PUBLICATION

Assessment of the effects of graphene exposure in Danio rerio: A molecular, biochemical and histological approach to investigating mechanisms of toxicity

Authors
Fernandes, A.L., Nascimento, J.P., Santos, A.P., Furtado, C.A., Romano, L.A., Eduardo da Rosa, C., Monserrat, J.M., Ventura-Lima, J.
ID
ZDB-PUB-180720-13
Date
2018
Source
Chemosphere   210: 458-466 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
Antioxidant system, Danio rerio, Graphene, Nanotoxicology, Oxidative stress
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Brain/metabolism
  • Gills/metabolism
  • Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase/metabolism*
  • Glutathione/metabolism
  • Glutathione Transferase/metabolism
  • Graphite/pharmacokinetics
  • Graphite/toxicity*
  • Oxidative Stress/drug effects
  • Tissue Distribution
  • Zebrafish/metabolism
PubMed
30025363 Full text @ Chemosphere
Abstract
Graphene has been shown to induce toxicity in mammals and marine crustaceans; however, information regarding oxidative stress in fish is scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanism of graphene toxicity in different tissues of Danio rerio, considering different parameters of stress. Animals were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 10 μL of suspensions containing different graphene concentrations (5 and 50 mg/L); the gills, intestine, muscle and brain were analysed 48 h later. There was no significant difference in the expression of the gclc (glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic subunit) and nrf2 (nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) genes after exposure. In contrast, glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities were modulated and the glutathione (GSH) concentration was reduced in different tissues and at different concentrations. Lipid damage was observed in the gills. Histological analyses were performed to observe if the exposure could induce pathological damage in these tissues. The results showed pathological effects in all tissues, excluding the intestine, after exposure to both concentrations. Overall, these results indicate that graphene induces different grades of toxicological effects that are dependent on the analysed organ, with distinct pathological effects on some and oxidative effects on others. However, the brain and gills seem to be the primary target organs for graphene toxicity.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping