Department of Biology, University of Milano, Milan, Italy.
Nanotoxicology. 2012 Jun;6(4):381-98. doi: 10.3109/17435390.2011.579634. Epub 2011 May 16.
The teratogenic potential of commercially available copper oxide (CuO), titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) was evaluated using the standardized FETAX test. After characterization of NP suspensions by TEM, DLS and AAS, histopathological screening and advanced confocal and energy-filtered electron microscopy techniques were used to characterize the induced lesions and to track NPs in tissues. Except for nCuO, which was found to be weakly embryolethal only at the highest concentration tested, the NPs did not cause mortality at concentrations up to 500 mg/L. However, they induced significant malformation rates, and the gut was observed to be the main target organ. CuO NPs exhibited the highest teratogenic potential, although no specific terata were observed. ZnO NPs caused the most severe lesions to the intestinal barrier, allowing NPs to reach the underlying tissues. TiO₂ NPs showed mild embryotoxicity, and it is possible that this substance could be associated with hidden biological effects. Ions from dissolved nCuO contributed greatly to the observed embryotoxic effects, but those from nZnO did not, suggesting that their mechanisms of action may be different.
采用标准化 FETAX 试验评估市售氧化铜 (CuO)、二氧化钛 (TiO2) 和氧化锌 (ZnO) 纳米颗粒 (NPs) 的致畸潜力。通过 TEM、DLS 和 AAS 对 NP 悬浮液进行表征后，使用组织学筛选和先进的共聚焦和能量过滤电子显微镜技术来表征诱导的损伤并追踪组织中的 NPs。除了在最高测试浓度下仅表现出弱胚胎致死性的 nCuO 外，这些 NPs 在高达 500mg/L 的浓度下不会导致死亡率。然而，它们会引起明显的畸形率，并且观察到肠道是主要的靶器官。CuO NPs 表现出最高的致畸潜力，尽管没有观察到特定的畸形。ZnO NPs 对肠道屏障造成最严重的损伤，允许 NPs 到达下面的组织。TiO₂ NPs 表现出轻度的胚胎毒性，因此可能与隐藏的生物学效应有关。溶解的 nCuO 离子对观察到的胚胎毒性作用有很大贡献，但 nZnO 的离子没有，这表明它们的作用机制可能不同。
