Demonstration of the Clathrin- and Caveolin-Mediated Endocytosis at the          Maternal–Fetal Barrier in Mouse Placenta after Intravenous Administration of Gold          Nanoparticles

Kasem RATTANAPINYOPITUK; Akinori SHIMADA; Takehito MORITA; Masashi SAKURAI; Atsushi ASANO; Tatsuya HASEGAWA; Kenichiro INOUE; Hirohisa TAKANO

doi:10.1292/jvms.13-0512

Pathology

Demonstration of the Clathrin- and Caveolin-Mediated Endocytosis at the Maternal–Fetal Barrier in Mouse Placenta after Intravenous Administration of Gold Nanoparticles

Kasem RATTANAPINYOPITUK, Akinori SHIMADA, Takehito MORITA, Masashi SAKURAI, Atsushi ASANO, Tatsuya HASEGAWA, Kenichiro INOUE, Hirohisa TAKANO

Author information

Kasem RATTANAPINYOPITUK
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Tottori University, 4–101 Koyama Minami, Tottori 680–8553, Japan
The United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, 1667–1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753–8515, Japan
Akinori SHIMADA
Laboratory of Pathology, School of Life and Environmental Science, Azabu University, 1–17–71 Fuchinobe, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 252–5201, Japan
Takehito MORITA
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Tottori University, 4–101 Koyama Minami, Tottori 680–8553, Japan
The United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, 1667–1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753–8515, Japan
Masashi SAKURAI
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Tottori University, 4–101 Koyama Minami, Tottori 680–8553, Japan
The United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, 1667–1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753–8515, Japan
Atsushi ASANO
Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, Tottori University, 4–101 Koyama Minami, Tottori 680–8553, Japan
Tatsuya HASEGAWA
Department of Environmental Biochemistry, Yamanashi Institute of Environmental Sciences, 5597-1 Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi 403–0005, Japan
Kenichiro INOUE
Basic Medical Research Center, International University of Health and Welfare, 2600–1 Kitakanamura, Ootawara-shi, Tochigi 324–8501, Japan
Hirohisa TAKANO
Department of Environmental Engineering, Kyoto University Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto Daigaku Katsura, Saikyo-ku, Kyoto 615–8530, Japan

Keywords: caveolin, clathrin, endocytosis, gold nanoparticles, placenta

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2014 Volume 76 Issue 3 Pages 377-387

DOI https://doi.org/10.1292/jvms.13-0512

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Abstract

Exposure to nanoparticles during pregnancy is a public concern, because nanoparticles may pass from the mother to the fetus across the placenta. The purpose of this study was to determine the possible translocation pathway of gold nanoparticles across the maternal–fetal barrier as well as the toxicity of intravenously administered gold nanoparticles to the placenta and fetus. Pregnant ICR mice were intravenously injected with 0.01% of 20- and 50-nm gold nanoparticle solutions on the 16th and 17th days of gestation. There was no sign of toxic damage to the placentas as well as maternal and fetal organs of the mice treated with 20- and 50-nm gold nanoparticles. ICP-MS analysis demonstrated significant amounts of gold deposited in the maternal livers and placentas, but no detectable level of gold in the fetal organs. However, electron microscopy demonstrated an increase of endocytic vesicles in the cytoplasm of syncytiotrophoblasts and fetal endothelial cells in the maternal–fetal barrier of mice treated with gold nanoparticles. Clathrin immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting showed increased immunoreactivity of clathrin protein in the placental tissues of mice treated with 20- and 50-nm gold nanoparticles; clathrin immunopositivity was observed in syncytiotrophoblasts and fetal endothelial cells. In contrast, caveolin-1 immunopositivity was observed exclusively in the fetal endothelium. These findings suggested that intravenous administration of gold nanoparticles may upregulate clathrin- and caveolin-mediated endocytosis at the maternal–fetal barrier in mouse placenta.

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