Oxygen metabolism in the cardiorespiratory system after an acute exposure to Ni-doped nanoparticules

MAGNANI, NATALIA; MARCHINI, TIMOTEO; VANASCO, VIRGINIA; GARCES, MARIANA; MEBERT, ANDREA; DESIMONE, MARTIN; DIAZ, LUIS; ALVAREZ, SILVIA; EVELSON, PABLO

FERRARA

Congreso; Cellular Environmental Stressors in Biology and Medicine; 2014

Transition metals such as nickel are frequent air pollution constituents and could play a central role in cardiopulmonary diseases mechanisms initiated by the exposure to particulate matter (PM). The aim of this work was to analyse the cardiovascular physiopathological mechanisms observed after an acute Ni-doped silica nanoparticles (Ni- NP) exposure. Swiss mice were intranasally instilled with a Ni-NP suspension (0.01; 0.05; 0.1 and 1.0 mg Ni/kg body weight). Lung, heart and plasma samples were collected 1 hour after exposure. Tissue O2 consumption, NADPH oxidase (Nox) activity, GSH, GSSG levels and TBARS content were evaluated. Ni-NP share comparable physicochemical properties with PM. After the exposure to every Ni-NP dose, a significant increase in lung tissue O2 consumption was observed (60%; p˂0.0001). Nox activity (40%; p˂0.001) and TBARS content (40%; p˂0.001) in lung were also increased, GSSG levels were increased only in the highest Ni dose while no differences were observed in GSH levels. TBARS content in plasma was significantly increased only in the highest assayed dose. Heart tissue cubes O2 consumption showed a 30% decrease compared to control in every Ni-NP dose tested (p˂0.001). However, heart TBARS levels remained unchanged. The use of metal coated NP was a useful approach to evaluate the effect of the metal ions present in air particles, since they are exposed in a similar way than PM. These findings contribute to the understanding of the cardiopulmonary O2 metabolism alterations, where oxidative stress and inflammation may play a predominant role, in association with transition metals present in environmental PM.