Physicochemical Characterization–Dependent Toxicity of Nanoparticles - Biointeractions of Nanomaterials - page 92

TABLE 3.11
Studies on Toxicity Due to Size, Size Distribution, and Surface Area

Type of
Nanoparticle

Toxicity/Organ
Affected Mechanism Involved/Results Reference

Gold nanopartciles Cytotoxic/necrosis cells Oxidative stress, mitochondrial

damage

Pan et al. (2009)

Gold nanoparticles—
titanium dioxide

Chemical reactivity Oxidation with dioxygen Turner et al. (2008)

TiO 2 nanoparticles Lung tumor

Lung

While comparing the effect of inhaled
TiO 2 nanoparticles with different
sizes, it was observed that low-dose
exposure to 20 nm diameter
particles resulted in greater lung
tumor incidence than high-dose
exposure of 300 nm diameter
particles, which correlates the effect
of surface area on toxicity.

Oberdörster et al. (2005)
Hoet et al. (2004)

TiO 2 nanoparticles Respiratory health effects

Lung inflammation

Smaller particles led to a persistently
high inflammatory reaction in the
lungs compared to larger size
particles: (1) a significantly
prolonged retention, (2) increased
translocation to the pulmonary
interstitium and pulmonary
persistence of nanoparticles,
(3) greater epithelial effects (such as
type II cell proliferation),
(4) impairment of alveolar
macrophages function.

Oberdörste et al. (1994)

Polystyrene
nanoparticles

Preferential uptake of
smaller nanoparticle—
causing accumulation in
liver and spleen

It has been shown that polystyrene
nanoparticles are preferentially
taken up across M cells. Size
influences absorption, as shown by
greater absorption of smaller
(50 nm) polystyrene particles
compared to larger (100 nm)
particles. The largest particles in this
study (300 nm) were not absorbed.
Additionally, larger particles
remained within the submucosa or
GALT of the intestine and colon,
while smaller particles entered the
bloodstream and accumulated in the
liver and spleen.

Des Rieux et al. (2007)
Jani et al. (1990)

TiO 2 nanoparticles Inlammation and altered

macrophage
chemotactic responses
in rat lungs

Ultrafine TiO particles (29 nm)
increased inflammation and altered
macrophage chemotactic responses
in rat lungs, when compared to TiO
particles that were 250 nm.

Renwick et al. (2004)

TiO 2 nanoparticles Oxidative damage in a

human bronchial
epithelial cell line

TiO 2 particles induce oxidative
damage in a human bronchial
epithelial cell line in a size-
dependent manner.

Gurr et al. (2005)