COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE NANOPARTICLES ACTIVITY ON XENOPUS LAEVIS EMBRYOS

Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing industry of global economic importance. The properties of nanoparticles (NPs), that make them useful for industrial applications, have led to concerns regarding their potential impact on human and environmental health. Because of their properties NPs are attractive for basic science, technical or medical applications. Size, surface 22charge, geometry, and its modifications contribute to NPs toxicity. The aquatic environment is at risk of exposure to NPs, as it acts as a sink for environmental contaminants1. There are insufficient evidence for environmental concentrations and derived harms for almost all NPs. This finding requires more standardised approaches for NPs hazard identification. The possibility to relate the data obtained in Xenopus laevis with higher vertebrates, including humans, makes it a convincing study model2,3. Our aim is to evaluate the activity of three different NPs: AgNPs, AuNPs and SiO2NPs, 20nm sized, on the embryogenesis of X. laevis, These commercial nanoparticles were used as model to understand the possible consequences of similar NPs utilized in medicine. We purchased NPs from MKnano (Canada). Dinamic Light Scattering was performed at 21°C to measure NPs size and Z-potential. The embryos were reared starting from st 4/8 in FETAX containing 0.01, 1 and 5 mg/L NPs. All embryos were harvested at st 47/48. The mortality, morphology, length, heartbeat and pigment distribution were statistically analyzed4. Real Time-PCR for rax1, pax6, sox9, fgf8 and egr2 were carried out from embryos st. 46, see5. Our data show that all NPs, that we tested, aggregate in FETAX and do not cause mortality. Embryos treated with AuNPs are longer and bradycardic compared with control, whereas those treated with AgNPs or SiO2NPs are shorter and tachycardic (AgNPs).The pigment distribution and gene expressions are altered after treatment with SiO2NPs. In conclusion our studies indicate that the NPs that we tested affect embryonic development impairing the expression of genes involved in the early embryogenesis. References 1. Casado MP, et al. Env Int 2013;5:97-105. 2. Takagi C, et al. Dev Growth Differ 2013;55:422-33. 3. Tomlinson ML, et al. Mol BioSyst 2005;1:223-8. 4. Tussellino M, et al. J Nanopart Res 2015;17:70 5. Scudiero R, et al. C R Biol 2015;338:314-20.