Oxytetracycline Delivery in Adult Female Zebrafish by Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Abstract

Recently, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in the aquaculture sector has raised public concern because of possible toxic effects, development of bacterial resistance, and accumulation of residues in individual tissues. Even if several countries have developed regulations about their use, it is clear that long-term growth of the aquaculture industry requires both ecologically sound practices and sustainable resource management. Alternative strategies for better management of antibiotic administration are of primary interest to improve absorption rates and, as a consequence, to reduce their release into the aquatic environment. The present study investigates, for the first time to our knowledge, a new methodology for oxytetracycline (OTC) administration through the use of iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) (made of maghemite γ-FeO) in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Fish were divided into 4 experimental groups: control; group A exposed to 4 mg/L OTC (through water); group B exposed to the 100 mg/L SAMNs@OTC complex (equivalent to 4 mg/L OTC), and group C exposed to bare NPs. No detoxification processes or anatomical alterations were observed in fish exposed to bare NPs. Exposure of fish to the SAMNs@OTC complex resulted in a 10 times higher OTC accumulation with respect to using water exposure. This new OTC administration method seems much more efficient with respect to the traditional way of exposure and has the potentiality to reduce antibiotic utilization and possible environmental impacts. However, the dynamics related to OTC release from the SAMNs@OTC complex are still not clear and need further investigations.

Effects of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Zebrafish

“…In addition, OCT-coated IO NPs showed a reduction of hsp70 and sod1 expression concomitant with an increased expression of gsta1 in the liver of treated fish. These observations are in line with previous studies, revealing a potentially toxic effect of OCT [109]. The authors reported further that the test group receiving the nanocarrier showed a significant increase in drug accumulation, especially in the digestive system.…”

“…In a study performed by Chemello and colleagues, γ-Fe 2 O 3 IO NPs were exploited as a drug carrier, to facilitate the absorption of antibiotics in adult zebrafish. After 28 days of incubation with oxytetracycline (OTC), tissue accumulation and toxicology markers were assessed for functionalized and naked NPs [109]. In detail, relative quantification of the expression of genes involved in fish stress response (hnf4a, hsp70.1, sod1, sod2, and gsta1) and growth (igf1, igf2a, and mstnb) was performed in addition to histological analysis of the liver and intestine to elucidate a potential effect.…”

Kluyveromyces fragilisRNA extract supplementation promotes growth, modulates stress and inflammatory response in zebrafish

“…Slides of 5 μm sections (cut with a microtome LEICA) were stained with Mayer's haematoxylin and eosin stain and examined under a photomicroscope (LEICA DM750; integrated digital camera ICC50 HD) following Chemello et al. (). Enterocytes lengths were determined from 12 fish per group; 7 images were taken for each intestine and 14 enterocytes were measured per image.…”

“…In the last decade, zebrafish has become an established vertebrate model for a wide range of research areas, ranging from biomedicine to toxicology (Chakraborty, Sharma, Sharma, & Lee, ; Chemello et al., ).…”

Bare Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: Surface Tunability for Biomedical, Sensing and Environmental Applications

“…The potential of bare iron oxide nanoparticles as antibiotic carriers for the treatment of specific vertically transmissible infections in fishes, such as those affecting farmed trouts caused by bacteria (such as Flavobacterium psychrophilum and Bacterium salmoninarum ), was explored in zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) by providing a drug nanovehicle directly into the farming water [94]. The ability of bare iron oxide nanoparticles to circumvent the clearance by the immune system was examined in vivo using the same animal model.…”