title: Acute toxicity of quantum dots on late pregnancy mice: Effects of nanoscale size and surface coating.
abstract: In this study, the effects of cadmium containing QDs (such as CdSe/ZnS and CdSe QDs) and bulk CdCl2 in pregnant mice, their fetuses, and the pregnancy outcomes were investigated. It was shown that although the QDs and bulk CdCl2 were effectively blocked by the placental barrier, the damage on the placenta caused by CdSe QDs still led to fetus malformation, while the mice in CdSe/ZnS QDs treatment group exhibited slightly hampered growth but showed no significant abnormalities. Moreover, the Cd contents in the placenta and the uterus of CdSe QDs and CdSe/ZnS QDs treatment groups showed significantly higher than the CdCl2 treated group which indicated that the nanoscale size of the QDs allowed relative ease of entry into the gestation tissues. In addition, the CdSe QDs more effectively altered the expression levels of susceptive genes related to cell apoptosis, dysplasia, metal transport, cryptorrhea, and oxidative stress, etc. These findings suggested that the nanoscale size of the QDs were probably more important than the free Cd in inducing toxicity. Furthermore, the results indicated that the outer surface shell coating played a protective role in the adverse effects of QDs on late pregnancy mice.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, PR China; The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330000, PR China.
authors.forename: Wanyi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, PR China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, PR China.
authors.forename: Huijuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, PR China.
authors.forename: Pengfei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Ocean NanoTech, LLC, Springdale, AR72764, USA.
authors.forename: Zoraida P
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.affiliation: Ocean NanoTech, LLC, Springdale, AR72764, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330000, PR China. Electronic address: fu_fen@163.com.
authors.forename: Fen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, PR China. Electronic address: kidyxu@163.com.
authors.forename: Hengyi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010316:Particle Size; D010920:Placenta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D014599:Uterus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones
keywords: Core/shell materials; Gene expression; Nanoparticles; Toxicity