3 research outputs found
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with pyrene-PEG via π–π interactions: toxicological assessment in zebrafish embryos
Corrigendum to “Fullerene (C60) particle size implications in neurotoxicity following infusion into the hippocampi of Wistar rats” [Toxicology and Applied Toxicology 338 (2018) 197–203]
Biodistribution and toxicological study of PEGylated single-wall carbon nanotubes in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) nervous system
Nanotechnology has been proven to be increasingly compatible with pharmacological and biomedical applications.
Therefore, we evaluated the biological interactions of single-wall carbon nanotubes functionalized with
polyethylene glycol (SWNT-PEG). For this purpose, we analyzed biochemical, histological, behavioral and
biodistribution parameters to understand how this material behaves in vitro and in vivo using the fish
Danio rerio (zebrafish) as a biological model. The in vitro results for fish brain homogenates indicated that
SWNT-PEG had an effect on lipid peroxidation and GSH (reduced glutathione) content. However, after intraperitoneal
exposure, SWNT-PEG proved to be less biocompatible and formed aggregates, suggesting that the PEG
used for the nanoparticle functionalization was of an inappropriate size for maintaining product stability in a biological
environment. This problem with functionalization may have contributed to the low or practically absent
biodistribution of SWNT-PEG in zebrafish tissues, as verified by Raman spectroscopy. There was an accumulation
of material in the abdominal cavity that led to inflammation and behavioral disturbances, as evaluated by a histological
analysis and an open field test, respectively. These results provide evidence of a lack of biocompatibility
of SWNTs modified with short chain PEGs, which leads to the accumulation of the material, tissue damage and
behavioral alterations in the tested subject