Journal Article

Oral exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles affects iron absorption

Esch, Mandy B., Shuler, Michael L., Southard, Teresa L., Glahn, Raymond P., Archer, Shivaun D., Mahler, Gretchen J., Tako, Elad

2012

Overview

The use of engineered nanoparticles in food and pharmaceuticals is expected to increase, but the impact of chronic oral exposure to nanoparticles on human health remains unknown. Here, we show that chronic and acute oral exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles can influence iron uptake and iron transport in an in vitro model of the intestinal epithelium and an in vivo chicken intestinal loop model. Intestinal cells that are exposed to high doses of nanoparticles showed increased iron transport due to nanoparticle disruption of the cell membrane. Chickens acutely exposed to carboxylated particles (50 nm in diameter) had a lower iron absorption than unexposed or chronically exposed birds. Chronic exposure caused remodelling of the intestinal villi, which increased the surface area available for iron absorption. The agreement between the in vitro and in vivo results suggests that our in vitro intestinal epithelium model is potentially useful for toxicology studies. Chickens acutely exposed to polystyrene nanoparticles are less efficient at absorbing iron across the epithelial cells of their intestines than chickens chronically exposed and those that are not exposed at all.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 639/925/928 / Absorption / Administration, Oral / Animals / Birds / Chemistry and Materials Science / Chickens / Crohn's disease / Drug dosages / Exposure / Intestinal Absorption - physiology / Intestines - metabolism / Iron / Iron - pharmacokinetics / Materials Science / Nanoparticles / Nanoparticles - administration & dosage / Nanotechnology / Nanotechnology and Microengineering / Pharmaceuticals / Polystyrenes - administration & dosage / Poultry / Small intestine / Surface area / Toxicology