Nanoparticles influence on expression of cell cycle related genes in Drosophila: a microarray-based toxicogenomics study

Relatively little is known regarding the interaction of nanoscale objects with dynamic complex biological systems. Microarray-based toxicogenomics studies may serve as a suitable technique to explore the genome wide effects of nanoparticles on any organism through a single experiment. The influence of nanoporous aluminosilicate nanoparticles (NP), citrate-capped gold NP, lipophilic silica NP, BSA-capped silver NP, and lipophilic zinc oxide NP were studied on 75 cell cycle-related genes of adult Drosophila melanogaster. Microarray experiments were conducted after the flies were fed with NP-mixed media for 15 days. Data showed that silver, zinc oxide, and alumino silicate NP predominantly perturbed cell cycle genes, whereas gold and silica NP exerted the least influence on these genes.     

ZnO纳米粒子通过线粒体通路抑制小鼠光感受器细胞Na~+/K~+-ATP酶表达和活性的作用研究

氧化锌(ZnO)纳米粒子已被发现具有生物毒性,氧化应激被认为是最重要的因素之一。前期实验证实,ZnO纳米粒子能显著减少锰超氧化物歧化酶(Mn SOD)蛋白的表达,降低Mn SOD活性。本文通过检测乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)释放、线粒体活性氧(ROS)水平和膜电位(Δφm)、延迟整流钾电流变化和Na~+/K~+-ATP酶的表达及活性等变化,检测ZnO纳米粒子对小鼠光感受器细胞的细胞毒作用。结果表明,ZnO纳米粒子可显著增强小鼠光感受器细胞中LDH的释放、增加线粒体内ROS水平并下调Δφm、阻断延迟整流钾电流,同时降低Na~+/K~+-ATP酶的表达及活性,从而对小鼠视网膜光感受器细胞产生细胞毒作用,提示ZnO纳米粒子可通过线粒体通路引起氧化应激,从而抑制小鼠光感受器细胞Na~+/K~+-ATP酶表达和活性,产生细胞毒性,导致细胞死亡。本文的研究结果有助于理解ZnO纳米粒子引起细胞毒性的作用机理。     

磁性粒子/介孔碳的合成及其吸附性能

以介孔分子筛SBA-15为模板,采用三氯化铁和蔗糖同步浇铸的方法,利用纳米刻蚀技术合成了Fe-Fe3O4磁性纳米粒子/介孔碳复合体(简称磁性粒子/介孔碳)。XRD分析和高分辨透射电子显微镜表征结果表明,磁性粒子/介孔碳中含有强磁性粒子——Fe3O4和α-Fe。在初始罗丹明B质量浓度为200 mg/L的溶液中加入于碳化温度为800 oC下制得的磁性粒子/介孔碳1 mg/L,吸附190 min后,平衡吸附量为329 mg/g。吸附后的磁性粒子/介孔碳在乙醇中的脱附率可达93.7%。通过外加磁场可将吸附后的磁性粒子/介孔碳与溶液分离。     

Engineered nanoparticles: safer substitutes for toxic materials, or a new hazard?

Nanotechnology has the potential for the development of new materials and processes that can substitute for toxic materials now used in industry. Excitement over this possibility is tempered, however, by the potential adverse environmental health and safety aspects of the new nanomaterials. Although a few examples from the literature are encouraging, e.g., wire and cable insulation, great care must be taken to perform complete alternatives assessment evaluations of any new nanotechnology-enabled product before its adoption.     

Inhibition of thrombin by functionalized C60 nanoparticles revealed via in vitro assays and in silico studies

The studies on the human toxicity of nanoparticles (NPs) are far behind the rapid development of engineered functionalized NPs. Fullerene has been widely used as drug carrier skeleton due to its reported low risk. However, different from other kinds of NPs, fullerene-based NPs (C₆₀ NPs) have been found to have an anticoagulation effect, although the potential target is still unknown. In the study, both experimental and computational methods were adopted to gain mechanistic insight into the modulation of thrombin activity by nine kinds of C₆₀ NPs with diverse surface chemistry properties. In vitro enzyme activity assays showed that all tested surface-modified C₆₀ NPs exhibited thrombin inhibition ability. Kinetic studies coupled with competitive testing using 3 known inhibitors indicated that six of the C₆₀ NPs, of greater hydrophobicity and hydrogen bond (HB) donor acidity or acceptor basicity, acted as competitive inhibitors of thrombin by directly interacting with the active site of thrombin. A simple quantitative nanostructure-activity relationship model relating the surface substituent properties to the inhibition potential was then established for the six competitive inhibitors. Molecular docking analysis revealed that the intermolecular HB interactions were important for the specific binding of C₆₀ NPs to the active site canyon, while the additional stability provided by the surface groups through van der Waals interaction also play a key role in the thrombin binding affinity of the NPs. Our results suggest that thrombin is a possible target of the surface-functionalized C₆₀ NPs relevant to their anticoagulation effect.     

纳米二氧化铈对蛋白核小球藻的生物学效应研究

纳米二氧化铈(CeO_2)在被广泛使用的同时,其潜在的环境效应也受到人们越来越多的关注。以蛋白核小球藻(Chlorella pyrenoidosa)为实验材料,研究纳米CeO_2的生物学效应,为探索纳米材料对微藻的生物学效应提供理论基础和数据支持。研究结果显示:1)纳米CeO_2在低浓度(≤80 mg·L~(-1))时可促进蛋白核小球藻的生长及色素、可溶性蛋白等的合成,但在高浓度(80 mg·L~(-1))下具有毒性效应;2)低浓度纳米CeO_2可诱导藻细胞合成超氧化物歧化酶(superoxide dismutase,SOD)等可溶性蛋白,以抵御纳米CeO_2的胁迫;但在高浓度时又会降低SOD活力;3)随着纳米CeO_2浓度的升高,藻细胞中丙二醛(malondialdehyde,MDA)含量显著增加,说明藻细胞中活性氧自由基(reactive oxygen species,ROS)过量积累,这将破坏藻细胞的膜结构与功能,使细胞遭受严重损伤。     

Behavior of TiO2 nanoparticles during incineration of solid paint waste: A lab-scale test

In order to assess the potential impacts posed by products containing engineered nanoparticles, it is essential to generate more data about the release of these particles from products’ life cycle. Although first studies were performed to investigate the release of nanoparticles from use phase, very few data are available on the potential release from recycling or disposal of nano-enhanced products.In this work, we investigated the behavior of TiO₂ nanoparticles from incineration of solid paint waste containing these particles. Solid paint debris with and without TiO₂ nanoparticles were treated in a lab scale incineration plant at 950 °C (combustion temperature) and in oxidizing atmosphere. The obtained ashes were also vitrified with additives and the release of Ti was finally evaluated by leaching test. From our incineration lab-scale experiment, we did not observe a release of TiO₂ nanoparticles into the atmosphere, and Ti was attached to the surface of obtained solid residues (i.e. ashes). The characterization of ashes showed that TiO₂ nanoparticles reacted during the incineration to give calcium titanate. Finally, a very low release of Ti was measured, less 1 mg/kg, during the leaching test of ashes vitrified with glass cullet and feldspathic inert. Our work suggests that TiO₂ nanoparticles added in paints may undergo to physicochemical transformation during the incineration, and that Ti found in ashes may be strongly immobilized in glass matrix. Since this conclusion is based on lab-scale experiment, further research is required to identify which nanoparticles will be emitted to the environment from a real-word-incineration system of household hazardous waste.     

温和条件下磁性Pd-MgFe2O4/MgAl(O)催化4-氯苯酚高效加氢脱氯

以镁铁尖晶石MgFe₂O₄为磁核,在磁核表层包覆MgAl水滑石后经高温焙烧形成MgAl （O）复合氧化物包覆的磁性载体MgFe₂O₄/MgAl （O）,进而负载纳米金属Pd制成磁性催化剂Pd-MgFe₂O₄/MgAl （O）.通过X射线衍射（XRD）、X射线光电子能谱分析（XPS）、傅里叶红外光谱（FT-IR）、透射电镜（TEM）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、选区电子衍射（SAED）、比表面积（S_BET）和振动样品磁强计（VSM）等手段对催化材料进行表征.结果表明,MgFe₂O₄-LDH转化为磁性MgFe₂O₄/MgAl （O）载体有利于催化材料比表面积的增加、结构稳定性的提升及相应催化活性位点的增加,进而有利于提升4-氯苯酚高效加氢脱氯效率.研究进一步考察了催化剂负载量、催化剂用量、底物浓度、反应温度、反应溶剂等条件对4-氯苯酚降解效率的影响.结果发现,在优化反应条件下催化反应的转换频率TOF （0.04 s^-1）可媲美常温、常压、无碱性添加剂等温和条件下4-氯苯酚高效加氢脱氯反应的最佳文献报道水平.磁性催化剂Pd-MgFe₂O₄/MgAl （O）循环使用4次后仍保持很好的催化活性.     

聚苯乙烯磺酸钠对零价纳米铁表面结构和去除水中As(Ⅲ)的影响

零价纳米铁由于其高反应活性及应用中的灵活性,在地下水原位治理中备受关注.但在应用中,常需要加入分散剂以提高纳米铁悬浮液的稳定性因此,本文以低浓度的聚苯乙烯磺酸钠(PSS)作为分散剂,制备了能长时间稳定的复合零价纳米铁(nZVI/PSS)悬浮液,并探讨PSS对nZVI表面结构和去除As(Ⅲ)过程中的影响,结果表明,nZVI和nZVI/PSS颗粒平均粒径均为50 ～ 60 nm;X射线光电子能谱(XPS)结果表明,相比于nZVI,nZVI/PSS表面上C、OH-和O2-的百分含量增高,而吸附的H2O减少;X-射线衍射(XRD)结果显示,nZVI/PSS在44.8°出现α-Fe0的X射线衍射峰,结晶度比nZVI显著提高.批实验结果表明,As(Ⅲ)的去除率随nZVI(nZVI/PSS)投加量的增大而提高,随溶液初始pH的增大而降低,且nZVI/PSS对As(Ⅲ)的去除率略低于nZVI.动力学拟合结果显示,nZVI和nZVI/PSS对As(Ⅲ)的去除符合准一级反应动力学方程.     

羟丙基壳聚糖纳米微粒的制备及其对Ni2+的吸附研究

通过在碱性条件下将羟丙基引入到壳聚糖分子上,再利用离子凝胶法制备羟丙基壳聚糖(HCS)纳米微粒.结果表明,HCS溶液的质量浓度为0.8～2.0 mg/mL、多聚磷酸钠(TPP)的质量浓度为0.4～1.5 mg/mL时,均可以生成HCS纳米微粒.粒径分布表明,HCS纳米微粒主要粒径约为200～300 nm,粒径分布较窄....