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82nd Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

01.06. - 05.06.2011, Freiburg

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Impairment of the respiratory epithelium caused by zinc oxide nanoparticle exposure?

Meeting Abstract

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  • corresponding author presenting/speaker Kai Fruth - Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
  • Susanne Duca - Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
  • Anne Hilliger - Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
  • Wolf J. Mann - Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
  • Juergen Brieger - Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. 82nd Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. Freiburg, 01.-05.06.2011. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2011. Doc11hno57

doi: 10.3205/11hno57, urn:nbn:de:0183-11hno573

Published: August 3, 2011

© 2011 Fruth et al.
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Outline

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Background: Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles are used in industrial products like wall paint, sunscreen, and are byproducts of combustion processes. An impairment of the respiratory epithelium by ZnO-nanoparticle exposure seems feasible. However, the exact mechanism of a potential cell damage has not been investigated yet. The formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by ZnO nanoparticle exposure might play a significant role and influence the cell viability of the respiratory epithelium.

Methods: ROS formation and cell viability of the epithelial cell line A549 was analyzed by fluorochrome staining after exposure to ZnO-nanopaticles (size: 4–5/15–18 nm; concentration: 0.1, 10, 100 µg/ml) over different periods of time, 4, 24, 48 and 72 hrs.

Results: The impact of ZnO-nanoparticles on the reduction of cell viability and ROS formation of the respiratory epithelium was time- and dose dependent. However, differences depending on the particle size did not reach significance.

Conclusion: ZnO-nanoparticle exposure seems to influence cell viabilitiy and ROS formation and might therefore be related to respiratory cell damage and diseases of the respiratory tract.