Pecoraro Roberta, D'Angelo Daniele, Filice Simona, Scalese Silvia, Capparucci Fabiano, Marino Fabio, Iaria Carmelo, Guerriero Giulia, Tibullo Daniele, Scalisi Elena M, Salvaggio Antonio, Nicotera Isabella, Brundo Maria V
Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Science, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
CNR-IMM, Catania, Italy.
Front Physiol. 2018 Jan 4;8:1039. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2017.01039. eCollection 2017.
The use of nanomaterials in several application fields has received in the last decades a great attention due to their peculiar properties, but also raised many doubts about possible toxicity when these materials are used for some specific applications, such as water purification. Indeed a careful investigation is needed in order to exclude possible harmful side effects related to the use of nanotechnology. Nanoparticles effects on the marine organisms may depend on their chemical composition, size, surface structure, solubility, shape and how the individual nanoparticles aggregate together. In order to make the most of their potential, without polluting the environment, many researchers are trying to trap them into some kind of matrix that keeps them active but avoids their dispersion in the environment. In this study we have tested nanocomposite membranes prepared using Nafion polymer combined with various fillers, such as anatase-type TiO nanoparticles and graphene oxide. The non-toxicity of these nanocomposites, already shown to be effective for water purification applications in our previous studies, was recognized by testing the effect of the different materials on zebrafish embryos. Zebrafish was considered an excellent model for ecotoxicological studies and for this motivation zebrafish embryos were exposed to different concentrations of free nanoparticles and to the nanocomposite membranes. As biomarkers of exposure, we evaluated the expression of heme-oxygenase 1 and inducible Nitric Oxide Synthases by immunohistochemistry and gene expression. Embryo toxicity test showed that nor sublethal effects neither mortality were caused by the different nanoparticles and nano-systems tested. Only zebrafish larvae exposed to free nanoparticles have shown a different response to antibodies anti-heme-oxygenase 1 and anti- inducible Nitric Oxide Synthases. The immunolocalization analysis in fact has highlighted an increase in the synthesis of these biomarkers.
在过去几十年中，纳米材料因其独特的性质在多个应用领域受到了广泛关注，但当这些材料用于某些特定应用（如水净化）时，也引发了人们对其潜在毒性的诸多质疑。事实上，需要进行仔细的研究以排除与纳米技术使用相关的可能有害副作用。纳米颗粒对海洋生物的影响可能取决于它们的化学成分、大小、表面结构、溶解度、形状以及单个纳米颗粒如何聚集在一起。为了充分发挥其潜力而不污染环境，许多研究人员正试图将它们捕获到某种基质中，使其保持活性但避免其在环境中分散。在本研究中，我们测试了使用Nafion聚合物与各种填料（如锐钛矿型TiO纳米颗粒和氧化石墨烯）制备的纳米复合膜。通过测试不同材料对斑马鱼胚胎的影响，我们认识到这些纳米复合材料的无毒性，在我们之前的研究中已表明它们对水净化应用有效。斑马鱼被认为是生态毒理学研究的优秀模型，出于这个原因，斑马鱼胚胎被暴露于不同浓度的游离纳米颗粒和纳米复合膜中。作为暴露的生物标志物，我们通过免疫组织化学和基因表达评估了血红素加氧酶1和诱导型一氧化氮合酶的表达。胚胎毒性试验表明，所测试的不同纳米颗粒和纳米系统均未引起亚致死效应或死亡。只有暴露于游离纳米颗粒的斑马鱼幼虫对抗血红素加氧酶1和抗诱导型一氧化氮合酶抗体表现出不同的反应。事实上，免疫定位分析突出了这些生物标志物合成的增加。
