title: Neutral red retention time assay in determination of toxicity of nanoparticles.
abstract: The neutral red retention time (NRRT) assay is useful for detecting decreased lysosomal membrane stability in haemocytes sampled from bivalves, a phenomenon often associated with exposure to environmental pollutants including nanomaterials. Bivalves are popular sentinel species in ecotoxicology and use of NRRT in study of species in the genus Mytilus is widespread in environmental monitoring. The NRRT assay has been used as an in vivo test for toxicity of carbon nanoparticles (Moore MN, Readman JAJ, Readman JW, Lowe DM, Frickers PE, Beesley A. 2009. Lysosomal cytotoxicity of carbon nanoparticles in cells of the molluscan immune system: An in vivo study. Nanotoxicology. 3 (1), 40-45). We here report application of this assay adapted to a microtitre plate format to a panel of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (2 ppm). This showed that copper, chromium and cobalt nanoparticles are toxic by this criterion while gold and titanium nanoparticles are not. As the former three nanoparticles are often reported to be cytotoxic while the latter two are thought to be non-cytotoxic, these data support use of NRRT as a general in vitro assay in nanotoxicology.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Research Institute and School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Wentao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Aquaculture and Fisheries Development Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Culloty
authors.affiliation: Aquaculture and Fisheries Development Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Grainne
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Darmody
authors.affiliation: Aquaculture and Fisheries Development Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.affiliation: Aquaculture and Fisheries Development Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davenport
authors.affiliation: Centre for BioNano Interactions and Department of Physical Chemistry, University College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramirez-Garcia
authors.affiliation: Centre for BioNano Interactions and Department of Physical Chemistry, University College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.affiliation: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B 15 2TT, UK.
authors.forename: Iseult
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.affiliation: Tyndall National Laboratory, University College Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Hugh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.affiliation: Environmental Research Institute and School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: d.sheehan@ucc.ie.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sheehan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000187:drug effects; D057166:High-Throughput Screening Assays; D007202:Indicators and Reagents / Q000378:metabolism*; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000187:drug effects; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D049880:Mytilus edulis / Q000187:drug effects*; D009499:Neutral Red / Q000378:metabolism*; D010087:Oxides / Q000633:toxicity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D010087:Oxides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D009499:Neutral Red
keywords: Lysosome; Membrane stability; Metal oxide; Mytilus; NRRT; Neutral red