Journal
NANOTOXICOLOGY
Volume 8, Issue 8, Pages 885-893Publisher
INFORMA HEALTHCARE
DOI: 10.3109/17435390.2013.842267
Keywords
qdots; olfactory epithelium; olfactory bulb; inhalation
Categories
Funding
- NSF Science and Technology Center [PHY 0120999]
- EPA [RD-83171401]
- NIEHS [U01 ES 02027]
- NIOSH [0H07550]
- Atmospheric Aerosols and Health (AAH) training grant under the UC Statewide Toxic Substances Research and Teaching Program
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Nanoparticles are of wide interest due to their potential use for diverse commercial applications. Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals possessing unique optical and electrical properties. Although QDs are commonly made of cadmium, a metal known to have neurological effects, potential transport of QDs directly to the brain has not been assessed. This study evaluated whether QDs (CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals) could be transported from the olfactory tract to the brain via inhalation. Adult C57BL/6 mice were exposed to an aerosol of QDs for 1 h via nasal inhalation, and nanoparticles were detected 3 h post-exposure within the olfactory tract and olfactory bulb by a wide range of techniques, including visualisation via fluorescent and transmission electron microscopy. We conclude that, following short-term inhalation of solid QD nanoparticles, there is rapid olfactory uptake and axonal transport to the brain/olfactory bulb with observed activation of microglial cells, indicating a pro-inflammatory response. To our knowledge, this is the first study to clearly demonstrate that QDs can be rapidly transported from the nose to the brain by olfactory uptake via axonal transport following inhalation.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available