Visualization of the tissue distribution of fullerenols in zebrafish (Danio rerio) using imaging mass spectrometry

• Published in: Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry 2020-11, Vol.412 (27), p.7649-7658
• Main Authors: Shi, Qiuyue, Fang, Cheng, Zhang, Zixing, Yan, Changzhou, Zhang, Xian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analytical Chemistry; Animals; Biochemistry; Biocompatibility; Blood-brain barrier; Carbon; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Danio rerio; Environmental studies; Food Science; Fullerenes - analysis; Gills - metabolism; High resolution; Image resolution; Instrument industry; Intestine; Ionization; Ions; Laboratory Medicine; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Muscles; Nanomaterials; Nanotechnology; Neuroimaging; New technology; Pollutants; Research Paper; Scientific imaging; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization - methods; Spectroscopy; Spectrum analysis; Technology application; Tissue Distribution; Tissues; Toxicity; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Zebrafish; Zebrafish - metabolism
• ISSN: 1618-2642; 1618-2650
• DOI: 10.1007/s00216-020-02902-3

With the wide application of fullerenols in biomedicine, their environmental exposure risks and toxicity to organisms have been extensively studied. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about the distribution of fullerenols in organisms as an important aspect of their mechanism of toxicity. High-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS) is an emerging technology for researching the distribution of molecules in biological tissue samples. Using this high-resolution technique, we map the distribution of fullerenols in zebrafish tissues, and the results suggest that fullerenols enter the gill, intestine, and muscle tissues and even permeate the blood-brain barrier, reaching the brain of zebrafish after aquatic exposure. Moreover, from the MS images of fullerenols, the distribution amount of fullerenols is highest in the gill, followed by that in the intestine and the small amount in muscle and brain tissues. As an emerging environmental pollutant, the establishment of this research method will provide a new method for the study of the environmental toxicity of carbon nanomaterials. Our results also indicated that this high-resolution imaging method could be applied to explore the mechanism of interaction between carbon nanomaterials and biological systems at the cellular level in the future.