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It is well known that polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NaP) and nano-titanium dioxide (TiO 2 NPs) are frequently co-appeared in daily life and can cause liver injury when they accumulate in the liver. Nonetheless, the combined toxicological impacts and potential molecular mechanisms of PS-NaP and TiO 2 NPs in the hepatic system have not been revealed. Thus, we conducted experiments on C57BL/6 mice exposed to PS-NaP or/and TiO 2 NPs for 4 weeks. The findings suggested that PS-NaP and TiO 2 NPs co-exposed significantly altered the hepatic function parameters, levels of antioxidant-related enzymes and genes expression of Keap-1/Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway, as well as significantly increased the hepatic Ti contents, aggravated hepatic pathological and oxidative stress (OS) damage compared with individual exposure to PS-NaP or TiO 2 NPs. Using N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), an OS inhibitor, we further demonstrated that OS played a pivotal role in coexposure-induced liver injury. NAC reduced the levels of OS in mice, which mitigated co-exposure-induced liver injury. Taken together, we proposed that PS-NaP and TiO 2 NPs co-exposed activated the Keap-1, then inhibited the recognition of Nrf2 and ARE, consequently exacerbated liver injury. These findings shed light on the co-toxicity and potential mechanism of nanoplastics and nanoparticles, which informed the risk assessment of human exposure to environmental pollutants., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) participate in all aspects of our lives, but with their wide application, more and more disadvantages are exposed. The goal of this study was to investigate the toxicity of ZnO NPs in female mice ovaries and explore its potential mechanism., Methods: In this study, adult female mice were orally exposed to 0, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg ZnO NPs for 7 days. We explored the underlying mechanisms via the intraperitoneal injection of N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), an inhibitor of oxidative stress, and salubrinal (Sal), an inhibitor of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress., Results: The results indicated that serum estradiol and progesterone levels declined greatly with increasing ZnO NPs dosage. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining revealed increased atretic follicles and exfoliated follicular granulosa cells. Moreover, at the transcriptional level, antioxidant-related genes such as Keap1 and Nrf2 , and ER stress-related genes PERK, eIF2α , and ATF4 were markedly upregulated. In addition, the expression of Caspase12, Caspase9 , and Caspase3 , which are genes related to apoptosis, was also upregulated in all ZnO NPs treatment groups. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content was remarkably up-regulated, whereas superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was down-regulated. The 400 mg/kg ZnO NPs treatment group suffered the most substantial harm. However, ovarian damage was repaired when NAC and Sal were added to this group., Conclusion: ZnO NPs had toxic effects on the ovary of female mice, which were due to oxidative stress, ER stress, and the eventual activation of apoptosis., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2022 Xu et al.)

The wide application of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) and the increase in opportunities for its release into the environment undoubtedly compound the potential of these materials to harm people. Research on the effects of pre-exposure to TiO2-NPs on disease development is scarce. The purpose of this work was to assess whether pre-exposure to TiO2-NPs (20 and 200 mg/kg) for 28 days aggravates the development of alcohol-related liver injury in mice. Results showed that oral administration of 200 mg/kg TiO2-NPs induced only modest changes in liver function parameters, but could induce intestinal inflammation and destroy the integrity of intestinal barrier. After the subsequent alcohol intervention, pre-exposure to TiO2-NPs (200 mg/kg) was found to aggravate alcohol-related liver injury, including significantly increases in serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total glycerol, and total cholesterol, as well as steatosis and inflammation in the liver. Further investigation revealed that alcohol could increase intestinal permeability and reduce the expression of tight junction proteins in mice pre-exposed high dosage of TiO2-NPs, thereby inducing the transfer of more lipopolysaccharides into the liver, ultimately triggering more severe liver inflammation. This study emphasizes that pre-exposed of TiO2-NPs (high doses of up to 200 mg/kg) can potentially promote the development of alcoholic liver diseases. Furthermore, this study provides new insights into evaluating the safety of NPs., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The effect of one of the most widely studied nanomaterials at present, TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs), on pregnancy-related diseases is not clear. In this study, the adverse effects of TiO 2 NPs on mice with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their possible mechanism were investigated. GDM mice were orally administered 0, 10, 50 and 250 mg/kg TiO 2 NPs for 14 days. GDM reduced the weight of pregnant mice, destroyed the placental structure and caused abnormal fetal development. After exposure to increasing doses of TiO 2 NPs, blood glucose levels increased significantly and body weight further decreased in GDM mice. The accumulation of the Ti content was detected in the placenta and fetus, which may further damage the placental structure in GDM mice, thereby exacerbating abnormal fetal development. In addition, the MDA and SOD activities were obviously increased, and the expression of genes associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) (PERK, eIF2α, AFT4, IRE1α, and XBP1s) and apoptosis (CHOP, JNK, Bax/Bcl-2, Caspase-12, Caspase-9, and Caspase-3) were also obviously increased in the placenta, which reflected the possible activation of apoptosis. It could be speculated that the reproductive toxicity of TiO 2 NPs in GDM mice triggered oxidative stress that subsequently activated ERS pathways to induce cell apoptosis., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of anatase and rutile TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) on the growth and development of bones in young rats and explore their possible mechanisms., Methods: Three-week-old male rats were orally administered anatase TiO 2 NPs and rutile TiO 2 NPs for 28 days. The indicators of rat growth and development, liver function, bone metabolism, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels were evaluated. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the tibia., Results: No significant differences were observed among growth and development indicators in young rats. Significant differences were found in IGF-1 levels, phosphorus levels, and liver function. Micro-CT revealed osteoporosis in the bones. The micro-CT data supported the same result. Bone immunohistochemistry results showed that the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) was decreased and the expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) and cathepsin K (CTSK) was increased., Conclusion: This study demonstrated that TiO 2 NPs can damage bones via the IGF-1/OPG/RANKL/CTSK pathway in young rats. Furthermore, rutile TiO 2 NPs damaged the bones more seriously than anatase TiO 2 NPs., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2021 Cheng et al.)

A huge number of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 NPs) exist in confectionery foods, which is a high-risk factor for development of diet-induced metabolism syndrome (MetS). In this study, we built a high fructose drinking-induced MetS mouse model, and oral intake of 20 mg/kg TiO 2 NPs was administered for 8 weeks. Significant pathological changes and inflammatory factors of overproduction were detected in the liver and colon. The 16S rDNA sequencing analysis results indicated that TiO 2 NPs evidently and further perturbed the gut microbiota diversity, compositions, and KEGG pathways in MetS mice. Fecal microbiota transplant experiment proved that TiO 2 NPs-altered gut microbiota drives liver and colon inflammation damage. More importantly, oral supplementation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) ameliorated not only the TiO 2 NPs-induced inflammation but also the fructose-caused metabolic abnormality. LGG recovered the gut dysbiosis and decreased the abundance of inflammation-related bacteria ( Desulfovibrionaceae , Clostridia , and Proteobacteria ), thereby protecting against TiO 2 NPs-induced severe inflammation damage. Our study suggests the necessity of assessing the toxic effects of foodborne nanoparticles on the chronic disease population and potential usefulness of probiotics as prophylactic and therapeutic.

The potential toxicity of Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) to human beings has become a widespread concern. This study explored the reproductive toxicity and the mechanism of toxicity of ZnO NPs in early pregnant mice. The results showed that abnormal weight changes, induced inflammation, reduced level of serum sex hormones, damaged uterus, increased abortion, and abnormal development of fetus. In the uterus, the transcription levels of ZnT-1, HO-1, Bax, Bax/Bcl-2, JNK, and Caspase-3 were significantly up-regulated while Bcl-2, ER-1 and PR were significantly down-regulated. The TUNEL-positive cells increased that were exposed to high levels of ZnO NPs. In summary, those results indicated that Zn from high levels of exposure to ZnO NPs accumulated in the uterus that could have caused the formation of ROS that led to oxidative stress, which might have activated the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway that could have caused the uterine injury which induced the observed reproductive toxicity., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) are among the most manufactured nanoparticles in the consumer products, industries, and researches. An increasing body of evidence indicated that ZnO NPs show toxicological effects in vivo. Sex differences in the toxicity of ZnO NPs are not clear, thus the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ZnO NPs on the female and male reproductive organs (uterus, ovary and testes). ZnO NPs were orally administered to female and male mice at dosages level of 0 and 100 mg/kg body weight. The biological material was sampled 3 days after tube feeding. The results demonstrated that Zinc contents were accumulated in the reproductive organs of treated mice. Furthermore, ZnO NPs administration induced significant decrease in the testes weight, an imbalance of hematological and serum biochemical parameters in male mice. The histopathological examinations showed that structural disorder and the appearance of cell apoptosis and death in the ZnO NPs-exposed mice. Additionally, the RT-qPCR data indicated ZnO NPs can activate mitochondrial-mediated signaling pathway and induce caspase depend damage that ultimately injured the uterus. In the ovary, ZnO NPs induce cell apoptosis in Shh pathway activated ovary cells, and affect the synthesis of steroidogenesis. In the testes, ZnO NPs effectively changed the expression level of genes related to oxidant stress, detox/metabolic process, and apoptosis. It was found that ZnO NPs caused more serious reproductive toxicity in the male mice than female mice. Overall, these findings indicated that ZnO NPs could induce exposure-related risks to reproductive health, especially in those who are at the occupational level., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Human were given a lot of opportunities to ingest TiO 2 NPs in the environment. Children have low, sensitive intestinal tolerance, and they could be exposed to higher levels of TiO 2 NPs than adults. Few studies have been conducted on the interaction between TiO 2 NPs and juvenile intestine phase models. Thus, in this work, weaning rats were orally exposed to TiO 2 NPs for 7 and 14 days. Results indicate that Ti accumulated in the intestine, liver, and feces. Inflammatory infiltration damage was observed in the colonic epithelial tissue, and gut microbiota fluctuated with a decreased abundance of Lactobacilli in feces. Oral supplementation with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) lessened TiO 2 NPs-induced colonic inflammatory injury, which might due to downregulation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB). Meanwhile, LGG maintained normal intestinal microbiome homeostasis, thereby improving TiO 2 NPs-induced colon injury in juvenile rats. Moreover, fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) experiment indicated possible TiO 2 NPs-induced intestinal microbiota disorder led to colonic inflammation. Our works suggested the urgent need for additional studies on the risk safety assessment, mechanism, and prevention of juvenile health damage from exposure to TiO 2 NPs., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of ZnO NPs on bone growth in rats and explore the possible mechanisms of action., Materials and Methods: Three-week-old male rats received ultrapure water or 68, 203, and 610 mg/kg zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) for 28 days, orally., Results: The high-dosage groups caused significant differences in weight growth rate, body length, and tibia length (P<0.05), all decreasing with increased ZnO NP dosage. There were no significant differences in body mass index (BMI) (P>0.05). The zinc concentration in liver and bone tissue increased significantly with increased ZnO NP dosage (P<0.05). Clearly increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were observed in the 610 mg/kg ZnO NP group (P>0.05), whereas alkaline phosphatase (ALP) increased in the 610 mg/kg ZnO NP group (P<0.05). Significant differences in insulin-like growth factor type 1 (IGF-1) levels and a decrease in calcium (Ca) levels were observed in 203 and 610 mg/kg ZnO NP groups (P<0.05). Phosphorus (P) levels increased and the Ca/P ratio decreased in the 610 mg/kg ZnO NP group (P<0.05). Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) of the tibia demonstrated signs of osteoporosis, such as decreased bone density, little trabecular bone structure and reduced cortical bone thickness. Micro-CT data further demonstrated significantly decreased bone mineral density (BMD), trabecular number (Tb.N), and relative bone volume (BV/TV) with increasing dosage of ZnO NPs. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) expression and the ratio of OPG to receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) were statistically lower in the 610 mg/kg ZnO NP group (P<0.05), whereas RANKL expression did not change significantly (P>0.05)., Conclusion: We infer that ZnO NPs affect bone growth in young rats directly or indirectly by altering IGF-1 levels. Overall, the results indicate that ZnO NPs promote osteoclast activity and increase bone loss through the OPG/RANK/RANKL/IGF-1 pathway., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2020 Xu et al.)

In this work, we aimed to evaluate the adverse effects and the mechanism of intestinal barrier caused by titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 NPs). Here, the effects of two different dosages (300 and 1200 mg/kg) of TiO 2 NPs on female mice (n = 5) were investigated. After 28-day oral exposure, the results of Ti content were significantly increased in the ileum in comparison with the control. The histopathological structure index of the ileum was significantly changed after TiO 2 NPs exposure; villi height and crypt depth were decreased and increased, respectively. Meanwhile, TiO 2 NPs treatment also significantly altered the transcription levels of genes. First, the GATA-3 and STAT-4 were upregulation and downregulation, respectively. Second, gene expressions of the Zonula Occludens-1, claudin (CLDN)-12, occludin, and myosin light chain kinase were significantly upregulated, while the CLDN-3 was decreased. Finally, the caspase-3, caspase-9, and caspase-12 were upregulated. The results of TUNEL staining indicated apoptosis in the ileum. In general, TiO 2 NPs treatment significantly changed the intestine physical barrier in a dose-dependent manner. The toxicity of TiO 2 NPs could be through the imbalance in the Th1/Th2., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

A lectin magnetic separation (LMS) method for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was developed with the aim to improve the efficiency of magnetic nanoparticles and to expand the scope of bacterial recognition. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-mediated magnetic nanoparticles modified with streptavidin (MNP-PEG-SA) were synthesized and then applied to a two-step LMS based on the use of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). Three specific methods for S. aureus detection (suitable for different requirements including detection time and sensitivity) were designed. The new LMS has improved anchoring efficiency (compared to two-step LMS methods) and requires a reduced number of magnetic particles. The Baird-Parker (B-P) method can detect S. aureus with a detection limit of 3 × 10 0  CFU·mL -1 within 15 h; the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method can be finished within 4 h, with the lowest detection limit (LOD) of 3 × 10 2  CFU·mL -1 . The LOD of HRP-pig IgG-based colorimetric method is 3 × 10 5  CFU·mL -1 , and the method only lasts for 2 h. If combined with specific detection methods, it meets different needs for rapid detection of S. aureus. Graphical abstractSchematic representation of lectin magnetic separation (LMS) based on biotin-wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG)-mediated streptavidin-modified magnetic nanoparticles (MNP-PEG-SA) and three different quantification strategies (including B-P culture assay, PCR assay, and colorimetric assay) for S. aureus.

The oral ingestion of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) has attracted considerable attention because of the wide usage in food packaging and additives. The small intestine is the major absorption site for ZnO NPs. Unfortunately, studies on the absorption of ZnO NPs in the GIT were still scarce. This study evaluated the absorption characteristics of ZnO NPs (30 nm) and bulk ZnO (rod morphology with a mean size of 139-846 nm). Results showed that ZnO NPs and bulk ZnO were absorbed and redistributed in various organs of mice at 4 h after exposure. Significantly higher levels of MT1 were observed in the duodenums of bulk ZnO and ZnO NPs groups than those of the control (9.8 and 5660.11 fold increases, respectively). The MT4 levels in the bulk ZnO and ZnO NPs groups also showed 4.07 and 43.21fold increases, respectively. In addition, the transcript levels of ZIPs, ZnTs, and MTs in the jejunum of bulk ZnO group were higher than those of ZnO NPs group. And the transcript levels of ZIPs, ZnTs, and MTs were all lower in the ileum than in the jejunum. The results suggested that ZnO NPs were mainly absorbed in the duodenum in the form of particles and can be absorbed as Zn 2+ in the jejunum and secondly in the ileum. By contrast, bulk ZnO was more easily absorbed as Zn 2+ in the jejunum and secondly in the ileum., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) have been assessed to show adverse effects on the liver, but the molecular mechanisms and the role of nanoparticle properties in these adverse reactions have not been sufficiently studied. In this study, the toxicity of various sizes of ZnO particles (bulk, 90nm, and 30nm) that were ingested orally over a period of 3days were evaluated in mice. The blood biochemistry, hematological analyses, and histopathological evaluation showed that there was apparent toxicity caused by smaller ZnO NPs (30nm) in liver. The smallest ZnO NPs showed highest accumulation in the mice liver. The RT-qPCR data indicated that 30nm ZnO NPs can induce significant endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses. The ER stress marker of PERK, eIF2α, ATF4, Chop, JNK, caspase-12, caspase-9, GRP94, and Bax at the mRNA levels were higher expression in 30nm ZnO NP than that in bulk or 90nm ZnO. These findings implied that the smaller ZnO NPs (30nm) activated ER stress responses that signified severe apoptosis in murine liver., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, we investigated the antibacterial activity of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) and Lactobacillus-fermentation liquor (LFL) against two pathogenic bacteria in vitro and in vivo. Bactericidal tests were performed on solid agar plates and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) techniques were used to examine the antibacterial activity of the mixture of ZnO NPs and LFL in vivo. The results showed that the mixture exhibited higher antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhimurium in vitro in comparison with ZnO NPs alone. The results showed that ZnO NPs and LFL significantly enhanced microbial diversity in mouse intestine which suggested a synergistic antibacterial activity against the tested pathogenic bacteria that could be used for the control of the spread and persistence of bacterial infections.

Membrane-based lateral flow immunochromatographic strip (LFICS) is widely used in various fields because of its simplicity, rapidity (detection within 10min), and low cost. However, early designs of membrane-based LFICS for preliminary screening only provide qualitative ("yes/no" signal) or semi-quantitative results without quantitative information. These designs often suffer from low-signal intensity and poor sensitivity and are only capable of single analyte detection, not simultaneous multiple detections. The performance of existing techniques used for detection using LFICS has been considerably improved by incorporating different kinds of nanoparticles (NPs) as reporters. NPs can serve as alternative labels and improve analytical sensitivity or limit of detection of LFICS because of their unique properties, such as optical absorption, fluorescence spectra, and magnetic properties. The controlled manipulation of NPs allows simultaneous or multiple detections by using membrane-based LFICS. In this review, we discuss how colored (e.g., colloidal gold, carbon, and colloidal selenium NPs), luminescent (e.g., quantum dots, up-converting phosphor NPs, and dye-doped NPs), and magnetic NPs are integrated into membrane-based LFICS for the detection of target analytes. Gold NPs are also featured because of their wide applications. Different types and unique properties of NPs are briefly explained. This review focuses on examples of NP-based LFICS to illustrate novel concepts in various devices with potential applications as screening tools. This review also highlights the superiority of NP-based approaches over existing conventional strategies for clinical analysis, food safety, and environmental monitoring. This paper is concluded by a short section on future research trends regarding NP-based LFICS., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Because of the lack of early screening strategies, ovarian cancer is the most deadly cause of gynecologic malignancies. This paper describes an effective method for the separation and detection of ovarian cancer cells from female whole blood, using folic acid (FA) conjugated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IO-FA nanoparticles). The IO nanoparticles were synthesized by thermal decomposition and then covalently conjugated with FA. The IO-FA nanoparticles were stably attached to the surface of ovarian cancer cells by coupling to the over-expressed folate receptor (FR), thereby making the cells magnetic. These "magnetic cells" were separated from the complex blood matrix without destruction under a magnetic field. The separation efficiency was as high as 61.3% when the abundance of spiked ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells was as low as 5 × 10(-5)%. We also successfully detected five (5) out of ten (10) metastatic ovarian cancer patients' whole blood. This study suggested the feasibility of early detecting of metastatic ovarian cancer cells, which may potentially improve the ovarian cancers patients' overall survival rate for clinical applications.

A Ru(phen)3(2+) doped silica nanoparticle based immunochromatographic strip was developed for the rapid and quantitative detection of five common β-agonist (salbutamol (SAL), cimbuterol, terbutaline, clenbuterol, and brombuterol) residues in swine urine. The broad spectrum monoclonal antibodies generated by immunizing BALB/c mice with salbutamol conjugated cationic bovine serum albumin. The fluorescence intensities (FIs) of the strip on the test line (FIT) and control line (FIC) were determined using a strip reader. Parameters that influenced the antibody and antigen interaction on the test strip were investigated by recording FIT and FIC values, and the concept of FIT/FIC ratio was used to offset the inherent heterogeneity of the test strips and the effect of the sample matrix. Under optimal conditions, the linear range for the quantitative detection of SAL was 0.6-5.0 ng/ml with a half maximal inhibitory concentration at 1.78 ng/ml. The limit of detection for real swine urine was 0.43 ng/ml. The recovery rates of the intraassay for spiked urine at SAL concentrations of 0.8, 1.5, and 3.5 ng/mL were 88.06%±3.75%, 95.77%±5.33%, and 94.06%±7.43%, whereas those for the interassay were 84.69%±5.0%, 95.06%±9.3%, and 88.34%±7.71%, respectively. The developed quantitative method exhibited excellent agreement with a commercially available competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit for SAL-spiked urine samples, with a correlation of coefficient of 0.95 and a slope of 0.99 (n=36). The results indicated that the developed test strip enables sensitive, reproducible, and easily implementable screening for the rapid and quantitative detection of β-agonist residues in swine urine., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A Ru(phen)3(2+)-doped silica fluorescent nanoparticle (FN)-based immunochromatographic test strip (ICTS) sensor was developed for rapid, high sensitivity, easy to use, and low cost quantitative detection of enrofloxacin (ENR) residues in chicken meat. The fluorescence signal intensity of the FNs at the test line (FI(T)) and control line (FI(C)) was determined with a prototype of a portable fluorescent strip reader. Unique properties of Ru(phen)3(2+) doped silica nanoparticles (e.g., large Stokes shift, high emission quantum yield, and long fluorescence lifetime) were combined with the advantages of ICTS and an easy to make portable fluorescent strip reader. The signal was based on FI(T)/FI(C) ratio to effectively eliminate strip to strip variation and matrix effects. Various parameters that influenced the strip were investigated and optimized. Quantitative ENR detection with the FNs ICTS sensor using 80 μL sample took only 20 min, which is faster than the commercial ELISA kit (that took 90 min). The linear range of detection in chicken extract was established at 0.025-3.500 ng/mL with a half maximal inhibitory concentration at 0.22 ± 0.02 ng/mL. Using the optimized parameters, the limit of detection (LOD) for ENR using the FNs ICTS sensor was recorded at 0.02 ng/mL in chicken extract. This corresponds to 0.12 μg/kg chicken meat which is two (2) orders of magnitude better that the maximum residue limits (MRLs) imposed in Japan (10 μg/kg) and three (3) orders of magnitude better than those imposed in China. The intra- and inter-assay coefficient of variations (CVs) were 6.04% and 12.96% at 0.5 ng/mL, 6.92% and 12.61% at 1.0 ng/mL, and 6.66% and 11.88% at 2.0 ng/mL in chicken extract, respectively. The recoveries using the new FNs ICTS sensor from fifty (50) ENR-spiked chicken samples showed a highly significant correlation (R(2) = 0.9693) with the commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The new FNs ICTS sensor is a simple, rapid, sensitive, accurate, and inexpensive quantitative detection of ENR residues in chicken meat and extracts.

A proof-of-concept for the use of oleic acid coated magnetic nanobeads (OA-MNBs) for the magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) of trace amounts of leuco-malachite green (LMG) from fish samples was developed. The OA-MNBs were prepared by covalently conjugating oleic acid on amino-modified magnetic polystyrene beads. The OA-MNBs were characterized with transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and zeta-potential analyzer. The optimized parameters for MSPE with OA-MNBs of LMG from fish muscle involved a combination of pH 10.0 in 10% acetonitrile, 1.5 M sodium chloride as an adsorption solution, and an extraction procedure involving 6 mg OA-MNBs in 18 mL LMG adsorption solution. This was optimized for 0.5 g fish muscles with an incubation period of 10 min using 200 μL acetonitrile for elution. Using the optimized parameters, the performance of MSPE with OA-MNBs was evaluated by analyzing LMG-spiked fish extracts with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. The results indicated that recoveries of LMG (from 0.1 to 2 ng/g) ranged from 71.2%-112.6% with relative standard deviations as low as 0.6%. Out of 57 field fish samples, eight LMG positive samples were confirmed using MSPE with OA-MNBs. Compared with traditional liquid-liquid extraction methods, the results showed that MSPE with OA-MNBs had a higher sensitivity for samples with low LMG concentration. Furthermore, the MSPE with OA-MNB took only 40 min to perform without the need for time consuming sample-pretreatment process. Therefore, MSPE with OA-MNBs holds promise for rapid, sensitive, and cost effective screening for LMG in fish samples., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this proof-of-concept study we report the use of <15 nm, water soluble, inorganic nanoparticles as a vaccine delivery system for a blood stage malaria vaccine. The recombinant malarial antigen, Merozoite Surface Protein 1 (rMSP1) of Plasmodium falciparum served as the model vaccine. The rMSP1 was covalently conjugated to polymer-coated quantum dot CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles (QDs) via surface carboxyl groups, forming rMSP1-QDs. Anti-MSP1 antibody responses induced by rMSP1-QDs were found to have 2-3 log higher titers than those obtained with rMSP1 administered with the conventional adjuvants, Montanide ISA51 and CFA. Moreover, the immune responsiveness and the induction of parasite inhibitory antibodies were significantly superior in mice injected with rMSP1-QDs. The rMSP1-QDs delivered via intra-peritoneal (i.p.), intra-muscular (i.m.), and subcutaneous (s.c.) routes were equally efficacious. The high level of immunogenicity exhibited by the rMSP1-QDs was achieved without further addition of other adjuvant components. Bone marrow derived dendritic cells were shown to efficiently take up the nanoparticles leading to their activation and the expression/secretion of key cytokines, suggesting that this may be a mode of action for the enhanced immunogenicity. This study provides promising results for the use of water soluble, inorganic nanoparticles (<15 nm) as potent vehicles/platforms to enhance the immunogenicity of polypeptide antigens in adjuvant-free immunizations., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A key challenge in developing nanoplatform-based molecular imaging is to achieve an optimal pharmacokinetic profile to allow sufficient targeting and to avoid rapid clearance by the reticuloendothelial system (RES). In the present study, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) were coated with a PEGylated amphiphilic triblock copolymer, making them water soluble and function-extendable. These particles were then conjugated with a near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) dye IRDye800 and cyclic Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic acid (RGD) containing peptide c(RGDyK) for integrin alpha(v)beta(3) targeting. In vitro binding assays confirmed the integrin-specific association between the RGD-particle adducts and U87MG glioblastoma cells. Successful tumor homing in vivo was perceived in a subcutaneous U87MG glioblastoma xenograft model by both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and NIRF imaging. Ex vivo histopathological studies also revealed low particle accumulation in the liver, which was attributed to their compact hydrodynamic size and PEGylated coating. In conclusion, we have developed a novel RGD-IONP conjugate with excellent tumor integrin targeting efficiency and specificity as well as limited RES uptake for molecular MRI.

BACKGROUND: TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs), a widely used food additive in the food industry, have been shown to aggravate the progress of metabolic diseases. Nanoplastics (NPLs) are an emerging contaminant widely present in the food system and have been shown to induce ovarian disorders in mammals. Noteworthy, they can be ingested by humans through 'contaminated' food, whereas the potential toxicity of NPLs and TiO2 NPs combined remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the potential effects and mechanisms of co‐exposure to polystyrene (PS) NPLs and TiO2 NPs on the ovary in female mice. RESULTS: Our results revealed that the co‐exposure of TiO2 NPs and PS NPLs caused significant injury to ovarian structure and function, but individual exposure had no effect. Moreover, compared to the TiO2 NPs group, co‐exposure aggravated the intestinal barrier damage in mice, increasing the bioaccumulation of TiO2 NPs in the ovary. After being supplemented with the oxidative stress inhibitor N‐acetyl‐l‐cysteine, the expression of ovarian antioxidant genes increased, and the ovarian structural and functional injury in co‐exposure mice reverted to normal levels. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that co‐exposure to PS NPLs and TiO2 NPs can cause more severe female reproductive dysfunction and deepens the toxicological insights between NPLs and NPs. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) draw significant attention as a promising biomarker for cancer prognosis, status monitoring, and metastasis diagnosis. However, the concentration of CTCs in peripheral blood is usually extremely low, thereby requiring enrichment followed by isolation of CTCs prior to detection. An immunomagnetic separation is a promising tool for CTCs enrichment. In this study, a cost‐effective magnetic separation method, based on streptavidin–biotin complexation, was developed and the effects of magnetic beads' size in CTCs capture were compared. Magnetic nanobeads which were 25 nm in diameter lead to highest capture efficiency (82.2%) compared with 150 nm magnetic beads and 1 µm microbeads. Based on the streptavidin–biotin system, 25 nm magnetic nanobeads could capture model CTCs over 80% efficiency even at concentrations as low as ∼25 cells/mL that may represent the actual level of CTCs in peripheral blood of cancer patients. Furthermore, the isolated cells remained robust and healthy showing insignificant changes in morphology and behaviour when cultured for 24 h immediately after capture and isolation. The magnetic nanobeads based on streptavidin–biotin complexation showed promise for the easy and efficient capture and isolation of healthy CTCs for further diagnosis and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various surface modifications of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (IOMNs) can improve their stability and long‐term retention time in vivo, expanding applications of biomedical fields. However, whether the long‐term retention of IOMNs coated with different surface modifications has toxic effects remains poorly understood. Here, the toxicity of IOMNs modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG), bovine serum albumin (BSA), and carboxyl group (COOH), forming PEG–IOMNs, BSA–IOMNs, and COOH–IOMNs, respectively, were evaluated in the rats. The high accumulation of PEG–IOMNs and COOH–IOMNs both in the liver and lung, and the high accumulation BSA–IOMNs in blood after 24 day recovery were observed by elemental content analysis. Except individual neutrophils in the local portal area, PEG–IOMNs can also induce cytoplasmic vacuolisation in partial liver cells by histopathological examination. Furthermore, the results of RT‐qPCR showed that PEG–IOMNs, BSA–IOMNs, and COOH–IOMNs can change the transcript levels of most genes related to iron homeostasis, mitochondria apoptosis, inflammatory response, but <2‐fold alteration. COOH–IOMNs seemed to induce normal cell apoptosis more easily than BSA–IOMNs and PEG–IOMNs. In conclusion, BSA–IOMNs had longer‐term retention time in blood. IOMNs coated with PEG and BSA can still induce side effects on the liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver metals have long been known to possess antimicrobial properties. Recently, even the nanoparticle version of silver (AgNPs) has also been established as antimicrobials. In this study AgNPs were combined with extracts of the medicinal plant Chinese honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica Thunb. The antimicrobial activity of the AgNPs‐herb was tested against pathogenic Escherichia coli CMCC44113. Using different AgNPs or herb (honeysuckle water extract or HWE) ratios in the presence of a fixed concentration of E. coli CMCC44113, potencies were found to be proportional with concentrations. The antimicrobial activities of AgNPs‐HWE combo were significant enhanced, when compared with solely AgNPs or HWE. Thus, atomic force microscopic and propidium monoazide‐PCR were used to probe the damages caused by AgNPs‐HWE combo on the cell morphology and cell membrane integrity of E. coli. The mechanism of AgNPs‐HWE combo against E. coli may attribute to AgNPs leads to cell wall lysis and damages cell membrane integrity, and thus increases the penetration of HWE into the bacterium, which results in more serious damage to bacterial cells. These findings indicated that AgNPs‐herb was more potent than the AgNPs alone and holds promise for the development of nanoparticle enhanced herbal pharmaceuticals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A highly efficient process using iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (IO)-based immunomagnetic separation of tumor cells from fresh whole blood has been developed. The process involved polymer coated 30 nm IO that was modified with antibodies (Ab) against human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 (anti-HER2 or anti-HER2/neu) forming IO-Ab. HER2 is a cell membrane protein that is overexpressed in several types of human cancer cells. Using a HER2/neu overexpressing human breast cancer cell line, SK-BR3, as a model cell, the IO-Ab was used to separate 73.6% (with a maximum capture of 84%) of SK-BR3 cells that were spiked in 1 mL of fresh human whole blood. The IO-Ab preferentially bound to SK-BR3 cells over normal cells found in blood due to the high level of HER2/neu receptor on the cancer cells unlike the normal cell surfaces. The results showed that the nanosized magnetic nanoparticles exhibited an enrichment factor (cancer cells over normal cells) of 1:10,000,000 in a magnetic field (with gradient of 100 T/m) through the binding of IO-Ab on the cell surface that resulted in the preferential capture of the cancer cells. This research holds promise for efficient separation of circulating cancer cells in fresh whole blood. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The hazard of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) in diseased population should be given focus due to the huge number of these NPs in foods and medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the stronger biological adverse effect of oral exposure to TiO2 NPs in a fructose-induced metabolic syndrome mouse model. Compared to the normal mice, low-dose (2 mg/kg) TiO2 NPs did not cause severe hepatotoxicity. However, high-dose (20 mg/kg) TiO2 NPs induced aggravated hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, and apoptosis, with substantial alteration of related biochemical parameters in the mouse model. Moreover, significantly increased Ti and lipopolysaccharide burden were observed in metabolic syndrome murine liver and serum, which possibly worsened the portend intestinal leakage. The expression of tight junction-related protein showed that TiO2 NPs induced further increase in serious intestinal permeability. The intestinal inflammatory and oxidative stress response in the model were also assessed. Results showed that TiO2 NPs caused more severe intestinal inflammatory injury by intensifying the oxidative stress in metabolic syndrome mice and then induced further liver injury. This work provides information on the insights into the toxic effect of TiO2 NPs in sub-healthy population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of COVID-19 has caused huge economic losses and irreversible social impact. Therefore, to successfully prevent the spread of the virus and solve public health problems, it is urgent to develop detection methods with high sensitivity and accuracy. However, existing detection methods are time-consuming, rely on instruments, and require skilled operators, making rapid detection challenging to implement. Biosensors based on fluorescent nanoparticles have attracted interest in the field of detection because of their advantages, such as high sensitivity, low detection limit, and simple result readout. In this review, we systematically describe the synthesis, intrinsic advantages, and applications of organic dye-doped fluorescent nanoparticles, metal nanoclusters, up-conversion particles, quantum dots, carbon dots, and others for virus detection. Furthermore, future research initiatives are highlighted, including green production of fluorescent nanoparticles with high quantum yield, speedy signal reading by integrating with intelligent information, and error reduction by coupling with numerous fluorescent nanoparticles. • The main synthesis methods of ODFNs, MNCs, UCNPs, QDs and CDs are comprehensively introduced. • The research progress of biosensors based on fluorescent nanoparticles for virus detection is reviewed. • Their main detection modes and typical applications are critically summarized. • Challenges and perspectives of this field are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SMNPs) have been widely used in immunochromatographic assay (ICA) platform and achieved outstanding effects for overcoming the disadvantages of low sensitivity and poor matrix tolerance of ICA. The review presents the improvement of sensitivity and matrix tolerance of ICA due to immunomagnetic separation (IMS). Moreover, some novel magnetic separation technology, developed as new alternatives to IMS, based on non-antibody reagents are displayed to illustrate the novel concepts in various applications. SMNPs also act as a novel label for the signal output of ICA (SMNPs-ICA). This part focuses on examples of SMNPs-ICA based on optical and magnetic signal read modes to illustrate the advantage of SMNPs-ICA. At the same time, novel concepts in various sensors for magnetic reading and used as potential applications for screening tools are introduced. We also highlight the superiority of SMNPs aggregation-based, enzyme or nanozyme-based, and external magnetic field-based strategies for SMNPs-ICA. • The application and development of SMNPs-based IMS were reviewed. • Non-antibody reagents-based novel MS technology were introduced. • Optical and magnetic signal output modes of SMNPs-based ICA were reviewed. • Strategies to increase the sensitivity of SMNPs-ICA were introduced. • Potential challenges and trend were discussed for IMS and SMNPs-based ICA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A fluorescence sensor based on hybridization chain reaction was developed to achieve sensitive detection of Salmonella. • The Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles were used to isolate the target ssDNA and led to decrease background signal. • The chosen primer and the two hairpin probes gave high selectivity to detect Salmonella. • HCR amplification increased the sensitivity of the method with the detection limit of 7.4 × 101 CFU/mL. Abstract We developed a fluorescence sensor based on hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles for the detection of Salmonella , common pathogen related to numerous food poisoning outbreaks. In this study, a pair of specific primers based on invA of Salmonella was designed and used in asymmetric polymerase chain reaction (aPCR) to produce a long target single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) that was captured by biotin-probe labeled magnetic beads (MBs) forming the MBs-ssDNA. The target ssDNA triggered HCR amplification with the two carboxyfluorescein (FAM) labeled DNA hairpin reporter probes (H1-FAM, H2-FAM) that enabled the measurements of the fluorescence intensities from the resulting ssDNA∼(H1-FAM ∼H2-FAM) n. The Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles were used to isolate the target ssDNA which hybridized with the reporter probes and led to decreased background signal that resulted in a detection limit of 7.4 × 101 CFU/mL in buffer and 6.9 × 102 CFU/g in spiked lettuce. The method developed also showed excellent selectivity over several common foodborne pathogens. The Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles capture coupled with fluorescence detection sensor showed promise for the detection of Salmonella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effects of cadmium containing QDs (such as CdSe/ZnS and CdSe QDs) and bulk CdCl 2 in pregnant mice, their fetuses, and the pregnancy outcomes were investigated. It was shown that although the QDs and bulk CdCl 2 were effectively blocked by the placental barrier, the damage on the placenta caused by CdSe QDs still led to fetus malformation, while the mice in CdSe/ZnS QDs treatment group exhibited slightly hampered growth but showed no significant abnormalities. Moreover, the Cd contents in the placenta and the uterus of CdSe QDs and CdSe/ZnS QDs treatment groups showed significantly higher than the CdCl 2 treated group which indicated that the nanoscale size of the QDs allowed relative ease of entry into the gestation tissues. In addition, the CdSe QDs more effectively altered the expression levels of susceptive genes related to cell apoptosis, dysplasia, metal transport, cryptorrhea, and oxidative stress, etc. These findings suggested that the nanoscale size of the QDs were probably more important than the free Cd in inducing toxicity. Furthermore, the results indicated that the outer surface shell coating played a protective role in the adverse effects of QDs on late pregnancy mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing use of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in various applications has raised many concerns about the potential risks to human health. In this research, the protective effects of cellular oxidative stress inhibitor N-Acetyl-cysteine (NAC) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress inhibitor Salubrinal (Sal) on reproductive toxicity induced by ZnO NPs were investigated. The results showed that application of these two kinds of cell stress inhibitors after oral ingestion of ZnO NPs could prevent the weight loss of pregnant mice; reduce zinc content in the uterus, placenta and fetus; reduce abnormal development of the offspring; and decrease fetal abortion. Furthermore, RT-qPCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence assay results indicated that NAC restored the expression of Gclc , reduced the expression of ATF4 , JNK and Caspase-12 , and decreased the expression of eNOS and IGF-1, in the placenta. Sal decreased the expression of ATF4 , JNK and Caspase-12 , and increased the expression of eNOS and IGF-1 caused by the oral ingestion of ZnO NPs. These results indicated that treatment with NAC and Sal after oral exposure could reduce reproductive and development toxicity caused by ZnO NPs which induced reproductive and development toxicity that was probably caused by the activation of oxide stress and ER stress. • ZnO NPs can cause maternal reproductive toxicity and fetal growth restriction. • ZnO NPs may induced toxicity via endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxide stress. • NAC and Sal can alleviate the reproductive toxicity caused by ZnO NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]