Mechanisms of Toxicity of Ag Nanoparticles in Comparison to Bulk and Ionic Ag on Mussel Hemocytes and Gill Cells

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are increasingly used in many products and are expected to end up in the aquatic environment. Mussels have been proposed as marine model species to evaluate NP toxicity in vitro. The objective of this work was to assess the mechanisms of toxicity of Ag NPs on mussel hemocytes and gill cells, in comparison to ionic and bulk Ag. Firstly, cytotoxicity of commercial and maltose stabilized Ag NPs was screened in parallel with the ionic and bulk forms at a wide range of concentrations in isolated mussel cells using cell viability assays. Toxicity of maltose alone was also tested. LC50 values were calculated and the most toxic Ag NPs tested were selected for a second step where sublethal concentrations of each Ag form were tested using a wide array of mechanistic tests in both cell types. Maltose-stabilized Ag NPs showed size-dependent cytotoxicity, smaller (20 nm) NPs being more toxic than larger (40 and 100 nm) NPs. Maltose alone provoked minor effects on cell viability. Ionic Ag was the most cytotoxic Ag form tested whereas bulk Ag showed similar cytotoxicity to the commercial Ag NPs. Main mechanisms of action of Ag NPs involved oxidative stress and genotoxicity in the two cell types, activation of lysosomal AcP activity, disruption of actin cytoskeleton and stimulation of phagocytosis in hemocytes and increase of MXR transport activity and inhibition of Na-K-ATPase in gill cells. Similar effects were observed after exposure to ionic and bulk Ag in the two cell types, although generally effects were more marked for the ionic form. In conclusion, results suggest that most observed responses were due at least in part to dissolved Ag.

Single domain YBCO/Ag bulk superconductors fabricated by seeded infiltration and growth

We have applied the seeded infiltration and growth (IG) technique to the processing of samples containing Ag in an attempt to fabricate Ag-doped Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) bulk superconductors with enhanced mechanical properties. The IG technique has been used successfully to grow bulk Ag-doped YBCO superconductors of up to 25 mm in diameter in the form of single grains. The distribution of Ag in the parent Y-123 matrix fabricated by the IG technique is observed to be at least as uniform as that in samples grown by conventional top seeded melt growth (TSMG). Fine Y-211 particles were observed to be embedded within the Y-123 matrix for the IG processed samples, leading to a high critical current density, Jc, of over 70 kA/cm2 at 77.3 K in self-field. The distribution of Y-211 in the IG sample microstructure, however, is inhomogeneous, which leads to a variation in the spatial distribution of Jc throughout the bulk matrix. A maximum-trapped field of around 0.43 T at 1.2 mm above the sample surface (i.e. including 0.7 mm for the sensor mould thickness) is observed at liquid nitrogen temperature, despite the relatively small grain size of the sample (20 mm diameter × 7 mm thickness). © 2008 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Fabrication of an organic field effect transistor using nano imprinting of Ag inks and semiconducting polymers

A simple and cheap procedure for flexible electronics fabrication was demonstrated by imprinting metallic nanoparticles (NPs) on flexible substrates. Silver NPs with an average diameter of 10 nm were prepared via an improved chemical approach and Ag Np ink was produced in α-terpineol with a concentration up to 15%. Silver micro/nanostructures with a dimension varying from nanometres to microns were produced on a flexible substrate (polyimide) by imprinting the as-prepared silver ink. The fine fluidic properties of an Ag NP/α-terpineol solution and low melting temperatures of silver nanoparticles render a low pressure and low temperature procedure, which is well suited for flexible electronics fabrication. The effects of sintering and mechanical bending on the conductivity of imprinted silver contacts were also investigated. Large area organic field effect transistors (OFET) on flexible substrates were fabricated using an imprinted silver electrode and semiconducting polymer. The OFET with silver electrodes imprinted from our prepared oleic acid stabilized Ag nanoparticle ink show an ideal ohmic contact; therefore, the OFET exhibit high performance (Ion/Ioff ratio: 1 × 103; mobility: 0.071 cm2 V-1 s-1). © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Distribution of rDNA in the nucleus of Giardia lamblia - Detection by Ag-I silver stain

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether rDNA of Giardia lamblia forms a nucleolus organizer region (NOR)-like structure and is in a very primitive state. STUDY DESIGN: G lamblia was used as the experimental animal, with Euglena gracilis as the control. The distribution was demonstrated indirectly by the modified Ag-I silver technique, which can specifically indicate the NOR under both light and electron microscopes. RESULTS: In the ultrathin sections of silver-stained Euglena cells, all the silver grains were concentrated in the fibrosa of the nucleolus, while no grains found in the cytoplasm, nucleoplasm, condensed chromosomes or pars granulosa of the nucleus. In the silver-stained Giardia cells, no nucleolus was found; a few silver grains were scattered in the nucleus but were not concentrated in any specific region. CONCLUSION: The distribution of silver grains in G lamblia showed that the transcription of rDNA occurs inside the nucleus, though no nucleolus is present. It is possible that chromosomes are in a very primitive state in diplomonad cells; as each chromosome has few prRNA genes, the transcription is independent of a nucleolus. These results imply that the rDNA of Giardia does not form a NOR-like structure and seems to represent a very primitive state in the evolution of the nucleolus.

团花锦蛇、绿锦蛇和三索锦蛇的核型及Ag-NORs

报道了锦蛇属团花锦蛇( E. davidi) 、绿锦蛇( E. prasina) 和三索锦蛇( E. radiata) 3 个种的核型和Ag - NORs ,团花锦蛇的核型2 n = 36 (8V + 6sV + 2I + 20M) ;绿锦蛇的核型2 n = 36 (7V + 7sV + 2I + 20m) ,三索锦蛇的 核型2 n = 40 (6V + 3sV + 2sI + 5I + 24m) ; ①团花锦蛇和绿锦蛇的染色体数目和结构与此属大多数种的相似, ; ② 此属种类的性染色体为ZW型,绿锦蛇的性染色体为第4 对大染色体,三索锦蛇的为第5 对大染色体,团花锦蛇 由于为雄性,未见染色体异型. ③Ag - NORs 在数目及在染色体上的位置均不相同,团花锦蛇的NORs 在第9 对 染色体上,数目为2 个;绿锦蛇的NORs 在第5 对染色体上,数目为4 个;三索锦蛇的NORs 在第4 对大染色体上, 数目为4 个; ④我们发现三索锦蛇较为特殊,其染色体数目、形态、性染色体的位置和形态及Ag - NORs 均与其 它种类不同. 可能的原因是此物种在核型演化过程中发生过染色体断裂和重排事件,提示三索锦蛇可能是一个 特化的类群. ⑤锦蛇属的种类可分为包括三索锦蛇为特殊的一组的4 个组. 图版1 表2 参18

颈棱蛇核型和Ag-NORs的研究

研究了云南产颈梭蛇的核型和Ag-NORs。其2n=46, 由8对大染色体和15对小染色体组成, 大染色体中NO.6、8为亚中着丝粒染色体, 其余均为端或亚端着丝粒染色体。第4对大型染色体为性染色体, 雌性为ZW型。并对颈棱蛇的分类和进化进行了讨论。

云南龙陵黄山羊的核型及C－带和Ag－NOR_s研究

采用外周血淋巴细胞培养及染色体分带技术，分析了龙陵黄山羊的核型，Ｃ—带和银染核仁组织区（Ａｇ—ＮＯＲ＿ｓ），结果表明：龙陵黄山羊染色体数为２ｎ＝６０，常染色体及Ｘ染色体为端部着丝粒染色体，Ｙ染色体最小，为中部着丝粒染色体。常染色体着丝粒区均显示Ｃ—带，性染色体未显Ｃ—带．雌性银染核仁组织区（Ａｇ—ＮＯＲ＿ｓ）分布于Ｎｏ．１，２，３，４，５，２５号染色体，雄性分布于Ｎｏ．１，２，２５号染色体，显示了性别及分布多态性。研究还发现三种不同的联合（ＡＳＳＯＣＩＡＴＩＯＮ）。

云南高黎贡山白颌大角蟾的核型、C-带及Ag-NORs的研究

比较了云南高黎贡山地区的贡山独龙江和腾冲大蒿坪白颌大角蟾（Megophryslateralis）两个地理种群的核型、C-带和Ag-NORs结果表明，两个地理种群在核型和带型上都有差异两个地理种群的核型均为2n＝26，NF＝52染色体形态差异不明显，而次缢痕的位置完全不同，贡山独龙江标本的次缢痕位于No．2的长臂上近着丝点处，腾冲标本的次缢痕位于No．5的短臂上近着丝点的部位在腾冲标本中发现一雄性个体中有一条额外的染色体，可能是B染色体两地标本的C-带差异不太显著，贡山独龙江标本的C-带相对较为显著．贡山独龙江标本的Ag-NORs位于No．2长臂近着丝点处，与次缢痕的部位对应，两条同源染色体上大小有显著差异．腾冲标本的Ag-NORs位于No．5短臂上近着丝点处，与次缢痕的部位对应依据核型和带型的比较，对白颌大角蟾的分类和进化问题进行了讨论。