May Azzawi
Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Title: The nanotoxicological influence of nanoparticles on vascular function
Biography
Biography: May Azzawi
Abstract
Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) are attractive drug delivery platforms and diagnostic tools, however, recent reports suggest that they may be detrimental to arterial function. We aimed to examine whether SiNPs influence the function of small size arteries, which play an essential role in controlling blood perfusion into tissues. We show that while exposure to SiNPs under static conditions, attenuated dilator responses ex vivo, attenuation was only evident at lower agonist concentrations, when exposed under flow conditions or after intravenous injection, in vivo. Pharmacological inhibition studies suggest that SiNPs may interfere with the endothelial dependent hyperpolarising factor (EDHF) vasodilator pathway. The dosage dependent influence of SiNPs on arterial function, demonstrated in our study, will help identify strategies for their safe clinical administration in the future.
