ZnO Nanoparticles-Induced MRI Alterations to the Rat Olfactory Epithelium and Olfactory Bulb after Intranasal Instillation

Since zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely applied, the nano community and the general public have paid great attention to the toxicity of ZnO NPs. We detected 20-nm ZnO NPs biotoxicity following nasal exposure utilizing the non-invasive and real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique. MR images were scanned in the rat olfactory epithelium (OE) and olfactory bulb (OB) on a 4.7 T scanner following the treatment (as early as 1 day and up to 21 days after), and the histological changes were evaluated. The influence of the size of the ZnO NPs and chemical components was also investigated. Our study revealed that 20-nm ZnO NPs induced obvious structural disruption and inflammation in the OE and OB at the acute stage. The results suggest that the real-time and non-invasive advantages of MRI allow it to observe and assess, directly and dynamically, the potential toxicity of long-term exposure to ZnO NPs in the olfactory system. These findings indicate the size-dependent toxicity of ZnO NPs with respect to the olfactory bulb. Further study is needed to reveal the mechanism behind ZnO NPs' toxicity.