Inhalation of Silica nanoparticles linked to chronic Kidney Disease
Amorphous silica is a common mineral used in the manufacturing of products ranging from toothpaste to semiconductors and has generally been considered safe.
Researchers have found in a new research that inhaling tiny amorphous silica particles, called nanoparticles, can damage the kidneys.
The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology.
Epidemics of chronic kidney disease without a known cause, called "chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology" or CKDu, have developed around the globe. These CKDu epidemics share a number of similarities. They are primarily seen in agricultural labor communities and present with similar symptoms, including:
- lack of diabetes,
- minimal protein in the urine,
- elevated levels of the waste product creatinine,
- inflammation, and
- scarring of kidney tissue.
Sugarcane naturally contains amorphous silica, and burning sugarcane fields releases it into the air. Burning sugarcane fields before harvest is a common practice used to remove extraneous foliage that can slow down collection. Sugarcane workers are among those with the highest rates of CKDu. Researchers decided to test whether it was possible for inhaled silica to affect the kidneys.
Amorphous silica is a common mineral used in the manufacturing of products ranging from toothpaste to semiconductors. Though it has generally been considered safe, new research in rats demonstrates that inhaling tiny amorphous silica particles, called nanoparticles, can damage the kidneys.
The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology. It was chosen as an APSselect article for August.
Reference:
Inhaled silica nanoparticles cause chronic kidney disease in rats Fumihiko Sasai, Keegan L. Rogers, David J. Orlicky, Arthur Stem, Joshua Schaeffer, Gabriela Garcia, Jacob Fox, Matthew S. Ray, Jaime Butler-Dawson, Marvin Gonzalez-Quiroz, Ricardo Leiva, Gangadhar Taduri, Sirirat Anutrakululchai, Vidhya Venugopal, Magdalena Madero, Jason Glaser, Julia Wijkstrom, Annika Wernerson, Jared M. Brown, Richard J. Johnson, and Carlos A. Roncal-Jimenez American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology 21 JUN 2022 https://doi.org/10.1152/ajprenal.00021.2022
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