Biodistribution of lead, arsenic, and gold nanoparticles following respiratory, oral and IV exposure of rats and swine

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The presence of arsenic and lead in the environment above the naturally occurring levels can have detrimental health effects on people living in these environments, especially children. The majority of this research focuses on gathering biokinetic information that will improve the risk assessment and remediation processes for these environments. The remainder of the work focuses on gathering preliminary biodistribution data for novel gold nanoparticle constructs being investigated for their potential uses in targeted cancer detection and treatment. The arsenic and lead experiments show that Pb is well absorbed following intratracheal instillation of Pb-contaminated soil and provide site-specific relative bioavailability data for the tested As-contaminated soils. This information will aid in the risk assessment/remediation decision making process for each material tested. The gold nanoparticle experiments show tissue distribution patterns for these nanoparticle constructs can be altered by changing the compound used to stabilize/coat the nanoparticles. This data will guide the future development of these potential targeted cancer imaging and treatment agents.