Biodistribution and toxicological study of PEGylated single-wall carbon nanotubes in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) nervous system

• Published in: Toxicology and applied pharmacology Vol. 280; no. 3; pp. 484 - 492
• Main Authors: Weber, Gisele E.B., Dal Bosco, Lidiane, Gonçalves, Carla O.F., Santos, Adelina P., Fantini, Cristiano, Furtado, Clascídia A., Parfitt, Gustavo M., Peixoto, Carolina, Romano, Luis Alberto, Vaz, Bernardo S., Barros, Daniela M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.11.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ANIMAL TISSUES; Animals; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Behavioral; Biocompatibility; Biodistribution; Biological and medical sciences; BIOLOGICAL MODELS; BRAIN; Brain - metabolism; CARBON NANOTUBES; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Danio rerio; Exact sciences and technology; FISHES; Freshwater; GLUTATHIONE; Glutathione - analysis; Histocytochemistry; IN VITRO; IN VIVO; INFLAMMATION; INTERACTIONS; LIPIDS; Male; Materials science; Medical sciences; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; NANOTECHNOLOGY; Nanotubes; Nanotubes, Carbon - toxicity; Nanotubes, Carbon - ultrastructure; Oxidative stress; Physics; POLYETHYLENE GLYCOLS; Polyethylene Glycols - pharmacology; RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY; Spectrum Analysis, Raman; SWNT-PEG; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances - analysis; Tissue Distribution - physiology; TOXICITY; Toxicology; Zebrafish - metabolism; SWNT-PEG; Behavioral; Oxidative stress; Biocompatibility; Toxicity; Biodistribution; Nervous system; Ethylene oxide polymer; Vertebrata; Brachydanio rerio; Singlewalled nanotube; Pisces; Distribution; Behavior; Pegylated form
• ISSN: 0041-008X; 1096-0333; 1096-0333
• DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2014.08.018

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 subjects. •In vitro brain exposure diminished lipid peroxidation.•In vitro brain exposure depletes the GSH content.•SWNT-PEG was not biocompatible and formed aggregates after the exposure.•Practically absent biodistribution of SWNT-PEG was observed by Raman spectroscopy.•SWNT-PEG exposure lead to tissue damage and inflammatory responses.