Histopathological effects of silver and copper nanoparticles on the epidermis, gills, and liver of Siberian sturgeon

Abstract

The influence of nanoparticles (NPs) on aquatic environments is still poorly documented. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of silver (AgNPs) and copper (CuNPs) nanoparticles on larval Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) after 21 days of exposure. Acute toxicity of AgNPs on Siberian sturgeon was investigated in a 96-h static renewal study and compared with the toxicity of CuNPs. The AgNPs and CuNPs 96 h mean lethal concentrations (96 h LC50) were 15.03 ± 2.91 and 1.41 ± 0.24 mg L−1, respectively. Toxicity tests were done in triplicates for each concentration of AgNPs 0.1, 0.5, 1.5 mg L−1 and CuNPs 0.01, 0.05, 0.15 mg L−1. The control group was exposed in freshwater. The results indicate that AgNPs and CuNPs exposure negatively influenced survival; body length and mass; and morphology and physiology of the epidermis, gills, and liver of Siberian sturgeon larvae. Fish exposed to AgNPs and CuNPs showed similar pathological changes: irregular structure and pyknotic nuclei of epidermis, aplasia and/or fusion of lamellae, telangiectasis, epithelial necrosis and lifting of the gills, dilation of sinusoidal space, overfilled blood vessels, and pyknotic nuclei of the liver. Fish exposed to CuNPs only demonstrated hyaline degeneration in the gills epithelium and liver. The study shows that CuNPs were more toxic to Siberian sturgeon larvae than AgNPs.

The Acute Toxicity of Copper to Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Fingerlings and its Effects on Gill and Liver Histology

“…In the present study, increasing epithelial lifting and hyperplasia were depending on the increasing of waterborne Cu concentrations. The last observation is in agreement with other studies [39,[65][66][67]. Edema with lifting of lamellar epithelium and different degrees of hyperplasia are typical defense mechanisms, because separation epithelial of the lamellae increases the pollutant-blood diffusion distance causing gaseous exchange [33].…”

“…These gill histological alterations have been observed by several authors in fish submitted to copper [33,38,40,65,66,68,69]. At the 25 mg L -1 CuSO 4 concentration applied, curling and clubbed tips of secondary lamella were occasionally detected and this finding is in agreement with References [47] and [67], as well as the studies of Gill et al [70], Skidmore and Tovell [71] who used other types of metals (cadmium on Puntius conchonius and ZnSO 4 on Oncorthynchus mykiss, respectively). A complete fusion of several lamellae was recorded at the 35 mg L -1 CuSO 4 .…”

“…This could be attributed to the direct effect of heavy metal. The fusion of the secondary lamella was reported by Ostaszewska et al [67], Al-Bairutya et al [47]. Accordingly, all these histological changes resulting from the exposure to metals are found to be a compensatory response to keep metal from entering through gill cells [30,37,66,72].…”

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“…The shape and size of the silver and copper NPs before treatment were the same as previously descibed by Ostaszewska, Chojnacki, Kamaszewski & Sawosz-Chwalibóg (2016). The size of AgNPs was 6 -16 nm (average 9.56 ± 1.85 nm), CuNPs was 3 -9 nm (4.78 ± 1.22 nm).…”

Methods of Synthesis, Properties and Biomedical Applications of CuO Nanoparticles

“…Even though CuO nanoparticles (CuO NPs) have proved their use in biomedical applications; the major disadvantage for their use on the medical field is due to their potentially toxic effects [7,14,15,16]. CuO NPS may be toxic for mammalian cells as well as for vertebrates and invertebrates.…”