Proceeding of Veterinary and Animal Science Days 2016, 8th- 10th June, Milan, Italy 

HAF © 2013 

Vol. III, No. 1s  ISSN: 2283-3927 

   

 

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Keywords 

Nanoparticles, nanomedicine, 

Mononuclear Phagocyte System. 

 

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR 

Marcella De Maglie 

marcella.demaglie@unimi.it 

 

JOURNAL HOME PAGE 

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Role of the mononuclear phagocyte 

system in the uptake and accumulation 

of nanoparticles designed for biomedical 

applications. 

M. De Magliea,b,*, Silvia Bianchessi b, C. Recordatib, E. Scanziania,b 

 

aDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via 
Celoria 10,20133, Milan, Italy. 

b Mouse & Animal Pathology Laboratory, Fondazione Filarete, V.le Ortles 
22/4, 20139, Milan, Italy. 

 

Abstract 

The unique physical-chemical properties of Nanoparticles (NPs) make them suitable for many 

biomedical applications (drug delivery, imaging, cell tacking) (Yildirimer et al, 2011). However, the design 

of nanoparticle-based platforms for nanomedicine is extremely challenging and must overcome a 

number of physiologically constraints, including the Mononuclear Phagocyte System (MPS) (Dawidczyk 

et al, 2014). 

The aim of this study was to assess the role of MPS in the biodistribution and accumulation of metallic 

NPs [iron-oxide NPS and silver NPs (AgNPs)] after single intravenous administration in mice. 24 hours 

after the treatment mice were sacrificed and underwent complete necropsy. Liver, kidney, spleen and 

lung were collected, stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE), Perls stain (for iron-oxide NPs) or 

autometallography (for AgNPs), and evaluated under a light microscope. Immunostaining for Iba-1 (pan 

macrophage marker) was applied to localize the NPs aggregates within MPS cells. 

Histologically, in all treated mice, intracytoplasmic brown granular material (consistent with iron or 

silver pigment, as confirmed by Perls iron stain and autometallography) was found in stained sections 

of the liver (within Kupffer cells), spleen (MPS of marginal zone and red pulp) and lung (MPS within 

alveolar septa). Iron/silver deposits were mainly found in the cytoplasm of MPS cells (Iba1 

immunostaining), indicating that most of injected particles were removed from blood circulation by 

phagocytic cells. These findings indicate that MPS greatly influence NPs biodistribution. For this reason, 

strategies able to increase bioavailability of NPs by minimizing MPS-mediated clearance are needed. 

Moreover, the potential toxic effects due to the persistence of NPs in MPS should be further 

investigated. 
 

References 

Yildirimer L, Thanh NT, Loizidou M, Seifalian AM. Toxicology and clinical potential of nanoparticles. 2011. Nano Today. 

6(6):585-607. 

Dawidczyk CM, Kim C, Park JH, Russell LM, Lee KH, Pomper MG, Searson PC. State-of-the-art in design rules for drug delivery 

platforms: lessons learned from FDA-approved nanomedicines. 2014. J Control Release. 187:133-44.  

 

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