Comparative hazard identification of nanomaterials (NMs) can aid in the prioritisation for further toxicity testing. second option also induced systemic swelling measured as an increase in blood neutrophils and a decrease in blood lymphocytes. Exposure to Ag NM was not accompanied by pulmonary swelling or cytotoxicity, or by systemic swelling. A decrease in glutathione levels was shown in the liver following exposure to high doses of all three nanomaterials irrespective of any apparent inflammatory or cytotoxic effects in the lung. By applying benchmark dose (BMD) modeling statistics to compare potencies of the NMs, we rank functionalised ZnO rated the highest based on the largest quantity of affected endpoints, 733035-26-2 as well as the strongest responses observed after 24 hours. The non-functionalised ZnO NM offered an almost related response, whereas Ag NM did not cause an acute response at related doses. Intro The potential for consumer and occupational exposure will rise with increasing production of nanomaterials (NMs). Consequently, there is a need to consider the possibility of detrimental health consequences of these man-made NMs. The health risk should be assessed based upon the level of exposure to the designed NM, the toxicity of the material in question (risk identification) and the route of exposure. The lungs are in constant contact with the external environment and are believed to be the most important route of exposure to NMs [1]. Here, we focus on the risk identification of acute effects after 24 hours after a single intratracheal instillation (I.T.) of three selected NMs (non-functionalised ZnO, functionalised ZnO and a suspended metallic NM). These NMs are available in the JRC NMs repository and are examples of commercial materials 733035-26-2 used in numerous applications [2, 3]. The NMs have been extensively characterised within the Western Percentage (FP7) funded consortium named Risk Assessment of Engineered Nanoparticles (ENPRA, www.ENPRA.eu). Main particle size, shape, surface area, surface chemistry such as coatings and agglomeration state amongst others prior to administration of the materials have been identified [4]. Within this consortium, seven additional NMs have been characterised, including five types of titanium dioxide and two types of multiwall carbon nanotubes. The Ag and ZnO NMs were selected for studies based on a powerful reduction in cell viability (compared to the additional materials) observed in hepatocytes and renal cells [4, 5] as well as with LA-4 epithelial cells and MH-S alveolar macrophages (S1 Fig). A popular healthy mouse model (C57BL6) was chosen for the entire EU project that also allowed a comparison with additional studies within this project using a genetically altered strain on a C57BL6 background. It is known that NMs given via instillation or inhalation can translocate from your lung to the circulation and eventually reach secondary cells [6, 7]. Additional studies have shown that after inhalation of 133 g/m3 of nano-silver for 6 hours, a small amount was recognized in the liver, kidney, spleen, mind, and the heart in rats [8]. Consequently, in the present study the acute lung effects based on markers of cell damage and swelling in the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF), as well as reactions in the systemic blood circulation and the liver were investigated. The liver, the metabolic centre of the body, has been shown to accumulate NMs at higher concentrations to additional distal organs [8C12]. Some NMs are known to generate reactive oxygen varieties (ROS) toxicity of three NMs, a functionalised ZnO, a non-functionalised ZnO and an Ag NM, all of which have been demonstrated to impact on cell viability compared to additional NMs such as TiO2 and MWCNTs [4] (S1 Fig). A pulmonary inflammatory response with cell damage was observed 24 hours after I.T. instillation of both non-functionalised and functionalised ZnO NMs. Previously, a similar response has been demonstrated after a single comparable dose of ZnO nanoparticles in rats [30]. In humans, exposure to zinc fumes (ZnO) from welding, trimming, or brazing galvanized metallic can cause metallic fume fever [31] and an increase in the number of pro-inflammatory cytokines and neutrophils in BALF have also 733035-26-2 been observed in a controlled clinical experiment [32]. With respect to systemic effects induced from the functionalised and non-functionalised ZnO NM exposure, the observed improved IL-6 LSH in blood displays the symptoms of metallic fume fever [33]. In rat and mouse studies, ZnO nanomaterials have induced both lung and systemic swelling [34, 35]. Here we observed an increase in blood neutrophils and a decrease in blood lymphocytes indicative of an inflammatory response following a administration of the functionalised ZnO. However, this was not observed for non-functionalised ZnO NM. The reason behind this difference is definitely unfamiliar. The solubility of.