Antagonistic Interactions between Benzo[a]pyrene and Fullerene (C60) in Toxicological Response of Marine Mussels

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the ecotoxicological effects of the interaction of fullerene (C60) and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) on the marine mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis. The uptake of nC60, B[a]P and mixtures of nC60 and B[a]P into tissues was confirmed by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS), Liquid Chromatography–High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC–HRMS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP–MS). Biomarkers of DNA damage as well as proteomics analysis were applied to unravel the interactive effect of B[a]P and C60. Antagonistic responses were observed at the genotoxic and proteomic level. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were only identified in the B[a]P single exposure and the B[a]P mixture exposure groups containing 1 mg/L of C60, the majority of which were downregulated (~52%). No DEPs were identified at any of the concentrations of nC60 (p < 0.05, 1% FDR). Using DEPs identified at a threshold of (p < 0.05; B[a]P and B[a]P mixture with nC60), gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis indicated that these proteins were enriched with a broad spectrum of biological processes and pathways, including those broadly associated with protein processing, cellular processes and environmental information processing. Among those significantly enriched pathways, the ribosome was consistently the top enriched term irrespective of treatment or concentration and plays an important role as the site of biological protein synthesis and translation. Our results demonstrate the complex multi-modal response to environmental stressors in M. galloprovincialis.

Lysosomes, Autophagy, and Hormesis in Cell Physiology, Pathology, and Age-Related Disease

“…Risks to health as a result of exposure to nanomaterials, other than combustion particulates, are still largely unknown, although considerable concern has been expressed as to the safety of engineered nanomaterials. 31 , 39 , 83 , 126 Furthermore, there is now some evidence that engineered nanoparticles (eg, C 60 fullerene and glass nanofibres) can inhibit mTORC1, induce augmented autophagy, and some may even induce pathological dysfunctional autophagy 21 , 24 , 31 , 108 ; and these materials are finding their way into the environment and may impact on animal and human food networks and possibly on human health. 127 …”

“…8,32,69,81,82 Calabrese et al 68 and Zimmermann et al 8 have postulated that cells and organisms, preconditioned by exposure to mild stress, are protected against more harmful levels of stress and that the relevance of hormesis for both human pathophysiology and specific disease treatment is being increasingly recognized. 83 These authors have argued that this evolutionarily conserved process, hormesis, is directly linked to the capability to cope with pathological conditions, including aging and age-related diseases. They have also identified lysosomally mediated autophagy as a key component of this cytoprotective process.…”

An Update Report on the Biosafety and Potential Toxicity of Fullerene‐Based Nanomaterials toward Aquatic Animals

“…were also exposed to C 60 at 0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/l concentration for 72 h. Later, the accumulation of C 60 in the digestive gland was demonstrated to induce dephosphorylation of mTOR with no oxidative stress for cellular distribution of C 60 at 0.01 mg/l concentration. The study suggested that mussels' most affected functions were related to the organization of the cytoskeleton, energy metabolism, and lysosomal activity [36,37]. Lastly, in another report on Mytilus galloprovincialis, the mussels were exposed to C 60 (0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/l), B[a]P (5, 50, and 100 μg/l), and B[a]P (5, 50, and 100 μg/l) in combination with C 60 (1 mg/l).…”

“…The study supports the hypothesis of an interaction between these two compounds and demonstrated an antagonistic relationship at the genotoxic and proteome expression level. However, as this effect is observed on a single concentration, the research group further suggested that other dosage concentrations should also be investigated [37,38].…”

“…Further, another behavior study in D. magna also discovered that chronic exposure of nC 60 (21 days) in different concentrations (0.1 or 1 mg/l) yielded a reduction in their feeding ability, hopping, and heartbeat frequencies. Later, the transcriptome analysis depicted this phenomenon which is possibly due to alterations in some underlying physiological functions, including protein degradation, reproduction, energy metabolism, and cell structure repair [37,38]. Similarly, C 60 and PCBM (is a solubilized version of the C60) were not found to be acutely toxic when tested at 5, 10, 25, and 50 mg/l for 21 days, while C 70 had significant acute toxic effects.…”