Is aggregated synthetic amorphous silica toxicologically relevant?

The regulatory definition(s) of nanomaterials (NMs) frequently uses the term 'agglomerates and aggregates' (AA) despite the paucity of evidence that AA are significantly relevant from a nanotoxicological perspective. This knowledge gap greatly affects the safety assessment and regulation of NMs, such as synthetic amorphous silica (SAS). SAS is used in a large panel of industrial applications. They are primarily produced as nano-sized particles (1-100 nm in diameter) and considered safe as they form large aggregates (> 100 nm) during the production process. So far, it is indeed believed that large aggregates represent a weaker hazard compared to their nano counterpart. Thus, we assessed the impact of SAS aggregation on in vitro cytotoxicity/biological activity to address the toxicological relevance of aggregates of different sizes

HIF-1α is a key mediator of the lung inflammatory potential of lithium-ion battery particles

BACKGROUND: Li-ion batteries (LIB) are increasingly used worldwide. They are made of low solubility micrometric particles, implying a potential for inhalation toxicity in occupational settings and possibly for consumers. LiCoO2 (LCO), one of the most used cathode material, induces inflammatory and fibrotic lung responses in mice. LCO also stabilizes hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) -1α, a factor implicated in inflammation, fibrosis and carcinogenicity. Here, we investigated the role of cobalt, nickel and HIF-1α as determinants of toxicity, and evaluated their predictive value for the lung toxicity of LIB particles in in vitro assays. RESULTS: By testing a set of 5 selected LIB particles (LCO, LiNiMnCoO2, LiNiCoAlO2) with different cobalt and nickel contents, we found a positive correlation between their in vivo lung inflammatory activity, and (i) Co and Ni particle content and their bioaccessibility and (ii) the stabilization of HIF-1α in the lung. Inhibition of HIF-1α with chetomin or PX-478 blunted the lung inflammatory response to LCO in mice. In IL-1β deficient mice, HIF-1α was the upstream signal of the inflammatory lung response to LCO. In vitro, the level of HIF-1α stabilization induced by LIB particles in BEAS-2B cells correlated with the intensity of lung inflammation induced by the same particles in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that HIF-1α, stabilized in lung cells by released Co and Ni ions, is a mechanism-based biomarker of lung inflammatory responses induced by LIB particles containing Co/Ni. Documenting the Co/Ni content of LIB particles, their bioaccessibility and their capacity to stabilize HIF-1α in vitro can be used to predict the lung inflammatory potential of LIB particles

Acute and subacute pulmonary toxicity and mortality in mice after intratracheal instillation of ZnO nanoparticles in three laboratories

Inhalation is the main pathway of ZnO exposure in the occupational environment but only few studies have addressed toxic effects after pulmonary exposure to ZnO nanoparticles (NP). Here we present results from three studies of pulmonary exposure and toxicity of ZnO NP in mice. The studies were prematurely terminated because interim results unexpectedly showed severe pulmonary toxicity. High bolus doses of ZnO NP (25 up to 100μg; ≥1.4mg/kg) were clearly associated with a dose dependent mortality in the mice. Lower doses (≥6μg; ≥0.3mg/kg) elicited acute toxicity in terms of reduced weight gain, desquamation of epithelial cells with concomitantly increased barrier permeability of the alveolar/blood as well as DNA damage. Oxidative stress was shown via a strong increase in lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione in the pulmonary tissue. Two months post-exposure revealed no obvious toxicity for 12.5 and 25μg on a range of parameters. However, mice that survived a high dose (50μg; 2.7mg/kg) had an increased pulmonary collagen accumulation (fibrosis) at a similar level as a high bolus dose of crystalline silica. The recovery from these toxicological effects appeared dose-dependent. The results indicate that alveolar deposition of ZnO NP may cause significant adverse health effects

Paracelsus in nanotoxicology

No abstract

Mechanisms of lung fibrosis induced by carbon nanotubes: towards an Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP).

Several experimental studies have shown that carbon nanotubes (CNT) can induce respiratory effects, including lung fibrosis. The cellular and molecular events through which these effects develop are, however, not clearly elucidated. The purpose of the present review was to analyze the key events involved in the lung fibrotic reaction induced by CNT and to assess their relationships. We thus address current knowledge and gaps with a view to draft an Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) concerning the fibrotic potential of CNT.As for many inhaled particles, CNT can indirectly activate fibroblasts through the release of pro-inflammatory (IL-1β) and pro-fibrotic (PDGF and TGF-β) mediators by inflammatory cells (macrophages and epithelial cells) via the induction of oxidative stress, inflammasome or NF-kB. We also highlight here direct effects of CNT on fibroblasts, which appear as a new mode of toxicity relatively specific for CNT. Direct effects of CNT on fibroblasts include the induction of fibroblast proliferation, differentiation and collagen production via ERK 1/2 or Smad signaling. We also point out the physico-chemical properties of CNT important for their toxicity and the relationship between in vitro and in vivo effects. This knowledge provides evidence to draft an AOP for the fibrogenic activity of CNT, which allows developing simple in vitro models contributing to predict the CNT effects in lung fibrosis, and risk assessment tools for regulatory decision

Does carbonation of steel slag particles reduce their toxicity? An in vitro approach

Mineral carbonation can stabilize industrial residues and, in the steel industry, may contribute to simultaneously valorize CO2 emissions and slag. We hypothesized that, by restricting the leaching of metals of toxicological concern such as Cr and V, carbonation can suppress the toxicity of these materials. The cytotoxic activity (WST1 assay) of slag dusts collected from a stainless and a Linz-Donawitz (LD) steel plant, before and after carbonation, was examined in J774 macrophages. The release of Cr, V, Fe, Mn and Ni was measured after incubation in artificial lung fluids mimicking the extracellular and phagolysosomal milieu to which particles are confronted after inhalation. LD slag had the higher Fe, Mn and V content, and was more cytotoxic than stainless steel slag. The cytotoxic activity of LD but not of stainless dusts was reduced after carbonation. The cytotoxic activity of the dusts toward J774 macrophages necessitated a direct contact with the cells and was reduced in the presence of inhibitors of phagocytosis (cytochalasin D) or phagolysosome acidification (bafilomycin), pointing to a key role of metallic constituents released in phagolysosomes. This in vitro study supports a limited reduction of the cytotoxic activity of LD, but not of stainless, steel dusts upon carbonation

A tiered approach to investigate the inhalation toxicity of cobalt substances. Tier 2a: Grouping cobalt compounds based on their capacity to stabilize HIF-1α in human alveolar epithelial cells in vitro.

Excessive inhalation of cobalt (Co) dust can have harmful effects on the respiratory tract, yet all cobalt substances do not have the same potential for inducing toxicity. The prevalent hypothesis is that the potential of Co substances to release Co ions in the organism and in cells drives their toxicity profile. Here, we explored the possibility of grouping Co substances for predicting inhalation toxicity based on in vitro data using the stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α as a read out for intracellular Co ion content. We evaluated the potential of 11 inorganic Co compounds and two Co metal powder samples to stabilize intracellular HIF-1α in alveolar epithelial cells (A549) after 24 h exposure to 250-1000 μM Co equivalents. Cytotoxic activity of the substances was assessed in parallel after 72 h at the same doses. Two groups were identified: (1) substances with high intracellular bioavailability (n=9), causing cytotoxicity and stabilizing HIF-1α and (2) substances with low intracellular bioavailability (n = 4), and not inducing these effects. This study provides a link between screening-level data (solubility in artificial lung fluids, Tier 1) and hypothesized biological key events

Agglomeration of titanium-di-oxide nanoparticles increases the toxicological responses in vitro and in vivo

status: publishe