title: Toxicological effect of MPA-CdSe QDs exposure on zebrafish embryo and larvae.
abstract: Cadmium selenium (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals that hold wide range of applications and substantial production volumes. Due to unique composition and nanoscale properties, their potential toxicity to aquatic organisms has increasingly gained a great amount of interest. However, the impact of CdSe QDs exposure on zebrafish embryo and larvae remains almost unknown. Therefore, the lab study was performed to determine the developmental and behavioral toxicities to zebrafish under continuous exposure to low level CdSe QDs (0.05-31.25 mg L(-1)) coated with mercaptopropionic acid (MPA). The results showed MPA-CdSe exposure from embryo to larvae stage affected overall fitness. Our findings for the first time revealed that: (1) The 120 h LC(50) of MPA-CdSe for zebrafish was 1.98 mg L(-1); (2) embryos exposed to MPA-CdSe resulted in malformations incidence and lower hatch rate; (3) abnormal vascular of FLI-1 transgenic zebrafish larvae appeared after exposure to MPA-CdSe including vascular junction, bifurcation, crossing and particle appearance; (4) larvae behavior assessment showed during MPA-CdSe exposure a rapid transition from light-to-dark elicited a similar, brief burst and a higher basal swimming rate; (5) MPA-CdSe induced embryos cell apoptosis in the head and tail region. Results of the observations provide a basic understanding of MPA-CdSe toxicity to aquatic organisms and suggest the need for additional research to identify the toxicological mechanism.
authors.affiliation: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China. wzhang@ecust.edu.cn
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kuangfei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Qiaoxiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Changjiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Huili
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Meijin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Xinhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D015097:3-Mercaptopropionic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D045663:Quantum Dots; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D018036:Selenium Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C058667:cadmium selenide; D015097:3-Mercaptopropionic Acid