The acute toxicity of urea coated ferrous oxide nanoparticles on L929 cell line, evaluation of biochemical and pathological parameters in rat kidney and liver

Introduction: Iron plays an important role in physiological processes as a trace element. Today, iron oxide nanoparticles have attracted extensive attention due to their super paramagnetic properties and a variety of potential applications in many fields. The main objective of this study was to evaluate in vitro and in vivo toxic effects of the iron oxide nanoparticles on L929 cell line, kidney and liver function, in order to achieve a safe application of the mentioned nanoparticles. Methods: The toxicity effects of 200 and 800 μg/ml iron oxide nanorods on L929 were determined using (3-(4,5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide )MTT( test. One and 24 h after the injection of iron oxide via tail vein, serum iron, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and liver enzymes (ALT, AST, and ALP) were measured as indicators of the kidney and liver function, respectively. Histopathological studies on liver and kidney was carried out using light microscopy following tissue processing steps and standard H&E staining. Results: The viability of the cells exposed to iron oxide nanorods, was decreased with increasing dose. No significant differences were observed between biochemical factors, 1 and 24 h after the injection of nanoparticles. Serum iron level showed no difference with control 1 h after the injection. However, it exhibited a significant increase 24 h after the injection as compared to the control. Meanwhile, pathological studies did not show any acute toxic damage. Conclusion: Use of the iron oxide in short-time and in doses less than 800μg/ml may be safe. More studies are needed for accurate assessment of the toxicity of these particles in terms of dose، time and the type of covering.