Engineered Nanomaterials Induce Alterations in Biological Barriers: Focus on Paracellular Permeability

Abstract

Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are widely used in medical diagnosis and treatment, as food additives and as energy materials. ENPs may exert adverse or beneficial effects on the human body, which may be linked to interactions with biological barriers. In this review, the authors summarize the influences of four typical metal/metal oxide nanomaterials (Ag, TiO₂, Au, ZnO nanoparticles) on the paracellular permeability of biological barriers. Disruptions on tight junctions, adhesion junctions, gap junctions and desmosomes via complex signaling pathways, such as the MAPK, PKC and ROCK signaling pathways, affect paracellular permeability. Reactive oxygen species and cytokines underlie the mechanism of ENP-triggered alterations in paracellular permeability. This review provides the information necessary for the cautious application of nanoparticles in medicine and life sciences in the future.

Keywords::

• MAPK
• nanoparticle
• nanostructures
• paracellular permeability
• ROCK
• tight junction

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was funded in part by the Zhejiang Provincial Basic Public Welfare Research Project (including Natural Science Foundation) (no. LGF20C120001) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 32072954). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Writing assistance was provided by American Journal Experts and was funded by Zhejiang Provincial Basic Public Welfare Research Project (no. LGF20C120001).

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to all members of The Sperm Laboratory in Zhejiang University for their valuable assistance on the present work.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded in part by the Zhejiang Provincial Basic Public Welfare Research Project (including Natural Science Foundation) (no. LGF20C120001) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 32072954). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.