Effects of Ru(CO)3Cl-glycinate on the developmental toxicities induced by X-ray and carbon-ion irradiation in zebrafish embryos

Evaluation of Epigenetic and Radiomodifying Effects during Radiotherapy Treatments in Zebrafish

Radiotherapy is still a long way from personalizing cancer treatment plans, and its effectiveness depends on the radiosensitivity of tumor cells. Indeed, therapies that are efficient and successful for some patients may be relatively ineffective for others. Based on this, radiobiological research is focusing on the ability of some reagents to make cancer cells more responsive to ionizing radiation, as well as to protect the surrounding healthy tissues from possible side effects. In this scenario, zebrafish emerged as an effective model system to test for radiation modifiers that can potentially be used for radiotherapeutic purposes in humans. The adoption of this experimental organism is fully justified and supported by the high similarity between fish and humans in both their genome sequences and the effects provoked in them by ionizing radiation. This review aims to provide the literature state of the art of zebrafish in vivo model for radiobiological studies, particularly focusing on the epigenetic and radiomodifying effects produced during fish embryos’ and larvae’s exposure to radiotherapy treatments.

Embryotoxicity assessment and efficient removal of naphthalene from water by irradiated graphene aerogels

Naphthalene has remained a challenge how to eradicate it from the water because of its carcinogenic risk to humans. In the present study, naphthalene prominently increased the rates of embryonic mortality and malformation, and decreased the hatchability of zebrafish which have a high developmental similarity to humans. Moreover, multiple-organ toxicity were notably found in naphthalene-treated zebrafish. Here, irradiated graphene aerogel (IGA) was successfully prepared from high-energy electron beam to generate more wrinkles, folds, defects and a strong absorption capability for naphthalene, compared with the non-irradiated graphene aerogel. IGA was outstandingly found to remove naphthalene from the embryo culture medium, and subsequently inhibit the embryotoxicity and maintain tissue integrity by restoring cardiac function, attenuating apoptosis signals, recovering eye morphology and structure, reducing expression of heat shock protein 70 in the tissues and promoting behavioral capacity. Meanwhile, no obvious negative impact of IGA was found in the developing zebrafish from embryo to larvae. Consequently, reduction in the toxicity of naphthalene during zebrafish embryogenesis was mediated by IGA as an advanced strategy.