TY - JOUR

T1 - The role of Kupffer cells in the hepatic response to silver nanoparticles

AU - Kermanizadeh, Ali

AU - Chauché, Caroline

AU - Balharry, Dominique

AU - Brown, David M

AU - Kanase, Nilesh

AU - Boczkowski, Jorge

AU - Lanone, Sophie

AU - Stone, Vicki

PY - 2014/8

Y1 - 2014/8

N2 - Engineered nanoparticles are increasingly used in medical applications and day-to-day consumer products, leading to concerns about the potential environmental and human health impacts. Silver nanoparticles are particularly prevalent because of their use as anti-bacterial agents in many commonly available products. Nanoparticles (NPs) are believed to accumulate, often preferentially, in the liver. This study therefore investigates the effect of a silver NP (20 nm) on the liver, and in particular, the role of Kupffer cells (KCs; resident liver macrophages) in the overall inflammatory response in the organ. Cytokine expression in the normal liver was measured in terms of IL2, IL4, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL10 released from the organ with significant up-regulation of TNF-α and IL10 being observed. For livers in which the KC population was specifically targeted and destroyed this cytokine increase was significantly decreased in comparison to the normal tissue. IL10 was secreted at approximately three times the concentration of TNF-α in all the test cases. The high levels of IL10 released from the normal tissue in comparison to the KC depleted livers suggest that the cytokine may help to protect against a pro-inflammatory response to these Ag NPs. This may indicate a potentially important role for KCs in the anti-inflammatory response and suggests that tolerance to the Ag NPs is favoured over a fully activated immune response. In addition, albumin production was measured as an indicator of hepatic function. It was noted that the liver function was unaffected by the Ag NPs.

AB - Engineered nanoparticles are increasingly used in medical applications and day-to-day consumer products, leading to concerns about the potential environmental and human health impacts. Silver nanoparticles are particularly prevalent because of their use as anti-bacterial agents in many commonly available products. Nanoparticles (NPs) are believed to accumulate, often preferentially, in the liver. This study therefore investigates the effect of a silver NP (20 nm) on the liver, and in particular, the role of Kupffer cells (KCs; resident liver macrophages) in the overall inflammatory response in the organ. Cytokine expression in the normal liver was measured in terms of IL2, IL4, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL10 released from the organ with significant up-regulation of TNF-α and IL10 being observed. For livers in which the KC population was specifically targeted and destroyed this cytokine increase was significantly decreased in comparison to the normal tissue. IL10 was secreted at approximately three times the concentration of TNF-α in all the test cases. The high levels of IL10 released from the normal tissue in comparison to the KC depleted livers suggest that the cytokine may help to protect against a pro-inflammatory response to these Ag NPs. This may indicate a potentially important role for KCs in the anti-inflammatory response and suggests that tolerance to the Ag NPs is favoured over a fully activated immune response. In addition, albumin production was measured as an indicator of hepatic function. It was noted that the liver function was unaffected by the Ag NPs.

KW - Animals

KW - Female

KW - Kupffer Cells/physiology

KW - Male

KW - Metal Nanoparticles

KW - Mice

KW - Mice, Inbred C57BL

KW - Silver/chemistry

U2 - 10.3109/17435390.2013.866284

DO - 10.3109/17435390.2013.866284

M3 - Article

C2 - 24344730

VL - 8 Suppl 1

SP - 149

EP - 154

JO - Nanotoxicology

JF - Nanotoxicology

SN - 1743-5390

ER -