Progress on the toxicity of quantum dots to model organism-zebrafish

Abstract

In vivo toxicological studies are currently necessary to analyze the probable dangers of quantum dots (QDs) to the environment and human safety, due to the fast expansion of QDs in a range of applications. Because of its high fecundity, cost-effectiveness, well-defined developmental phases, and optical transparency, zebrafish has long been considered the "gold standard" for biosafety assessment of chemical substances and pollutants. In this review, the advantages of using zebrafish in QD toxicity assessment were explored. Then, the target organ toxicities such as developmental toxicity, immunotoxicity, cardiovascular toxicity, neurotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity were summarized. The hazardous effects of different QDs, including cadmium-containing QDs like CdTe, CdSe, and CdSe/ZnS, as well as cadmium-free QDs like graphene QDs (GQDs), graphene oxide QDs (GOQDs), and others, were emphasized and described in detail, as well as the underlying mechanisms of QDs generating these effects. Furthermore, general physicochemical parameters determining QD-induced toxicity in zebrafish were introduced, such as chemical composition and surface coating/modification. The limitations and special concerns of using zebrafish in QD toxicity studies were also mentioned. Finally, we predicted that the utilization of high-throughput screening assays and omics, such as transcriptome sequencing, proteomics, and metabolomics will be popular topic in nanotoxicology.

Keywords: cadmium-containing quantum dots; cadmium-free quantum dots; nanotoxicity; quantum dots; zebrafish model.