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. 2012;7(8):e43729.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043729. Epub 2012 Aug 17.

Evaluation of environmental safety concentrations of DMSA Coated Fe2O3-NPs using different assay systems in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Qiuli Wu  1 , Yiping Li, Meng Tang, Dayong Wang
Affiliations

Evaluation of environmental safety concentrations of DMSA Coated Fe2O3-NPs using different assay systems in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Qiuli Wu et al. PLoS One. 2012.

Abstract

Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) coating improves the uptake efficiency presumably by engendering the Fe(2)O(3)-NPs. In the present study, we investigated the possible environmental safety concentrations of Fe(2)O(3)-NPs using different assay systems in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans with lethality, development, reproduction, locomotion behavior, pharyngeal pumping, defecation, intestinal autofluorescence and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production as the endpoints. After exposure from L4-larvae for 24-hr, DMSA coated Fe(2)O(3)-NPs at concentrations more than 50 mg/L exhibited adverse effects on nematodes. After exposure from L1-larvae to adult, DMSA coated Fe(2)O(3)-NPs at concentrations more than 500 μg/L had adverse effects on nematodes. After exposure from L1-larvae to day-8 adult, DMSA coated Fe(2)O(3)-NPs at concentrations more than 100 μg/L resulted in the adverse effects on nematodes. Accompanied with the alterations of locomotion behaviors, ROS production was pronouncedly induced by exposure to DMSA coated Fe(2)O(3)-NPs in the examined three assay systems, and the close associations of ROS production with lethality, growth, reproduction, locomotion behavior, pharyngeal pumping, defecation, or intestinal autofluorescence in nematodes exposed to DMSA coated Fe(2)O(3)-NPs were confirmed by the linear regression analysis. Moreover, mutations of sod-2 and sod-3 genes, encoding Mn-SODs, showed more susceptible properties than wild-type when they were used for assessing the DMSA coated Fe(2)O(3)-NPs-induced toxicity, and the safety concentrations for DMSA coated Fe(2)O(3)-NPs should be defined as concentrations lower than 10 μg/L in sod-2 and sod-3 mutant nematodes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Toxicity evaluation in nematodes exposed to DMSA coated Fe2O3-nanoparticles at the L4-larvae stage for 24-hr.
(A) Comparison of lethality in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (B) Comparison of body length in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (C) Comparison of head thrash in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (D) Comparison of body bend in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (E) Comparison of brood size in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (F) Comparison of pumping rate in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (G) Comparison of mean defecation cycle length in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (H) Comparison of intestinal autofluorescence in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (I) Pictures showing the intestinal autofluorescence in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. Bars represent mean ± S.E.M. * p<0.05, ** p<0.01.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Toxicity evaluation in nematodes exposed to DMSA coated Fe2O3-nanoparticles from L1-larvae to adult.
(A) Comparison of lethality in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (B) Comparison of body length in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (C) Comparison of head thrash in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (D) Comparison of body bend in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (E) Comparison of brood size in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (F) Comparison of pumping rate in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (G) Comparison of mean defecation cycle length in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (H) Comparison of intestinal autofluorescence in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (I) Pictures showing the intestinal autofluorescence in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. Bars represent mean ± S.E.M. * p<0.05, ** p<0.01.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Toxicity evaluation in nematodes exposed to DMSA coated Fe2O3-nanoparticles from L1-larvae to day-8 adult.
(A) Comparison of lethality in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (B) Comparison of body length in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (C) Comparison of head thrash in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (D) Comparison of body bend in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (E) Comparison of pumping rate in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (F) Comparison of mean defecation cycle length in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (G) Comparison of intestinal autofluorescence in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (H) Pictures showing the intestinal autofluorescence in nematodes exposed to different concentrations of Fe2O3-nanoparticles. Bars represent mean ± S.E.M. * p<0.05, ** p<0.01.
Figure 4
Figure 4. ROS production in nematodes exposed to DMSA coated Fe2O3-nanoparticles.
(A) Comparison of ROS production in nematodes exposed to Fe2O3-nanoparticles at the L4-larvae stage for 24-hr. (B) Pictures showing the ROS production in nematodes exposed to Fe2O3-nanoparticles at the L4-larvae stage for 24-hr. (C) Comparison of ROS production in nematodes exposed to Fe2O3-nanoparticles from L1-larvae to adult. (D) Pictures showing the ROS production in nematodes exposed to Fe2O3-nanoparticles from L1-larvae to adult. (E) Comparison of ROS production in nematodes exposed to Fe2O3-nanoparticles from L1-larvae to day-8 adult. (F) Pictures showing the ROS production in nematodes exposed to Fe2O3-nanoparticles from L1-larvae to day-8 adult. Bars represent mean ± S.E.M. **p<0.01.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Effects of sod-2 and sod-3 mutations on locomotion behavior and ROS production in nematodes exposed to DMSA coated Fe2O3-nanoparticles from L1-larvae to day-8 adult.
(A) Effects of sod-2 and sod-3 mutations on head thrashes of nematodes exposed to DMSA coated Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (B) Effects of sod-2 and sod-3 mutations on body bends of nematodes exposed to DMSA coated Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (C) Effects of sod-2 and sod-3 mutations on ROS production in nematodes exposed to DMSA coated Fe2O3-nanoparticles. (D) Pictures showing the ROS production in nematodes exposed to Fe2O3-nanoparticles. Bars represent mean ± S.E.M. *p<0.05, **p<0.01.
Figure 6
Figure 6. TEM image of 9 nm DMSA coated Fe2O3-nanoparticles.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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