Nanoparticles can cross the placenta during pregnancy, potentially
exposing fetus

Date:
April 20, 2022
Source:
Rutgers University
Summary:
Inhaled nanoparticles -- human-made specks so minuscule they can't
be seen in conventional microscopes, found in thousands of common
products - - can cross a natural, protective barrier that normally
protects fetuses, according to scientists studying factors that
produce low-birth-weight babies.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Inhaled nanoparticles -- human-made specks so minuscule they can't be seen
in conventional microscopes, found in thousands of common products --
can cross a natural, protective barrier that normally protects fetuses, according to Rutgers University scientists studying factors that produce low-birth-weight babies.


==========================================================================
The scientists reported in the medical journal Placenta they were
able to track the movement of nanoparticles made of metal titanium
dioxide through the bodies of pregnant rats. After the nanoparticles
were inhaled into the lungs of the rodents, some of them escaped this
initial barrier. From there, the particles flowed through the placentas,
which generally filter out foreign substances to protect the fetus.

"The particles are small and really hard to find," said Phoebe Stapleton,
an author and an assistant professor at Rutgers Ernest Mario School of
Pharmacy and a faculty member at Rutgers Environmental and Occupational
Health Sciences Institute. "But, using some specialized techniques,
we found evidence that the particles can migrate from the lung to
the placenta and possibly the fetal tissues after maternal exposure
throughout pregnancy. The placenta does not act as a barrier to these particles. Nor do the lungs." Most nanoparticles are engineered, with few produced naturally. These particles are used in thousands of products,
from sunscreens to pharmaceuticals to sports equipment. They are highly
valued because they can enhance the effectiveness of drugs and produce sturdy-though-lightweight products.

Nanoparticles are so named because they are less than 100 nanometers wide, meaning they are tens of thousands of times smaller than the diameter of
a single human hair. Despite their usefulness, nanoscale materials are
poorly understood, with "very little known about the potential effects
on human health and the environment," according to the National Institute
of Environmental Health Sciences.

During the experiment, scientists were surprised to also detect
titanium dioxide in the "control" group of rats that hadn't been given nanoparticles to inhale. It turns out the food given to the animals
contained titanium dioxide.

As a result, the researchers were able to observe the path the metal
took through a rat's body.

The research emerged from investigations into the causes of low birth
weight in human infants. Newborns weighing less than 5.5 pounds can
suffer adverse health effects as infants and throughout their lives.

According to Stapleton, one theory is mothers who give birth to babies
with low birth weights may have inhaled harmful particulates. The
resulting inflammation may affect bodily systems, such as blood flow in
the uterus, that could inhibit growth of the fetus.

"Now that we know that the nanoparticles migrate -- from the mother's
lungs to the placenta and fetal tissues -- we can work on answering
other questions," Stapleton said. "This detail of transfer will help
inform future studies of exposure during pregnancy, fetal health, and
the developmental onset of disease." Other Rutgers authors on the paper included Brian Buckley and Cathleen Doherty at the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, and Jeanine D'Errico and Jarett
Reyes George at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Rutgers_University. Original written
by Kitta MacPherson.

Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. J.N. D'Errico, C. Doherty, J.J. Reyes George, B. Buckley,
P.A. Stapleton.

Maternal, placental, and fetal distribution of titanium
after repeated titanium dioxide nanoparticle inhalation
through pregnancy. Placenta, 2022; 121: 99 DOI:
10.1016/j.placenta.2022.03.008 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220420092145.htm

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