Particulate matter, including iron nanoparticles, is one of the constituents of ambient air pollution. We assessed the effect of iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles on the structure and function of the brain of rats. Electron microscopy showed Fe2O3 nanoparticles in the tissues of olfactory bulbs but not in the basal ganglia of the brain after their subchronic intranasal administration. We observed an increase in the number of axons with damaged myelin sheaths and in the proportion of pathologically altered mitochondria in the brains of the exposed animals against the background of almost stable blood parameters. We conclude that the central nervous system can be a target for toxicity of low-dose exposure to Fe2O3 nanoparticles.
Keywords: electron microscopy; kinetics of nanoparticles; neurotoxicity.