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Updated: Feb 6, 2026
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Whole-Body Nanoparticle Aerosol Inhalation Exposures
Published on: May 7, 2013
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Age-Dependent Rat Lung Deposition Patterns of Inhaled 20 Nanometer Gold Nanoparticles and their Quantitative
Wolfgang G Kreyling1,2, Winfried Möller1, Uwe Holzwarth3
1Comprehensive Pneumology Center, Institute of Lung Biology and Disease , Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health , Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1 , D-85764 Neuherberg/Munich , Germany.
ACS Nano
|August 8, 2018
Summary
Inhaled gold nanoparticles (AuNP) deposit in rat lungs, with most alveolar AuNP moving to the interstitium. Macrophage transport clears AuNP from lungs to the gastrointestinal tract over time.
Area of Science:
- Nanotoxicology
- Inhalation Toxicology
- Biokinetics
Background:
- Increasing use of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) raises concerns about inhalation exposure.
- Understanding AuNP deposition and biokinetics is crucial for risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the deposition patterns and biokinetics of inhaled 20 nm AuNP in rats of different ages.
- To determine the clearance mechanisms and long-term retention of AuNP in the body.
Main Methods:
- Intratracheal inhalation of 195Au-radiolabeled AuNP in Wistar-Kyoto rats (7-90 days old).
- Analysis of AuNP deposition using SPECT, CT, and autoradiography.
- Quantitative biodistribution and excretion analysis from 1 hour to 28 days post-inhalation.
Main Results:
- AuNP deposition was predominantly in caudal lungs, independent of age.
- 30% of AuNP deposited on airway epithelia were cleared by mucociliary action.
- 80% of alveolar AuNP relocated to the interstitium within 24 hours, with long-term clearance dominated by macrophage-mediated transport to the larynx and GIT.
Conclusions:
- Inhaled AuNP deposition patterns are age-independent and influenced by ventilation method.
- Long-term AuNP clearance from the lungs primarily involves macrophage-mediated transport.
- AuNP translocation across the air-blood barrier in rats is comparable to humans for similar-sized nanoparticles.
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