Effects of silver nanoparticles exposure in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Tânia Gomes; Catarina G Pereira; Cátia Cardoso; Vânia Serrão Sousa; Margarida Ribau Teixeira; José P Pinheiro; Maria João Bebianno

doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2014.07.004

Effects of silver nanoparticles exposure in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Mar Environ Res. 2014 Oct:101:208-214. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2014.07.004. Epub 2014 Jul 17.

Authors

Tânia Gomes¹, Catarina G Pereira², Cátia Cardoso², Vânia Serrão Sousa³, Margarida Ribau Teixeira³, José P Pinheiro⁴, Maria João Bebianno²

Affiliations

¹ CIMA, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal. Electronic address: tania.gomes@niva.no.
² CIMA, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
³ CENSE and University of Algarve, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
⁴ CBME, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.

PMID: 25066339
DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2014.07.004

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have emerged as one of the most commonly used NPs in a wide range of industrial and commercial applications. This has caused increasing concern about their fate in the environment as well as uptake and potential toxicity towards aquatic organisms. Accordingly, mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis were exposed to 10 μg L(-1) of Ag NPs and ionic silver (Ag+) for 15 days, and biomarkers of oxidative stress and metal accumulation were determined. Accumulation results show that both Ag NPs and Ag+ accumulated in both gills and digestive glands. Antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase) were activated by Ag NPs and Ag+, showing different antioxidant patterns in both gills and digestive glands. Moreover, metallothionein was inducted in gills, directly related to Ag accumulation, while in the digestive glands only a small fraction of Ag seems to be associated with this protein. Lipid peroxidation was higher in gills exposed to Ag NPs, whereas in the digestive glands only Ag+ induced lipid peroxidation. Ag NPs and Ag+ cause oxidative stress with distinct modes of action and it's not clear if for Ag NPs the observed effects are attributed to free Ag+ ions associated with the nanoparticle effect.

Keywords: Ag NPs; Biomarkers; Digestive glands; Gills; Mytilus galloprovincialis; Oxidative stress.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Environmental Exposure*
Lipid Peroxidation
Metal Nanoparticles / toxicity*
Mytilus / drug effects*
Mytilus / metabolism
Mytilus / physiology
Oxidative Stress*
Silver / toxicity*

Substances

Silver