Effects of cerium dioxide nanoparticles in Oncorhynchus mykiss liver after an acute exposure: assessment of oxidative stress, genotoxicity and histological alterations

• Main Authors: Ana Cristina Nunes, Sara Cristina Antunes, Alberto Teodorico Correia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2015-12-01
• Series: Frontiers in Marine Science
• Subjects: Histology; Nanoparticles; biomarkers; Genotype; Oxidative stress.; Toxicology of pollutants
• Online Access: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/conf.FMARS.2015.03.00208/full

At present cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NP) have numerous applications ranging from industry to the household, leading to its wide distribution namely in the aquatic environment. The hereby study aimed to assess the toxic effects of CeO2 NPs in Oncorhynchus mykiss liver following an acute exposure (96h) to three different concentrations (0.25, 2.5 and 25 mg/L) in terms of the genotoxicity (comet assay), oxidative stress response (Catalase CAT; Glutathione S-Transferases GSTs; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances TBARS) and histopathology. CeO2 NP exposure resulted in genotoxic damage in all exposure treatments, inhibition of CAT in the highest concentration and histopathological changes in all exposure concentrations with predominance of progressive and circulatory alterations. However TBARS and GSTs showed no significant differences comparatively to the control (unexposed) group. The results suggest that CeO2 NP are able to cause genotoxicity, biochemical impairment and histological alterations in the liver of rainbow trout.