title: Exploring the toxicity of a bismuth-asparagine coordination polymer on the early development of zebrafish embryos.
abstract: Nanoparticles are widely used in nanomedicine, raising concerns about their toxicity. In this study, the toxicity of bismuth-asparagine coordination polymer spheres (BACP-2) was assessed in zebrafish embryos. Injection of 1-4 cell stage embryos with BACP-2 resulted in smaller head size (particularly smaller eye size), shorter body length, and pericardial edemas. The severity and occurrence of the resulting phenotype were concentration-dependent. The expression of genes such as krox20, orthodenticle homeobox 2 (otx2), and cardiac myosin light chain-2 (cmlc2) indicates that the effects of BACP-2 on the head and heart were related to changes in gene expression patterns. A delay in epiboly was observed, and the expression levels of the no tail (ntl) gene indicated that the delay in epiboly resulted both from the effect of BACP-2 on cell migration during epiboly and from slow growth. These findings indicate that BACP-2 exhibits concentration-dependent developmental toxicity, providing insight into the nanotoxicity of bismuth derivatives, which must be rigorously evaluated with respect to toxicity before their application in nanomedicine.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Degenerative Diseases, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Nankai University , Tianjin, 300071, China.
authors.forename: Ningning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Daofu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tiehong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dongyan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xizeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001216:Asparagine / Q000737:chemistry*; D001729:Bismuth / Q000737:chemistry*; D051767:Early Growth Response Protein 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D018994:Myosin Light Chains / Q000378:metabolism; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D051857:Otx Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000254:growth & development; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051767:Early Growth Response Protein 2; D018994:Myosin Light Chains; D051857:Otx Transcription Factors; D011108:Polymers; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C532159:myl7 protein, zebrafish; C497662:otx2b protein, zebrafish; D001216:Asparagine; D001729:Bismuth