Changes over time in pulmonary inflammatory response in rat lungs after intratracheal instillation of nickel oxide nanoparticles.

Objective: Nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiONPs) are representative metal oxide NPs and are categorized as an insoluble nickel compound. Our previous studies suggested that NiONPs have more pulmonary toxicity than micron-sized NiO because they may dissolve slowly and produce many more Ni ions. We confirmed the hypothesis that the slow dissolution of NiONPs induces a change in inflammatory response over time.

Method: We reanalyzed our previous data on intratracheally instilled NiONP to rats and focused on Ni retention in the lungs and the lung weight ratio for each rat to the mean of control rat lungs. We also measured the solubility of NiONPs and micron-sized NiO samples by means of an artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF, pH 4.5).

Results: The in vivo test of instilled NiONPs resulted in the biomarkers reaching their peak values at 1 week or 1 month, and not at 3 days, after instillation. We found that as the NiO mass in the lung increased, the lung weight ratios tended to increase. The relationships shifted to more toxic at 3 days to 1 month (P < .01). Compared to the dissolution of NiONPs in the ALF that took roughly 1 week, the dissolution of NiONPs in vivo was take about 1 month or more.

Conclusion: When intratracheally instilled NiONPs dissolve slowly in the phagolysosomes of alveolar macrophages (AM), the resulting Ni ions cause the AM to transform into foamy cells at 1 month, and the inflammatory response persists even at 3 months after instillation.