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Polymeric Nanoparticles: In Vivo Toxicological Evaluation, Cardiotoxicity, and Hepatotoxicity

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Nanotoxicology

Part of the book series: Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology ((NANOMED))

Abstract

The applications of nanoparticles (NPs) in therapeutics have motivated the increasing development of studies in the field of nanotoxicology. This chapter focused to provide a critical analysis of the available literature about the toxicity and safety of biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles, particularly in terms of cardiotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. The most commonly applied methods in NP toxicity studies are also discussed, and their limitations concerning the specific properties of NPs, once a key point to obtain accurate and reliable in vitro and in vivo toxicological evaluations, are to guarantee an appropriate physicochemical characterization of the nanoparticles. Large surface area, high absorption capacity, the aggregation state, and surface coating of nanoparticles are also intrinsic properties of NPs that can interfere with the results. For further studies, a challenge to be overcome is the standardization of experiments, especially regarding the consensus in the way to express the administered dose of nanoparticles. Finally, a diagram for a nanotoxicological evaluation using in vitro and in vivo models is proposed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Toxicologia (LATOX), Departamento de Análises, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga 2752, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90610-000, Brazil

    Solange C. Garcia

  2. Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Silvia S. Guterres

  3. Laboratório de Toxicologia (LATOX), Departamento de Análises, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Guilherme B. Bubols, Rachel P. Bulcão & Mariele F. Charão

  4. Departamento de Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Adriana R. Pohlmann

Authors
  1. Solange C. Garcia
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  2. Silvia S. Guterres
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  3. Guilherme B. Bubols
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  4. Rachel P. Bulcão
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  5. Mariele F. Charão
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  6. Adriana R. Pohlmann
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Solange C. Garcia .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Chemistry, Universidade Estadual de Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

    Nelson Durán

  2. Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Silvia S. Guterres

  3. Institute of Chemistry, Universidade Estadual de Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

    Oswaldo L. Alves

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Garcia, S.C., Guterres, S.S., Bubols, G.B., Bulcão, R.P., Charão, M.F., Pohlmann, A.R. (2014). Polymeric Nanoparticles: In Vivo Toxicological Evaluation, Cardiotoxicity, and Hepatotoxicity. In: Durán, N., Guterres, S., Alves, O. (eds) Nanotoxicology. Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8993-1_14

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