Department of Environmental Sciences, JoŽef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia and JoŽef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Research Group for Nano-Bio Science, Division for Food Technology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 201, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
Nanoscale. 2018 Jul 5;10(25):11980-11991. doi: 10.1039/c8nr02096e.
With the extensive use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in various consumer products their potential toxicity is of great concern especially for highly sensitive population groups such as pregnant women and even the developing fetus. To understand if AgNPs are taken up and cross the human placenta, we studied their translocation and accumulation in the human ex vivo placenta perfusion model by single particle ICP-MS (spICP-MS). The impact of different surface modifications on placental transfer was assessed by AgNPs with two different modifications: polyethylene glycol (AgPEG NPs) and sodium carboxylate (AgCOONa NPs). AgNPs and ionic Ag were detected in the fetal circulation in low but not negligible amounts. Slightly higher Ag translocation across the placental barrier for perfusion with AgPEG NPs and higher AgNP accumulation in placental tissue for perfusion with AgCOONa NPs were observed. Since these AgNPs are soluble in water, we tried to distinguish between the translocation of dissolved and particulate Ag. Perfusion with AgNO3 revealed the formation of Ag containing NPs in both circulations over time, of which the amount and their size in the fetal circulation were comparable to those from perfusion experiments with both AgNP types. Although we were not able to clarify whether intact AgNPs and/or Ag precipitates from dissolved Ag cross the placental barrier, our study highlights that uptake of Ag ions and/or dissolution of AgNPs in the tissue followed by re-precipitation in the fetal circulation needs to be considered as an important pathway in studies of AgNP translocation across biological barriers.
随着银纳米粒子（AgNPs）在各种消费品中的广泛应用，其潜在的毒性引起了极大的关注，尤其是对于孕妇和发育中的胎儿等高度敏感的人群。为了了解 AgNPs 是否被吸收并穿过人胎盘，我们使用单颗粒 ICP-MS（spICP-MS）研究了它们在人离体胎盘灌注模型中的转运和积累。通过两种不同修饰的 AgNPs（聚乙二醇（AgPEG NPs）和羧酸钠（AgCOONa NPs））评估了不同表面修饰对胎盘转移的影响。AgNPs 和离子 Ag 以低但不可忽略的量在胎儿循环中被检测到。AgPEG NPs 灌注时胎盘屏障的 Ag 转运略高，AgCOONa NPs 灌注时胎盘组织中的 AgNP 积累更高。由于这些 AgNPs 在水中可溶，我们试图区分溶解态和颗粒态 Ag 的转运。随着时间的推移，用 AgNO3 灌注会在两种循环中形成含 Ag 的 NPs，其中胎儿循环中 Ag 的数量及其大小与两种 AgNP 类型的灌注实验相当。虽然我们无法澄清完整的 AgNPs 和/或溶解的 Ag 沉淀是否穿过胎盘屏障，但我们的研究强调，Ag 离子的摄取和/或 AgNPs 在组织中的溶解随后在胎儿循环中重新沉淀需要作为 AgNP 穿过生物屏障转运研究中的一个重要途径加以考虑。
