Toxicity and Mechanisms of Engineered Nanoparticles in Animals with Established Allergic Asthma

Abstract

Rui Deng,1 Ya Zhu,2 Xinyue Wu,3 Mingpu Wang1 1Joint International Research Laboratory of Green Buildings and Built Environments (Ministry of Education), School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, People’s Republic of China; 2The Affiliated Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, People’s Republic of China; 3Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Rui Deng, School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that is highly sensitive to environmental pollutants, including engineered nanoparticles (NPs). Exposure to NPs has become a growing concern for human health, especially for susceptible populations. Toxicological studies have demonstrated strong associations between ubiquitous NPs and allergic asthma. In this review, we analyze articles that focus on adverse health effects induced by NPs in animal models of allergic asthma to highlight their critical role in asthma. We also integrate potential mechanisms that could stimulate and aggravate asthma by NPs. The toxic effects of NPs are influenced by their physicochemical properties, exposure dose, duration, route, as well as the exposure order between NPs and allergens. The toxic mechanisms involve oxidative stress, various inflammasomes, antigen presenting cells, immune cells, and signaling pathways. We suggest that future research should concentrate on establishing standardized models, exploring mechanistic insights at the molecular level, assessing the combined effects of binary exposures, and determining safe exposure levels of NPs. This work provides concrete evidence of the hazards posed by NPs in animals with compromised respiratory health and supports the modifying role of NPs exposure in allergic asthma.Graphical Abstract: Keywords: engineered nanoparticles, allergic asthma, mouse model, toxicity, mechanisms, adjuvant effect

Keywords

• engineered nanoparticles
• allergic asthma
• mouse model
• toxicity
• mechanisms
• adjuvant effect