Usefulness of Intratracheal Instillation Studies for Estimating Nanoparticle-Induced Pulmonary Toxicity

Inhalation studies are the gold standard for the estimation of the harmful effects of respirable chemical substances, while there is limited evidence of the harmful effects of chemical substances by intratracheal instillation. We reviewed the effectiveness of intratracheal instillation studies for estimating the hazards of nanoparticles, mainly using papers in which both inhalation and intratracheal instillation studies were performed using the same nanoparticles. Compared to inhalation studies, there is a tendency in intratracheal instillation studies that pulmonary inflammation lasted longer in the lungs. A difference in pulmonary inflammation between high and low toxicity nanoparticles was observed in the intratracheal instillation studies, as in the inhalation studies. Among the endpoints of pulmonary toxicity, the kinetics of neutrophil counts, percentage of neutrophils, and chemokines for neutrophils and macrophages, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), reflected pulmonary inflammation, suggesting that these markers may be considered the predictive markers of pulmonary toxicity in both types of study. When comparing pulmonary inflammation between intratracheal instillation and inhalation studies under the same initial lung burden, there is a tendency that the inflammatory response following the intratracheal instillation of nanoparticles is greater than or equal to that following the inhalation of nanoparticles. If the difference in clearance in both studies is not large, the estimations of pulmonary toxicity are close. We suggest that intratracheal instillation studies can be useful for ranking the hazard of nanoparticles through pulmonary inflammation.     

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Induce Toxicity in H9c2 Rat Cardiomyoblasts

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are widely used in the cosmetic industry. They are nano-optical and nano-electrical devices, and their antimicrobial properties are applied in food packaging and medicine. ZnO NPs penetrate the body through inhalation, oral, and dermal exposure and spread through circulation to various systems and organs. Since the cardiovascular system is one of the most vulnerable systems, in this work, we studied ZnO NPs toxicity in H9c2 rat cardiomyoblasts. Cardiac cells were exposed to different concentrations of ZnO NPs, and then the morphology, proliferation, viability, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), redox state, and protein expression were measured. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and hematoxylin–eosin (HE) staining showed strong morphological damage. ZnO NPs were not observed inside cells, suggesting that Zn²⁺ ions were internalized, causing the damage. ZnO NPs strongly inhibited cell proliferation and MTT reduction at 10 and 20 μg/cm² after 72 h of treatment. ZnO NPs at 20 μg/cm² elevated DCF fluorescence, indicating alterations in the cellular redox state associated with changes in ΔΨm and cell death. ZnO NPs also reduced the intracellular expression of troponin I and atrial natriuretic peptide. ZnO NPs are toxic for cardiac cells; therefore, consumption of products containing them could cause heart damage and the development of cardiovascular diseases.     

Pulmonary Toxicity and Proteomic Analysis in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluids and Lungs of Rats Exposed to Copper Oxide Nanoparticles

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were intratracheally instilled into lungs at concentrations of 0, 0.15, and 1.5 mg/kg bodyweight to 7-week-old Sprague–Dawley rats. The cytotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and oxidative stress were evaluated, followed by proteomic analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lungs of rats. The CuO NPs-exposed groups revealed dose-dependent increases in total cells, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, lactate dyhydrogenase, and total protein levels in BALF. Inflammatory cytokines, including macrophage inflammatory protein-2 and tumor necrosis factor-α, were increased in the CuO NPs-treated groups. The expression levels of catalase, glutathione peroxidase-1, and peroxiredoxin-2 were downregulated, whereas that of superoxide dismutase-2 was upregulated in the CuO NPs-exposed groups. Five heat shock proteins were downregulated in rats exposed to high concentrations of CuO NPs. In proteomic analysis, 17 proteins were upregulated or downregulated, and 6 proteins were validated via Western blot analysis. Significant upregulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase and fidgetin-like 1 and downregulation of annexin II, HSP 47 and proteasome α1 occurred in the CuO NPs exposed groups. Taken together, this study provides additional insight into pulmonary cytotoxicity and immunotoxicity as well as oxidative stress in rats exposed to CuO NPs. Proteomic analysis revealed potential toxicological biomarkers of CuO NPs, which also reveals the toxicity mechanisms of CuO NPs.     

超声雾化辅助微波法合成氧化锌纳米颗粒及其光催化性能

氧化锌(ZnO)具有宽带隙、高光催化效率和稳定的化学性质,已成为处理水体中有机污染物的常用材料.采用超声雾化辅助微波法成功合成了ZnO纳米颗粒,XRD图谱和TEM照片表明超声雾化抑制了ZnO结晶,其结构为无序状,得到的ZnO纳米颗粒为非晶态.非晶态ZnO纳米颗粒紫外最强吸收峰为300nm,紫外吸收边发生红移,禁带宽度降...     

Food Additive Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: Dissolution,Interaction, Fate,Cytotoxicity, and Oral Toxicity

Food additive zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used as a Zn supplement in the food and agriculture industries. However, ZnO NPs are directly added to complex food-matrices and orally taken through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract where diverse matrices are present. Hence, the dissolution properties, interactions with bio- or food-matrices, and the ionic/particle fates of ZnO NPs in foods and under physiological conditions can be critical factors to understand and predict the biological responses and oral toxicity of ZnO NPs. In this review, the solubility of ZnO NPs associated with their fate in foods and the GI fluids, the qualitative and quantitative determination on the interactions between ZnO NPs and bio- or food-matrices, the approaches for the fate determination of ZnO NPs, and the interaction effects on the cytotoxicity and oral toxicity of ZnO NPs are discussed. This information will be useful for a wide range of ZnO applications in the food industry at safe levels.     

Sintering of Zinc Oxide Doped with Antimony Oxide and Bismuth Oxide

The phase change, densification, and microstructure development of ZnO doped with both Bi₂O₃ and Sb₂O₃ are studied to better understand the sintering behavior of ZnO varistors. The densification behavior is related to the formation of pyrochlore and liquid phases; the densification is retarded by the former and promoted by the latter. The pyrochlore phase, whose composition is Bi_3/2ZnSb_3/2O₇, appears below 700°C. The formation temperature of the liquid phase depends on the Sb/Bi ratio: about 750°C for Sb/Bi < 1 by the eutectic melting in the system ZnO—Bi₂O₃, and about 1000°C for Sb/Bi > 1 by the reaction of the pyrochlore phase with ZnO. Hence, the densification rate is determined virtually by the Sb/Bi ratio and not by the total amount of additives. The microstructure depends on the sintering temperature. Sintering at 1000°C forms intragrain pyrochlore particles in ZnO grains as well as intergranular layers, but the intragrain particles disappear at 1200°C by the increased amount of liquid phase, which enhances the mobility of the solid second phase.     

纳米氧化铈粉体的制备与表征

热分解由工业用碳酸铈制得的甲酸铈,能直接制备纳米氧化铈粉体。对产物进行了TG-DSC、XRD、SEM及TEM表征分析,讨论了热分解温度对产物比表面积的影响。结果表明:当热分解温度为525℃时,该方法制得的氧化铈粉体为面心立方晶型,比表面积为71 2m2/g,粒径为15～30nm,经1000℃、1h老化后其比表面积仍能达到8 2m2/g,此时灼失量为2 2%。上述性能指标已达到或部分优于NTC(NanophaseTechnologiesCorporation)的同类样品。     

纳米氧化锌的制备与表征

选择不同的微乳液体系及适宜反应条件,制备出粒径不同的纳米氧化锌,并进行了性质表征和比较。     

锌灰制备活性氧化锌工艺的研究

以冶炼厂废锌灰为原料,经硫酸浸取,考察了不同工艺条件对锌的浸出率的影响。实验结果表明:锌灰在50℃下浸取,pH值为1.5时,可使锌灰中锌的溶出率达93.5%。碱式碳酸锌最佳水解温度为40℃,水解时间为2 h,pH值为7.5时,溶液中锌含量为12 g/L,得到96%以上的水解率。     

Comparison Study of Cytotoxicity of Bare and Functionalized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

In this paper, a study of the cytotoxicity of bare and functionalized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) is presented. The functionalized ZnO NPs were obtained by various types of biological methods including microbiological (intra- and extracellular with Lactobacillus paracasei strain), phytochemical (Medicago sativa plant extract) and biochemical (ovalbumin from egg white protein) synthesis. As a control, the bare ZnO NPs gained by chemical synthesis (commercially available) were tested. The cytotoxicity was measured through the use of (3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) dye as well as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays against murine fibroblast L929 and Caco-2 cell lines. As a complementary method, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed to assess the morphology of the tested cells after treatment with ZnO NPs. The microscopic data confirmed the occurrence of apoptotic blebbing and loss of membrane permeability after the administration of all ZnO NPs. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration during the cell lines’ exposure to ZnO NPs was measured fluorometrically. Additionally, the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye in the different light conditions, as well as the antioxidant activity of bare and functionalized ZnO NPs, is also reported. The addition of all types of tested ZnO NPs to methylene blue resulted in enhanced rates of photo-degradation in the presence of both types of irradiation, but the application of UV light resulted in higher photocatalytic activity of ZnO NPs. Furthermore, bare (chemically synthetized) NPs have been recognized as the strongest photocatalysts. In the context of the obtained results, a mechanism underlying the toxicity of bio-ZnO NPs, including (a) the generation of reactive oxygen species and (b) the induction of apoptosis, is proposed.     

低纯度氧化锌制备磷酸锌研究

研究了用低纯度氧化锌(96%)通过复合溶剂净化,同时将氧化锌转化为液相改变传统的固-液相反应为液-液反应制备磷酸锌的新工艺,考察了净化和液-液反应的有关的工艺条件,制备得到高纯度磷酸锌。     

Direct-Write Fabrication of Zinc Oxide Varistors

Zinc oxide (ZnO)-based pastes with tailored rheological properties have been developed for direct-write fabrication of thick-film varistor elements in highly integrated, multifunctional electroceramic devices. Such pastes exhibited pseudoplastic behavior with a low shear apparent viscosity of roughly 1 × 10⁴ Pa·s. Upon aging, the pastes attained printable, steady-state viscosities of approximately 3 × 10² Pa·s at 10 s⁻¹. Square and rectangular elements were patterned on dense alumina substrates and sintered at varying temperatures between 800° and 1250°C. Varistor elements fired at 900°C exhibited nonlinearity coefficients (α= 30) that were equivalent to high-density (>95%) varistors formed by cold isostatic pressing at 100 MPa (15 ksi) of a similar chemically derived powder heat-treated under analogous conditions.     

纳米氧化锌的制备及应用

纳米氧化锌是一种性能优异的新型功能材料,应用前景广阔。本文综述了纳米氧化锌的制备及近年来新的应用领域和研究前沿。     

回收锌制备氧化锌粉体的新工艺

回收含锌催化剂废料中的锌来制备氧化锌粉体。先用氯化铵浸取含锌催化剂,经过滤得到氯化锌溶液;滤液中加入碳酸氢铵反应得到白色沉淀,经过滤煅烧滤饼得到氧化锌粉体。单因素实验确定了制备氧化锌粉体的适宜工艺条件:浸出反应温度60℃,反应时间2 h,原料配比n(Zn2+)∶n(NH4+)=1∶2.2。滤液中加入的碳酸氢铵配料比n(Zn2+)∶n(NH4HCO3)=1∶2.3,反应时间1 h,抽滤得中间产物。中间产物煅烧温度为300℃,煅烧时间1 h。样品进行XRD表征,杂质峰比较少,与标准卡片参数基本一致,晶体结构较好。     

Grain Growth of Zinc Oxide During the Sintering of Zinc Oxide—Antimony Oxide Ceramics

Grain growth in a high-purity ZnO with systematic additions of Sb₂O₃ from 0.29 to 2.38 wt% was studied for sintering in air from 1106° to 1400°C. The results are discussed and compared with previous studies of pure ZnO and ZnO with Bi₂O₃ additions in terms of the kinetic grain growth expression: Gⁿ – Gⁿ ₀= K ₀ t exp(— Q/RT ). Additions of Sb₂O₃ inhibited the grain growth of ZnO and increased the grain growth exponent ( n -value) to 6 from 3 for pure ZnO and 5 for the ZnO—Bi₂O₃ ceramic. The apparent activation energy for the grain growth of ZnO also increased to about 600 kJ/mol from 220 kJ/mol for pure ZnO and 150 kJ/mol for the ZnO—Bi₂O₃ ceramics. Both the grain growth exponent and the activation energy were independent of the Sb₂O₃ content. Particles of the Zn₇Sb₂O₁₂ spinel were observed on the grain boundaries and at the grain triple point junctions. It was also observed that the Sb₂O₃ additions caused twin formation in each ZnO grain. It is concluded that both the Zn₇Sb₂O₁₂ particles and the twins are responsible for the ZnO grain growth inhibition by Sb₂O₃.     

氧化锌脱硫剂的实验研究

为减少天然气在开采、集输和加工过程中硫化氢的跑、冒、漏气等问题,在化学吸收脱硫方法的思想基础上研究一种新型的氧化锌脱硫剂。脱硫剂由溶解氧化锌和有机酸复配而成。通过评价用量,作用时间和脱硫效率,得出该脱硫剂对脱除天然气中的硫化氢有较强的吸收效果。     

低品位氧化锌矿氨-碳酸氢铵浸出制备氧化锌工艺的研究

采用氨-碳酸氢铵溶液从低品位氧化锌矿中浸出制备氧化锌。研究结果表明,在氨水浓度7mol/L、碳酸氢铵浓度0.62mol/L、浸出温度50℃、氧化锌矿粉粒度为177μm、液固比5:1、浸出时间3h的条件下,锌一段浸出率为87.2%,经过二段浸出,锌总收率可提高至95.9%;浸出液采用足量锌粉还原除杂后,净化液中铜为0.51mg/L,铬为0.18mg/L,铅可降至0.10mg/L以下;净化液经过蒸氨和焙烧制得的氧化锌含量为99.53%(以氧化锌计)。该方法具有工艺简单、能耗低、浸出率较高、浸出过程对环境较友好等优点。     

氧化铅锌矿制活性氧化锌工艺研究

本文对以氧化铅锌矿原料,经硫酸浸出,净化除杂,碱锌合成及干燥煅烧等工序制活性氧化锌工艺进行了研究。该工艺锌回收率高,并可实现铅锌分离。