Nephrotoxicity Evaluation of Indium Phosphide Quantum Dots with Different Surface Modifications in BALB/c Mice

Abstract

InP QDs have shown a great potential as cadmium-free QDs alternatives in biomedical applications. It is essential to understand the biological fate and toxicity of InP QDs. In this study, we investigated the in vivo renal toxicity of InP/ZnS QDs terminated with different functional groups—hydroxyl (hQDs), amino (aQDs) and carboxyl (cQDs). After a single intravenous injection into BALB/c mice, blood biochemistry, QDs distribution, histopathology, inflammatory response, oxidative stress and apoptosis genes were evaluated at different predetermined times. The results showed fluorescent signals from QDs could be detected in kidneys during the observation period. No obvious changes were observed in histopathological detection or biochemistry parameters. Inflammatory response and oxidative stress were found in the renal tissues of mice exposed to the three kinds of QDs. A significant increase of KIM-1 expression was observed in hQDs and aQDs groups, suggesting hQDs and aQDs could cause renal involvement. Apoptosis-related genes (Bax, Caspase 3, 7 and 9) were up-regulated in hQDs and aQDs groups. The above results suggested InP/ZnS QDs with different surface chemical properties would cause different biological behaviors and molecular actions in vivo. The surface chemical properties of QDs should be fully considered in the design of InP/ZnS QDs for biomedical applications.

Exposure of quantum dots in the nervous system: Central nervous system risks and the blood–brain barrier interface

“…Exposure to high concentrations by intravenous injection into mice was found to cause death and acute inflammation as well as alterations in hematological and biochemical parameters, and the CQD‐modified QDs produced more pronounced toxic effects than the other two, while no significant toxic effects were observed at lower concentrations. Similar findings can be demonstrated in the and investigations of Li, Chen, Yang et al (2020) and Lin et al (2020).…”

Photoactivated Indium Phosphide Quantum Dots Treat Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Abscesses In Vivo

“…Mouse body weight, organ weight, and histology of kidney and liver tissues showed no differences compared to mice receiving PBS control injections (Figure and Table ). The kidney and liver were of heightened interest in this study; studies have shown that InP QDs have a propensity to pass through or accumulate in these organs. , Albumin, a serum parameter indicative of hepatic and renal health, was comparable to control for all treatment groups (Figure C). The InP QDs also did not cause any inflammation in the mice, as shown by the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 (Figure A,B), markers for general inflammation and immune response, and consistent spleen weight across groups (Figure C).…”

“…The material comprising a QD therapy may also contribute to toxicity. However, indium phosphide is traditionally not considered to be toxic unless at very high concentrations. , When compared to cadmium telluride (CdTe), a material that has been well studied for QD applications, − ,− InP is considered much more biologically compatible. ,,, Considering that our QD treatment shows in vitro efficacy at less than 5 μM concentration, there is unlikely to be enough indium present to cause adverse effects in the host. Indium phosphide QDs were shown to accumulate in liver and spleen of rats in a study by Yaghini et al, but toxicity as a result of this accumulation was not observed.…”

Metal-polyphenol networks-modified tantalum plate for craniomaxillofacial reconstruction

“…Usually, ROS produced during oxidative metabolism in organisms and eliminated by antioxidant defense systems maintain homeostasis 48 , 49 . Excessive ROS production and insufficient antioxidant responses can lead to oxidative stress 50 , 51 .…”