PUBLICATION

Silver nanoparticles affect lens rather than retina development in zebrafish embryos

Authors
Zhang, Y., Wang, Z., Zhao, G., Liu, J.X.
ID
ZDB-PUB-180730-4
Date
2018
Source
Ecotoxicology and environmental safety   163: 279-288 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Liu, Jing-xia
Keywords
AgNPs, Embryos, Lens, Retina, Zerbrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis/drug effects
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/abnormalities
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/drug effects*
  • Embryonic Development/drug effects
  • Lens, Crystalline/abnormalities
  • Lens, Crystalline/drug effects*
  • Lens, Crystalline/growth & development
  • Metal Nanoparticles/toxicity*
  • Retina/drug effects*
  • Retina/growth & development
  • Silver/toxicity*
  • Zebrafish/abnormalities*
PubMed
30056342 Full text @ Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf.
Abstract
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been reported to inhibit specification and differentiation of erythroid cells, chromatophores, and myofibrils during zebrafish embryogenesis. However, the knowledge of biological effects of AgNPs on eye development, especially on lens development is scarce. In this study, embryos were exposed to or injected with 0.4 mg/L AgNPs, and the results indicate that no obvious morphological changes in eye formation were observed in the stressed embryos compared to the controls. However, clefts and vacuoles were observed in lens of embryos from AgNPs stressed group. Additionally, the down-regulated expressions of different lens crystallin isoform genes and the normal expression of retinal genes were observed in AgNPs stressed embryos, suggesting AgNPs might inhibit the development of lens rather than the development of retina in zebrafish embryos. Moreover, no obvious cell apoptosis was observed, but normal nuclear DNA and RNA export was observed in lens cells. Together, the data in this study reveal that AgNPs damage the development of lens rather than retina resulting in eye abnormalities via some unknown mechanisms rather than via triggering cells apoptosis or blocking nuclear DNA or RNA export.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping