Differential organ toxicity in the adult zebra fish following exposure to acute sub-lethal doses of 10 nm silver nanoparticles

Abstract

The novel anti-microbial properties of silver nanomaterials have made them desirable for use in health and medicine. However, prior to in vivo usage of any material, a thorough understanding of bio-distribution and potential toxicity is required. The majority of the toxicological data for silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) is still primarily from single-cell culture models, which can often be misleading and lack in vivo correlation. To develop a greater understanding of the fate and interactions of Ag-NPs within a living organism, we administered Ag-NPs to adult zebrafish via the intramuscular route, a common medical administration site, and tracked the fate and toxicity. Although at the doses used in the study there was no death, silver was detected in many of the major organs of the zebrafish, indicating that dispersion occurred from the site of inoculation. The heart, gall bladder, spleen, and kidney all demonstrated varying degrees of damage due to the nanoparticles, and further evaluation identified inflammation caused by the presence of silver as the cause, suggesting that toxicity may be a factor if Ag-NPs are used in a clinical setting.