Oxidative damage induced by uncoated and PVP-coated silver nanoparticles in ICR mice

  Objective  To assess subacute toxic effects and oxidative damage of major organs induced by uncoated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) coated AgNPs (AgNPs-PVP) in ICR mice.

  Methods  ICR mice were orally administered with 20 nm AgNPs or AgNPs-PVP at dosages of 10, 50, and 250 mg/kg/day once a day for 28 days. Then, organ coefficients of the mice were determined; liver function indicies, contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in liver, lung, and kidney tissues of the mice were detected.

  Results  Compared with those of the control group, the mice exposed to silver nitrate (AgNO₃) and various dosages of AgNPs or AgNPs-PVP had significantly decreased body weight gain (3.6% – 86.3%) and organ coefficient of liver (5.5% – 27.9%) but increased organ coefficient of lung (8.5% – 43.1%) and kidney (8.0% – 34.1%) (P < 0.05 for all); the mice exposed to high dosage of AgNPs and AgNPs-PVP had significantly increased serum total protein (TP) (17.8% increase for AgNPs group and 46.9% for AgNPs-PVP group), albumin (ALB) (19.8% and 32.1%), globulin (GLO) (15.1% and 66.5%), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (6.5% and 10.9%), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (59.1% and 69.7%) (P < 0.05 for all). For the mice treated with various dosages of AgNPs or AgNPs-PVP, the content of MDA increased by 24.5% to 157.8% and that of SOD by 10.6% to 153.21% in a significant dose-dependent manner, but the content of GSH increased first and then decreased in liver tissues; in lung tissues, the content of MDA increased significantly by 4.1% to 111.6% with the increment of the dosage, while the activity of SOD and content of GSH reduced significantly in moderate and high AgNPs or AgNPs-PVP dose groups (P < 0.05 for all); in kidney tissues, the content of MDA increased by 14.7% to 83.3% and the activity of SOD increased firstly and then decreased but increased significantly by 36.7% in moderate AgNPs-PVP group (P < 0.05), while the content of GSH decreased by 6.7% to 31.3%.

  Conclusion  Oral administration of silver nanoparticles results in subacute toxicity and oxidative damage on lung, liver, kidney in ICR mice and the effects of PVP coated AgNPs are stronger than those of uncoated AgNPs.