Acute hepatotoxicity and drug/chemical interaction toxicity of 10-nm silver nanoparticles in mice

Abstract

Nanomaterials with nanoscale microstructures have new properties in which reactions to stimuli such as heat, light, and voltage differ from those of macroscale materials. For that reason, the development of nanotechnology using nanomaterials has been remarkable, and these technologies have been put to practical use in various fields such as medicine and electronics. Nanomaterials have been researched as new materials with superior properties that have not been seen in the past, but concerns remain about the influence of nanomaterials on living bodies. Silver nanoparticles are materials with excellent optical, electrical, and antibacterial properties. However, few reports have described the influence of silver nanoparticles on the living body and interactions between chemicals such as pharmaceuticals. We therefore investigated the effect of silver nanoparticles on the living body and drug interactions. We administered silver nanoparticles with particle diameters of 10, 50, and 200 nm (SnP10, SnP50, and SnP200, respectively) to mice through the tail vein. As a result, acute liver injury was induced only in the SnP10 group. Furthermore, liver injury was induced by co-administering SnP10 with carbon tetrachloride, streptomycin, or cisplatin. SnP10 appears to induce liver injury through acute and drug interactions.