Toxicidade embriolarval em Zebrafish (Danio rerio) após exposição ao ponto quântico ultra pequeno de núcleo/casca de CdSe/CdS

Abstract

Nanotechnology is the field of science that deals with the development of strategies for tracking, detection, diagnosis and eventually therapeutics based on particles in the nanometer range. Within the extensive group of nanoparticles, ultra-small quantum dots with cadmium selenide/cadmium sulfide (USQD CdSe/CdS) core and have potential for use in multiple areas, since they stand out mainly in their fluorescent properties, allowing use as fluorescent probes in biological systems. Using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as animal model, this work evaluated the potential embryolarval toxicity and possible morphometric changes after exposure to USQD CdSe/CdS at concentrations of 0.0; 0.1; 1.0; 10.0 and 20.0 μg/mL over 144 h. The data obtained after the evaluation of lethal, non-lethal, morphophysiological and morphometric parameters showed that in the experimental conditions adopted these nanoparticles present accentuated toxicity during the embryolarval development of zebrafish, with a concentration-dependent pattern. Taken together, these data draw attention to the need to clarify the mechanisms of action of these quantum dots in different organs, tissues and cell types in vertebrate animal models, for a more detailed toxicological evaluation and identification of use concentrations with less toxicity.