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. 2017 Nov 25;7(12):414.
doi: 10.3390/nano7120414.

Toxicity Assessment of Carbon Nanomaterials in Zebrafish during Development

Affiliations

Toxicity Assessment of Carbon Nanomaterials in Zebrafish during Development

Marta d’Amora et al. Nanomaterials (Basel). .

Abstract

Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) are increasingly employed in nanomedicine as carriers for intracellular transport of drugs, imaging probes, and therapeutics agents, thanks to their unique optical and physicochemical properties. However, a better understanding about the effects of CNMs on a vertebrate model at the whole animal level is required. In this study, we compare the toxicity of oxidized carbon nano-onions (oxi-CNOs), oxidized carbon nano-horns (oxi-CNHs) and graphene oxide (GO) in zebrafish (Danio rerio). We evaluate the possible effects of these nanomaterials on zebrafish development by assessing different end-points and exposure periods.

Keywords: carbon nano-horn; carbon nano-onion; carbon nanomaterial; graphene oxide; nanotoxicology; zebrafish.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
3D representation of oxidized carbon nanomaterials (CNMs): (a) Oxidized carbon nano-onions (oxi-CNOs); (b) oxidized carbon nano-horns (oxi-CNHs) and (c) graphene oxide (GO).
Figure 2
Figure 2
XPS spectra of the C1s region of (a) oxi-CNOs; (b) oxi-CNHs and (c) GO, including peak-fitting analysis.
Figure 3
Figure 3
HRTEM images of (a) oxi-CNOs; (b) oxi-CNHs and (c) bright field TEM image of GO.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Survival rate of zebrafish treated with (a) oxi-CNOs, (b) oxi-CNHs and (c) GO. Values are expressed as means ±S.D.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Hatching rates of zebrafish treated with (a) oxi-CNOs, (b) oxi-CNHs and (c) GO. Values are expressed as means ±S.D.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Heart beat rate of zebrafish treated with (a) oxi-CNOs, (b) oxi-CNHs and (c) GO. Values are expressed as means ±S.D.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Frequency of movement of zebrafish larvae exposed to (a) oxi-CNOs, (b) CNHs and (c) GO. Values are expressed as means ±S.D
Figure 8
Figure 8
Malformation of larvae at 96 hpf treated with (a) oxi-CNOs, (b) oxi-CNHs and (c) GO. FF, fin fold flexure; TF, tail flexure; YSE, yolk sac edema; PCE, pericardial edema.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Optical images of embryos at 48 hpf and larvae at 96 hpf treated with 100 μg·mL−1 of (a) oxi-CNOs; (b) oxi-CNHs and (c) GO. Scale bar = 1 mm.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Representative optical images of the four different malformations observed in larvae at 96 hpf treated with oxi-CNOs or oxi-CNHs or GO. FF, fin fold flexure; TF, tail flexure; YSE, yolk sac edema; PCE, pericardial edema. Scale bar = 1 mm.

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