries) and voluntary schemes and labelling requirements for cosmetics and food, which processes are used for manufacturing nano-enabled products, and (iii) meager inclusiveness in the dialogue (between all stakeholders) most likely exist as a result of the missing framework. The Closer-to-the-Market-Roadmap (abbrev. CTTM) aims at speeding up the progress towards market implementation of nanotechnologies by outlining the steps needed to develop such a framework. In its current form it is addressed towards policy makers, but the ultimate framework will be designed for use by SME and enterprise organisations

Nano on reflection

A number of experts from different areas of nanotechnology describe how the field has evolved in the last ten years

Toxicogenomic Profiling of 28 Nanomaterials in Mouse Airways

Toxicogenomics opens novel opportunities for hazard assessment by utilizing computational methods to map molecular events and biological processes. In this study, the transcriptomic and immunopathological changes associated with airway exposure to a total of 28 engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are investigated. The ENM are selected to have different core (Ag, Au, TiO2, CuO, nanodiamond, and multiwalled carbon nanotubes) and surface chemistries (COOH, NH2, or polyethylene glycosylation (PEG)). Additionally, ENM with variations in either size (Au) or shape (TiO2) are included. Mice are exposed to 10 mu g of ENM by oropharyngeal aspiration for 4 consecutive days, followed by extensive histological/cytological analyses and transcriptomic characterization of lung tissue. The results demonstrate that transcriptomic alterations are correlated with the inflammatory cell infiltrate in the lungs. Surface modification has varying effects on the airways with amination rendering the strongest inflammatory response, while PEGylation suppresses toxicity. However, toxicological responses are also dependent on ENM core chemistry. In addition to ENM-specific transcriptional changes, a subset of 50 shared differentially expressed genes is also highlighted that cluster these ENM according to their toxicity. This study provides the largest in vivo data set currently available and as such provides valuable information to be utilized in developing predictive models for ENM toxicity.Peer reviewe