The elemental changes occurring in the rat liver after exposure to PEG-coated iron oxide nanoparticles: total reflection x-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectroscopy study

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to evaluate in vivo effects of low dose of PEG-coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) on the rat liver. The IONPs was intravenously injected into rats at a dose equaled to 0.03 mg of Fe per 1 kg of an animal body weight. The elemental composition of liver tissue in rats subjected to IONPs action and controls were compared. Moreover, in order to determine the dynamics of nanoparticles (NPs) induced elemental changes, the tissues taken from animals 2 hours, 24 hours, and 7 days from IONPs injection were examined. The analysis of subtle elemental anomalies occurring as a result of IONPs action required application of highly sensitive analytical method. The total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy perfectly meets such requirements and therefore it was used in this study. The obtained results showed increasing trend of Fe level within liver occurring 2 hours from IONPs injection. One day after NPs administration, the liver Fe content presented the baseline level what suggests only the short-term accumulation of nanoparticles in the organ. The Ca, Cu, and Zn levels changed significantly as a result of NPs action. Moreover, the anomalies in their accumulation were still observed 7 days after IONPs injection. The level of Cu decreased while those of Ca and Zn increased in the liver of NPs-treated animals. The reduced liver Cu, followed by elevated serum level of this element, might be related in triggering the mechanisms responsible for Fe metabolism in the organism.

Keywords:

• Iron oxide nanoparticles
• liver
• elemental anomalies
• TXRF

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to PhD Eng. Przemyslaw Wachniew, from Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, University of Science and Technology in Krakow for providing access to chemical laboratory and sharing the mineralizer SpeedWave4.

Special thanks to Prof. Piotr Warszynski and M.Sc. Aneta Kedra from The Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow for DLS measurements with Nano ZS System.

Additional information

Funding

The work was financed by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education and statutory research of the Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science (AGH University of Science and Technology), and the statutory research of the Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research (Jagiellonian University) K/ZDS/006312.