ABSTRACT
AIM: To investigate whether cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles could be used for the treatment of severe sepsis. MATERIALS & METHODS: Cecal peritonitis was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats in the presence and absence of CeO2 nanoparticles. Cultured macrophages (RAW264.7 cells) were challenged with lipopolysaccharide in the absence and presence of CeO2 nanoparticles. The effect of nanoparticles on the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was determined in culture. RESULTS: Nanoparticle treatment decreased sepsis-induced mortality, organ damage, serum IL-6, blood urea nitrogen and inflammatory markers. Nanoparticle treatment diminished lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine release and p65-nuclear factor-KB (NF-KB) activation in cultured RAW264.7 cells. Exposure to CeO2 nanoparticles inhibited E. coli growth. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that CeO2 nanoparticles may be useful for the treatment of sepsis.
Subject(s)
Cerium/therapeutic use , Macrophages/drug effects , NF-kappa B/immunology , Nanoparticles/therapeutic use , Sepsis/drug therapy , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Cell Line , Escherichia coli/drug effects , Escherichia coli/growth & development , Lipopolysaccharides/immunology , Macrophages/immunology , Macrophages/pathology , Male , Mice , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Reactive Oxygen Species/immunology , Sepsis/immunology , Sepsis/pathology , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects , Staphylococcus aureus/growth & developmentABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The continual increase in production and disposal of nanomaterials raises concerns regarding the safety of nanoparticles on the environmental and human health. Recent studies suggest that cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles may possess both harmful and beneficial effects on biological processes. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate how exposure to different concentrations (0.17-17.21 µg/mL) of aggregated CeO2 nanoparticles affects indices of whole animal stress and survivability in Caenorhabditis elegans. METHODS: Caenorhabditis elegans were exposed to different concentrations of CeO2 nanoparticles and evaluated. RESULTS: Our findings demonstrate that chronic exposure of CeO2 nanoparticle aggregates is associated with increased levels of reactive oxygen species and heat shock stress response (HSP-4) in Caenorhabditis elegans, but not mortality. Conversely, CeO2 aggregates promoted strain-dependent decreases in animal fertility, a decline in stress resistance as measured by thermotolerance, and shortened worm length. CONCLUSION: The data obtained from this study reveal the sublethal toxic effects of CeO2 nanoparticle aggregates in Caenorhabditis elegans and contribute to our understanding of how exposure to CeO2 may affect the environment.
