Subchronic toxicity study of indium-tin oxide nanoparticles following an intratracheal administration into the lungs of rats.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to analyze the subchronic toxicity and tissue distribution of indium after the intratracheal administration of indium-tin oxide nanoparticles (ITO NPs) to the lungs of rats.

METHODS: Male Wistar rats were administered a single intratracheal dose of 10 or 20 mg In/kg body weight (BW) of ITO NPs. The control rats received only an intratracheal dose of distilled water. A subset of rats was periodically euthanized throughout the study from 1 to 20 weeks after administration. Indium concentrations in the serum, lungs, mediastinal lymph nodes, kidneys, liver, and spleen as well as pathological changes in the lungs and kidneys were determined. Additionally, the distribution of ionic indium and indium NPs in the kidneys was analyzed using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

RESULTS: Indium concentrations in the lungs of the two ITO NP groups gradually decreased over the 20-week observation period. Conversely, the indium concentrations in the mediastinal lymph nodes of the two ITO groups increased and were several hundred times higher than those in the kidneys, spleen, and liver. Pulmonary and renal toxicities were observed histopathologically in both the ITO groups. Both indium NPs and ionic indium were detected in the kidneys and their distributions were similar to the strong indium signals detected at the sites of inflammatory cell infiltration and tubular epithelial cells.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that intratracheal administration of 10 or 20 mg In/kg body weight of ITO NPs in male rats produces pulmonary and renal toxicities.