Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7633, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7633, USA.
Curr Environ Health Rep. 2018 Mar;5(1):100-109. doi: 10.1007/s40572-018-0181-4.
The explosive growth of the nanotechnology industry has necessitated the examination of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) for their toxicity. The unique properties that make ENMs useful also make them a health risk, and individuals with pre-existing diseases such as asthma are likely more susceptible. This review summarizes the current literature on the ability of ENMs to both exacerbate and directly cause asthma.
Recent studies highlight the ability of metal nanoparticles (NPs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to not only exacerbate pre-existing asthma in animal models but also initiate allergic airway disease directly. CNTs alone are shown to cause airway mucus production, elevated serum IgE levels, and increased T2 cytokine levels, all key indicators of asthma. The ability of ENMs to modulate the immune response in asthma varies depending on their physicochemical properties and exposure timing. CNTs consistently exacerbate asthma, as do Ni and TiO NPs, whereas some NPs like Au attenuate asthma. Evidence is strong that ENMs can contribute to allergic airway disease; however, more work is required to determine their mechanisms, and more epidemiological studies are needed to validate results from animal models.
纳米技术产业的爆炸式增长使得人们有必要对工程纳米材料 (ENMs) 的毒性进行研究。使 ENMs 具有实用性的独特性质也使其成为健康风险，患有哮喘等先前存在疾病的个体可能更容易受到影响。本篇综述总结了目前关于 ENMs 加剧和直接导致哮喘的能力的文献。
最近的研究强调了金属纳米颗粒 (NPs) 和碳纳米管 (CNTs) 不仅能够加剧动物模型中先前存在的哮喘，而且还能够直接引发过敏性气道疾病。单独的 CNT 就被证明会导致气道粘液产生、血清 IgE 水平升高和 T2 细胞因子水平升高，这些都是哮喘的关键指标。ENMs 调节哮喘中免疫反应的能力取决于它们的物理化学性质和暴露时间。CNTs 和 Ni 以及 TiO2 NPs 一致地加剧哮喘，而一些 NPs 如 Au 则减轻哮喘。有强有力的证据表明 ENMs 可能导致过敏性气道疾病；然而，需要做更多的工作来确定它们的机制，并且需要更多的流行病学研究来验证动物模型的结果。
