Genotoxicity and oxidative stress in fish after a short-term exposure to silver nanoparticles.

BACCHETTA C., ALE A., SIMONIELLO M.F., GERVASIO S-, DAVICO C., ROSSI A.S., DESIMONE M.F., POLETTA G., LÓPEZ G., MONSERRAT J.M., CAZENAVE J.

ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2017 vol. 76 p. 230 - 239

1470-160X

This study examined the effects of waterbornesilver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on juvenile fish Piaractus mesopotamicus (pacú),and analyzed toxicological endpoints such as metal burdens, oxidative stress andgenotoxicity in a short-term assay. Fish were individually exposed to 0(control), 2.5, 10, and 25 ugAgNPs/L. After 24 h, silver accumulation wasgreater in the brain than the liver and gills at all silver concentrations.Fish exposed to higher AgNPs concentrations showed major alterations inoxidative stress markers. An increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels wasobserved in the liver of fish exposed to 10  ugAgNPs/L with no changes in the antioxidantenzymes activities. In the case of the 25 ug AgNPs/L treatment, a hepaticactivation of the enzymatic antioxidant defense occurred, and LPO levelsresulted unaltered.On the other hand, the brain presented the highest LPO levelsat both 10 and 25 ug AgNPs/L exposures. The AgNPs toxicity was also evidencedby the DNA damage in fish erythrocytes at higher concentrations. Summarizing, ashort exposure to sublethal concentrations of AgNPs is enough to generatedeleterious effects on fish, including DNA damage.