Influence of agglomeration and specific lung lining lipid/protein interaction on short-term inhalation toxicity

In line with this the degree of lipid and protein affinities for different surface functionalized SiO 2 NPs in nS followed the same order (SiO 2 Phosphate ∼ unmodified SiO 2 2 PEG 2 Amino NPs). Agglomeration and biomolecule interaction of NPs in nS was mainly influenced by surface charge and hydrophobicity. Toxicological differences as observed in short-term inhalation studies (STIS) were mainly influenced by the core composition and/or surface reactivity of NPs.

However, agglomeration in lipid media and lipid/protein affinity appeared to play a modulatory role on short-term inhalation toxicity. For instance, lipophilic NPs like ZrO 2 , which are interacting with nS to a higher extent, exhibited a far higher lung burden than their hydrophilic counterparts, which deserves further attention to predict or model effects of respirable NPs.