| Institution: | 1.Graduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Medicine,Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS),Porto Alegre,Brazil;2.Laboratory of Genomics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences,Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS),Porto Alegre,Brazil;3.Faculty of Physics,Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS),Porto Alegre,Brazil;4.Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences,Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS),Porto Alegre,Brazil;5.Interdisciplinary Center of Nanoscience and Micro-NanoTechnology,Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS),Porto Alegre,Brazil |
| Abstract: | Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPS) have been widely investigated as a platform for a new class of multifunctional theranostic agents. They are considered biocompatible, and some formulations are already available in the market for clinical use. However, contradictory results regarding toxicity of IONPs raise a concern about the potential harm of these nanoparticles. Changes in the nanoparticle (NP) physicochemical properties or exposure media can significantly alter their behavior and, as a consequence, their toxic effects. Here, behavior and two-step RT-qPCR were employed to access the potential toxicological effects of dextran-coated IONPs (CLIO-NH2) and uncoated IONPs (UCIO) in zebrafish larvae. Animals were exposed for 7 days to NP solutions ranging from 0.1–100 μg/mL directly mixed to the system water. UCIO showed high decantation and instability in solution, altering zebrafish mortality but showing no alterations in behavior and molecular expression analysis. CLIO-NH2 exposure did not cause significant mortality or changes in hatching rate of zebrafish larvae; however, behavior and expression profiles of the group exposed to lower concentration (1 μg/mL) presented a tendency to decrease the locomotor activity and apoptotic pathway activation. |
