RESUMO
This article reports novel results about nanotoxicological and teratogenic effects of the PAMAM dendrimers DG4 and DG4.5 in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Zebrafish embryos and larvae were used as a rapid, high-throughput, cost-effective whole-animal model. The objective was to provide a more comprehensive and predictive developmental toxicity screening of DG4 and DG4.5 and test the influence of their surface charge. Nanotoxicological and teratogenic effects were assessed at developmental, morphological, cardiac, neurological and hepatic level. The effect of surface charge was determined in both larvae and embryos. DG4 with positive surface charge was more toxic than DG4.5 with negative surface charge. DG4 and DG4.5 induced teratogenic effects in larvae, whereas DG4 also induced lethal effects in both zebrafish embryos and larvae. However, larvae were less sensitive than embryos to the lethal effects of DG4. The platform of assays proposed and data obtained may contribute to the characterization of hazards and differential effects of these nanoparticles.
Assuntos
Anormalidades Induzidas por Medicamentos/etiologia , Dendrímeros/toxicidade , Nanopartículas/toxicidade , Nanotecnologia/métodos , Teratogênicos/toxicidade , Toxicologia/métodos , Peixe-Zebra/anormalidades , Animais , Ânions , Cátions , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Embrião não Mamífero/efeitos dos fármacos , Desenvolvimento Embrionário/efeitos dos fármacos , Coração/efeitos dos fármacos , Coração/fisiopatologia , Frequência Cardíaca/efeitos dos fármacos , Ensaios de Triagem em Larga Escala , Larva/efeitos dos fármacos , Dose Letal Mediana , Fígado/anormalidades , Fígado/efeitos dos fármacos , Locomoção/efeitos dos fármacos , Sistema Nervoso/efeitos dos fármacos , Sistema Nervoso/fisiopatologia , Medição de Risco , Propriedades de SuperfícieRESUMO
Emulsions are gaining increasing interest to be applied as drug delivery systems. The main goal of this work was the formulation of an oil/water nutraceutical emulsion (NE) for oral administration, enriched in omega 3 (ω3) and omega 6 (ω6), and able to encapsulate risperidone (RISP), an antipsychotic drug widely used in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). RISP has low solubility in aqueous medium and poor bioavailability because of its metabolism and high protein binding. Coadministration of ω3, ω3, and vitamin E complexed with RISP might increase its bioavailability and induce a synergistic effect on the treatment of ASD. Here, we developed an easy and quick method to obtain NEs and then optimized them. The best formulation was chosen after characterization by particle size, defects of the oil-in-water interface, zeta potential (ZP), and in vitro drug release. The formulation selected was stable over time, with a particle size of around 3 µm, a ZP lower than -20 mV and controlled drug release. To better understand the biochemical properties of the formulation obtained, we studied in vitro toxicity in the Caco-2 cell line. After 4 h of treatment, an increase in cellular metabolism was observed for all RISP concentrations, but emulsions did not change their metabolic rate, except at the highest concentration without drug (25 µg/mL), which showed a significant reduction in metabolism respect to the control. Additionally, locomotor activity and heart rate in zebrafish were measured as parameters of in vivo toxicity. Only the highest concentration (0.625 µg/mL) showed a cardiotoxic effect, which corresponds to the decrease in spontaneous movement observed previously. As all the materials contained in the formulations were US FDA approved, the NE selected would be good candidate for clinical trials.