Dietary exposure to silver nanoparticles in Sprague–Dawley rats: Effects on oxidative stress and inflammation

• Published in: Food and chemical toxicology Vol. 60; pp. 297 - 301
• Main Authors: Ebabe Elle, R., Gaillet, S., Vidé, J., Romain, C., Lauret, C., Rugani, N., Cristol, J.P., Rouanet, J.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-10-2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; alanine transaminase; Alanine Transaminase - blood; Animals; antioxidant activity; antioxidants; Antioxidants - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; blood lipids; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Cholesterol - blood; Collargol; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; diet; dietary exposure; Exact sciences and technology; heart; Heart - drug effects; Hypercholesterolemia - chemically induced; Hypercholesterolemia - pathology; Inflammation; Inflammation - chemically induced; Inflammation - pathology; interleukin-6; Interleukin-6 - metabolism; lipid metabolism; Lipid Metabolism - drug effects; liver; Liver - drug effects; Liver - pathology; Liver Diseases - etiology; Liver Diseases - pathology; low density lipoprotein cholesterol; Male; malondialdehyde; Malondialdehyde - metabolism; Materials science; Medical sciences; Metal Nanoparticles - administration & dosage; Metal Nanoparticles - chemistry; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; nanosilver; oxidation; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Physics; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Silver - administration & dosage; Silver - chemistry; Silver nanoparticles; superoxide anion; superoxide dismutase; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Superoxides - metabolism; Toxicity; Toxicology; triacylglycerols; Triglycerides - blood; tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; Rats; Oxidative stress; Inflammation; Collargol; Toxicity; Silver nanoparticles; Rat; Nanoparticle; Rodentia; Transition metal; Exposure; Ultrafine particle; Silver; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Nanostructured materials
• ISSN: 0278-6915; 1873-6351
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2013.07.071

•Oral AgNPs supplementation increases liver and cardiac oxidative stress.•Oral AgNPs supplementation induces a small increase in liver inflammation.•Liver is the first target of silver nanoparticles induced toxicity.
Due to undesirable hazardous interactions with biological systems, we evaluated the effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) intake on oxidative stress and inflammation.
Rats received for 81days a standard diet (Controls) or a standard diet plus 500mg/d/kg BW AgNPs. We assayed plasma lipids, and oxidative stress was assessed by measuring liver and heart superoxide anion production (O2∘-) and liver malondialdehyde levels (MDA). Antioxidant status was appraised using plasma paraoxonase activity (PON), plasma antioxidant capacity (PAC) and liver superoxide dismutase activity (SOD). Liver inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL-6 levels and plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were assayed.
Compared with Controls, AgNPs raised cholesterolemia (9.5%), LDL-cholesterol (30%), and lowered triglycerides (41%). They also increased liver (30%) and cardiac (41%) O2∘- production, reduced PON activity (15%) and raised liver TNFα (9%) and IL-6 (∼12%). Plasma ALT activity rose (12%) after treatment with AgNPs. However, PAC and liver MDA and SOD activity were unchanged.
These features indicate that exposure to 500mg/d/kg BW of AgNPs results in liver damage by a dysregulation of lipid metabolism, highlighting liver and heart as the most sensitive organs to the deleterious effects. Our findings also demonstrate for the first time the oxidative and inflammatory effects of dietary AgNPs.