Nanotoxicology using the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis: from developmental toxicity to genotoxicology. Issue 5 (August 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ambrosone, Alfredo; Marchesano, Valentina; Mazzarella, Veronica; Tortiglione, Claudia
• Is Part Of: Nanotoxicology. Volume 8:Issue 5(2014:Aug.)
• Page Start: 508
• Page End: 520
• Publication Date: 2014-08
• Subjects: Toxicology -- Periodicals; 615.9
• DOI: 10.3109/17435390.2013.802386
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1743-5390

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Concomitant with the fast-growing advances in the synthesis and engineering of colloidal nanocrystals, an urgent evaluation of their toxicity on human beings and environment is strongly encouraged by public health organisations. Despite the <italic>in vitro</italic> approaches employed for toxicological screening of hazardous compounds, the use of simple and cost-effective living organisms may enormously contribute to solve unanswered questions related to embryotoxic and teratogenic effects of nanomaterials. Here, the sea anemone <italic>Nematostella vectensis</italic> (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) is presented as a novel model organism to profile bio/non-bio interactions and to show a comprehensive toxicological analysis performed on embryos, larvae and adults treated with fluorescent cadmium-based nanocrystals. Spanning from <italic>in vivo</italic> biodistribution to molecular investigations, different behaviours and effects depending on the composition and surface coatings are showed. Rod-shaped cadmium selenide/cadmium sulfide (CdSe/CdS) nanocrystals resulted in excellent imaging probes to track <italic>N. vectensis</italic> development with negligible adverse effects, while spherical CdTe nanocrystals severely impaired embryogenesis, resulting in aberrant phenotypes and deregulation of developmental genes, which raise severe worries for a safe use of this type of nanoparticles for human purposes and environmental contamination.</p> </abstract>