Chronic exposure to graphene-based nanomaterials induces behavioral deficits and neural damage inCaenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Nanomaterials of graphene and its derivatives have been widely applied in recent years, but whose impacts on the environment and health are still not well understood. In the present study, the potential adverse effects of graphite (G), graphite oxide nanoplatelets (GO) and graphene quantum dots (GQDs) on the motor nervous system were investigated using nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as the assay system. After being characterized using TEM, SEM, XPS and PLE, three nanomaterials were chronically exposed to C. elegans for 6 days. In total, 50-100 mg l GO caused a significant reduction in the survival rate, but G and GDDs showed low lethality on nematodes. After chronic exposure of sub-lethal dosages, three nanomaterials were observed to distribute primarily in the pharynx and intestine; but GQDs were widespread in nematode body. Three graphene-based nanomaterials resulted in significant declines in locomotor frequency of body bending, head thrashing and pharynx pumping. In addition, mean speed, bending angle-frequency and wavelength of the crawling movement were significantly reduced after exposure. Using transgenic nematodes, we found high concentrations of graphene-based nanomaterials induced down-expression of dat-1::GFP and eat-4::GFP, but no significant changes in unc-47::GFP. This indicates that graphene-based nanomaterials can lead to damages in the dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurons. The present data suggest that chronic exposure of graphene-based nanomaterials may cause neurotoxicity risks of inducing behavioral deficits and neural damage. These findings provide useful information to understand the toxicity and safe application of graphene-based nanomaterials. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nematicidal Activity of Fosthiazate Against Soybean Cyst Nematode Heterodera glycines

“…Our results confirmed that at low concentration, 13.62 mg/l fosthiazate solution had significant nematicidal activity for H. glycines J2 in vitro, and significant decrease in the number of cysts in pot experiment. A previous study showed that graphite, graphite oxide nanoplatelets, and graphene quantum dots can significantly inhibit the effects on the body length of nematodes after exposure in a concentration-de-pendent manner (Li et al, 2017). In the present study, fosthiazate reduced nematode mobility and shorten the body length of J2 probably due to the influence of AChE.…”

Electroactive Scaffolds for Neurogenesis and Myogenesis: Graphene‐Based Nanomaterials

“…Graphite, GQDs, and especially GO nanoplatelets induced behavioral deficits and damages in dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurons in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans , and several antimicrobial proteins related to insulin signaling pathways were found to be activated . Similarly, GO undertaken by zebrafish could be transferred to the offspring brain, resulting in more predominant neurotoxicity in the offspring than in the parental zebrafish .…”

Identification of interneurons required for the aversive response of Caenorhabditis elegans to graphene oxide

“…C. elegans is also a wonderful animal model for the study of neurotoxicity of certain toxicants [ 11 , 18 , 19 ]. In C. elegans , GO exposure has also been found to be neurotoxic for animals [ 20 , 21 ]. Additionally, neuronal ERK- or neuroligin/NLG-1-mediated molecular signaling regulated the formation of GO toxicity in nematodes [ 22 , 23 ].…”