Oxidative stress, cytoxicity, and cell mortality induced by nano-sized lead in aqueous suspensions

This paper reports on the effect of aqueous and nano-particulated Pb on oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation), cytoxicity, and cell mortality. As determined by the Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) method, only 6 h after incubation aqueous suspensions bearing nano-sized PbO2, soluble Pb(II), and brain-homogenate only suspensions, were determined to contain as much as ca. 7, 5, and 1 nmol TBARS mg protein−1, respectively. Exposure of human cells (central nervous system, prostate, leukemia, colon, breast, lung cells) to nano-PbO2 led to cell-growth inhibition values (%) ca. ≤18.7%. Finally, as estimated by the Artemia salina test, cell mortality values were found to show high-survival larvae rates. Microscopic observations revealed that Pb particles were swallowed, but caused no mortality, however.

► Nano-sized lead oxides promoted oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation).
► Lead suspensions shows low-cell growth inhibition values (ca. 18.7).
► Survival-larvae rates in lead suspensions were found to be high.
► Microscopic observations for Artemia Salina that lead particles were swallowed but caused no mortality.