Toxicological study of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles in zebrafish

Abstract

Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles have been widely used in catalytic, electronic and biomedical fields. It is necessary to investigate their toxicity and potential hazards to human and aquatic ecosystems. Zebrafish (Danio rerio), as a promising animal model, has been increasingly utilized to assess the toxicity of nanoparticles. Zebrafish has numerous characteristics for toxicity evaluation, such as short life cycle and high fecundity. This review describes the advantages of using zebrafish in the toxicity assessment of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles. Then we focus on the toxic effects, particularly the acute toxicity and the chronic ones, induced by nanoparticles in zebrafish. Target organ toxicities are also mentioned, including immunotoxicity, developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, cardiovascular toxicity and hepatotoxicity. The toxic effects of selected metal nanoparticles, including Au, Ag, Cu, and metal oxide nanoparticles such as TiO2, Al2O3, CuO, NiO and ZnO, as well as the underlying mechanisms of nanoparticles causing these effects, are also highlighted and described in detail. Furthermore, we introduce the general factors that affect nanoparticle‐induced toxicity in zebrafish. The drawbacks and advantages of using the zebrafish model in nanotoxicity studies are also argued. Finally, we suggest that the application of zebrafish to assess chronic toxicity of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles and the joint toxicity of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles and other pollutants could be hot topics in nanotoxicology.

Nanotoxicology and Nanosafety: Safety-by-Design and Testing at a Glance

“…Moreover, histological analysis and a study on the gene expression showed a delay in folliculogenesis (maturation of the ovarian follicle), as well as changes in the maturation and function of the ovaries of fish exposed to TiO 2 NPs. Thus, it has been confirmed once more that these nanoparticles can be toxic at the level of the reproductive system of this species [119].…”

“…These results suggest that the contamination of aquatic environments with TiO 2 NPs, even at low doses, may have an impact on the reproduction of species [121]. The effect should constitute another reason for investigation the potential impact of TiO 2 NPs on the environment and the human health [119].…”

“…Ultimately, they showed that these reproductive changes can cause disturbances in the population dynamics of these organisms in aquatic environments. It was also observed that prolonged exposure to TiO 2 NPs negatively affected the reproduction of zebrafish [ 119 ], as well as the survival of embryos, regardless of their concentration [ 102 , 120 ]. Moreover, histological analysis and a study on the gene expression showed a delay in folliculogenesis (maturation of the ovarian follicle), as well as changes in the maturation and function of the ovaries of fish exposed to TiO 2 NPs.…”

Rethinking Nano‐TiO2 Safety: Overview of Toxic Effects in Humans and Aquatic Animals

“…[5,11] Several recent reviews provide an excellent overview of the mechanisms of nano-TiO 2 toxicity and highlight the potential for adverse health effects of nano-TiO 2 requiring further research and improved regulatory practices. [10,[12][13][14][15] However, a comprehensive assessment of the adverse impacts of nano-TiO 2 requires quantitative approaches that can objectively summarize the results of multiple studies and assess the relative importance of different biological responses in the context of the environmentally relevant nano-TiO 2 exposures. Meta-analysis and bibliometric analysis can provide such quantitative approaches.…”

Influence of calcium and EDTA on copper ion bioavailability in copper nanoparticle toxicity tests improves understanding of nano-specific effects

“…Metal nanoparticles (NPs) can be toxic to aquatic organisms, and the mechanism of toxicity may be related to the release of toxic metal ions, unique properties of the NPs, or a combination of effects. The dissolution of ions from metal NPs varies with the type of NP, and TiO 2 -NPs do not appreciably dissolve while others such as Zn-NPs, Ag-NPs, Cu-NPs, and CuO-NPs can release sufficient amounts of metal ions to cause acute toxicity in fishes (Bai and Tang, 2020;Shaw and Handy, 2011;Thit et al, 2017). Cu-NPs are used widely in industrial applications (Cioffi et al, 2005;Liu et al, 2004) and include various forms (e.g.…”