Huang Sen-Ting, Bulaon Erin P, Yang Kai-Jie, Taw Adriana, Tayo Lemmuel L, Hsieh Ping-Heng, Tsai Jen-Hsiung, Lu Jian-He, Jiang Jheng-Jie, Wu Hsing-Hsien, Chao How-Ran
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Neipu Township, Pingtung County 912, Taiwan.
Department of Internal Medicine, Pingtung Veterans General Hospital, Pingtung City, Pingtung County 900, Taiwan.
Toxics. 2025 Jun 12;13(6):492. doi: 10.3390/toxics13060492.
Boron carbide (B4C) is a widely recognized ceramic prized for its remarkable properties, including exceptional hardness, low density, and excellent chemical and mechanical stability. To date, limited research has explored the possible health risks associated with B4C nanoparticles (B4C-NPs). This study utilized a () in vivo model to investigate the toxicological effects of B4C-NPs at concentrations of 40, 80, 160, and 320 mg/L. Larval nematodes were subjected to prolonged exposure, and their locomotion (head thrashing and body bending), reproduction (brood size), development (body length), lifespan, and gene expression (linked to oxidative stress, metal detoxification, apoptosis, and neurotransmitter synthesis) were assessed. Regarding survival rates, lethality was significantly increased to 5.41% at 320 mg/L of B4C-NPs and lifespan was significantly shortened across all concentrations compared with the controls. Development and reproduction showed slight reductions between 40 and 320 mg/L, while locomotion was markedly impaired at the doses from 80 to 320 mg/L. Gene expression related to antioxidants, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, neurotransmitter synthesis, and metal detoxification rose significantly at 160-320 mg/L in , suggesting that B4C-NPs may induce reproductive and neurological toxicity, delay development, reduce lifespan, and potentially cause genotoxicity in .
碳化硼（B4C）是一种广为人知的陶瓷，因其卓越的性能而备受珍视，这些性能包括极高的硬度、低密度以及出色的化学和机械稳定性。迄今为止，针对碳化硼纳米颗粒（B4C-NPs）可能存在的健康风险的研究有限。本研究利用一种（）体内模型，研究了浓度为40、80、160和320mg/L的B4C-NPs的毒理学效应。对幼虫线虫进行长时间暴露，并评估它们的运动（头部摆动和身体弯曲）、繁殖（产卵量）、发育（体长）、寿命以及基因表达（与氧化应激、金属解毒、细胞凋亡和神经递质合成相关）。关于存活率，在320mg/L的B4C-NPs作用下，致死率显著增加至5.41%，并且与对照组相比，在所有浓度下寿命均显著缩短。在40至320mg/L之间，发育和繁殖略有下降，而在80至320mg/L的剂量下运动明显受损。在（）中，与抗氧化剂、细胞凋亡、细胞周期停滞、神经递质合成和金属解毒相关的基因表达在160 - 320mg/L时显著上升，这表明B4C-NPs可能在（）中诱导生殖和神经毒性、延迟发育、缩短寿命并可能导致遗传毒性。
