Surface coatings ZnO nanoparticles mitigate transcriptional protein signalling responses olfactory cells | ANMA – Associazione Nazionale del Medico Competente e d'Azienda

Particle and Fibre Toxicology. Vol. 10, Iss. 54, October 2013

Surface coatings of ZnO nanoparticles mitigate differentially a host of transcriptional, protein and signalling responses in primary human olfactory cells

Megan J Osmond-McLeod, Ronald IW Osmond, Yalchin Oytam, Maxine J McCall, Bryce Feltis, Alan Mackay-Sim, Stephen A Wood, Anthony L Cook

Riassunto

Background Inhaled nanoparticles have been reported in some instances to translocate from the nostril to the olfactory bulb in exposed rats. In close proximity to the olfactory bulb is the olfactory mucosa, within which resides a niche of multipotent cells. Cells isolated from this area may provide a relevant in vitro system to investigate potential effects of workplace exposure to inhaled zinc oxide nanoparticles.

Methods Four types of commercially-available zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, two coated and two uncoated, were examined for their effects on primary human cells cultured from the olfactory mucosa. Human olfactory neurosphere-derived (hONS) cells from healthy adult donors were analyzed for modulation of cytokine levels, activation of intracellular signalling pathways, changes in gene-expression patterns across the whole genome, and compromised cellular function over a 24 h period following exposure to the nanoparticles suspended in cell culture medium.

Results ZnO nanoparticle toxicity in hONS cells was mediated through a battery of mechanisms largely related to cell stress, inflammatory response and apoptosis, but not activation of mechanisms that repair damaged DNA. Surface coatings on the ZnO nanoparticles mitigated these cellular responses to varying degrees.

Conclusions The results indicate that care should be taken in the workplace to minimize generation of, and exposure to, aerosols of uncoated ZnO nanoparticles, given the adverse responses reported here using multipotent cells derived from the olfactory mucosa.

Commento

Grazie alla loro proprietà, di gran lunga superiore a particelle di massa più grande, di bloccare i raggi UV, l’utilizzo delle nanoparticelle di ossido di zinco e la complementare esposizione professionale stanno divenendo consuete in una gran varietà di realtà lavorative.

La attuale carenza di informazioni scientifiche relative ai rischi per la salute di questo materiale ha stimolato lo sviluppo della presente ricerca, realizzata da Osmond-McLeod e collaboratori in Australia. Lo studio fornisce interessanti risultati e riporta una panoramica completa inerente la risposta delle cellule multi-potenti primarie della mucosa olfattiva a varie tipologie di nanoparticelle di ossido di zinco, mediante l’utilizzo di modelli in vitro equiparabili ad esposizioni da inalazione.

Tutte le nanoparticelle selezionate per lo studio, classificate sulla base delle caratteristiche del rivestimento esterno e delle dimensioni, sono attualmente fabbricate su larga scala e vengono utilizzate in prodotti disponibili in commercio.

Keywords

Cell-signalling, DNA damage, Gene expression, Nanoparticle, Olfactory, Zinc oxide

Rassegna bibliografica