PUBLICATION

Biodistribution and toxicological study of PEGylated single-wall carbon nanotubes in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) nervous system

Authors
Weber, G.E., Dal Bosco, L., Gonçalves, C.O., Santos, A.P., Fantini, C., Furtado, C.A., Parfitt, G.M., Peixoto, C., Romano, L.A., Vaz, B.S., Barros, D.M.
ID
ZDB-PUB-140830-10
Date
2014
Source
Toxicology and applied pharmacology   280(3): 484-92 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Barros, Daniela Marti
Keywords
SWNT-PEG, behavioral, biocompatibility, biodistribution, functionalization, oxidative stress, toxicity, zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal/drug effects
  • Brain/metabolism*
  • Glutathione/analysis
  • Histocytochemistry
  • Male
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Nanotubes, Carbon/toxicity*
  • Nanotubes, Carbon/ultrastructure
  • Polyethylene Glycols/pharmacology*
  • Spectrum Analysis, Raman
  • Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances/analysis
  • Tissue Distribution/physiology
  • Zebrafish/metabolism*
PubMed
25168427 Full text @ Tox. App. Pharmacol.
Abstract
Nanotechnology has been proven to be increasingly compatible with pharmacological and biomedical applications. Therefore, we evaluated the biological interactions of single-wall carbon nanotubes functionalized with polyethylene glycol (SWNT- PEG). For this purpose, we analyzed biochemical, histological, behavioral and biodistribution parameters to understand how this material behaves in vitro and in vivo using the fish Danio rerio (zebrafish) as a biological model. The in vitro results for fish brain homogenates indicated that SWNT-PEG had no effect on lipid peroxidation, total antioxidant capacity, GSH (reduced glutathione) levels or GCL (glutathione-cysteine ligase) activity. However, after intraperitoneal exposure, SWNT-PEG proved to be less biocompatible and formed aggregates, suggesting that the PEG used for the nanoparticle functionalization was of an inappropriate size for maintaining product stability in a biological environment. This problem with functionalization may have contributed to the low or practically absent biodistribution of SWNT-PEG in zebrafish tissues, as verified by Raman spectroscopy. There was an accumulation of material in the abdominal cavity that led to inflammation and behavioral disturbances, as evaluated by a histological analysis and an open field test, respectively. These results provide evidence of a lack of biocompatibility of SWNTs modified with short chain PEGs, which leads to the accumulation of the material, tissue damage and behavioral alterations in the tested subjects.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping