Issue 20, 2012

In vivo assessment of CdSe–ZnS quantum dots: coating dependent bioaccumulation and genotoxicity

Abstract

Semiconductor nanocrystals, or Quantum Dots (QDs), have gained considerable attention due to their unique size-dependent optical and electronic properties that make them attractive for a wide range of applications, including biology and nanomedicine. Their widespread use, however, poses urgent questions about their potential toxicity, especially because of their heavy metal composition that could cause harmful effects to human health and environment. In this work, we evaluated in vivo the long-term toxicity of CdSe–ZnS QDs with different surface coatings, probing oral administration in the model system Drosophila melanogaster. In particular, we found that all the differently coated QDs significantly affect the lifespan of treated Drosophila populations and induce a marked increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Furthermore, we observed that these QDs induce severe genotoxic effects and increased rate of apoptosis in Drosophila haemocytes. These toxic effects were found to be mainly related to the in vivo degradation of QDs with consequent release of Cd2+ ions, while the coating of QDs can modulate their bioaccumulation in the organism, partly decreasing their overall toxicity.

Graphical abstract: In vivo assessment of CdSe–ZnS quantum dots: coating dependent bioaccumulation and genotoxicity

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 Jul 2012
Accepted
04 Aug 2012
First published
14 Aug 2012

Nanoscale, 2012,4, 6401-6407

In vivo assessment of CdSe–ZnS quantum dots: coating dependent bioaccumulation and genotoxicity

A. Galeone, G. Vecchio, M. A. Malvindi, V. Brunetti, R. Cingolani and P. P. Pompa, Nanoscale, 2012, 4, 6401 DOI: 10.1039/C2NR31826A

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