量子点体内生物转运和转化特征及毒性研究进展

Research advances in characteristics of biotransport and biotransformation and toxicities of quantum dots in vivo

作为新型荧光纳米材料,量子点(QD)在生物医学领域具有广泛的应用前景。然而,QD暴露引发的潜在毒性问题也不容忽视。QD在体内的毒性作用与其在体内的生物转运和转化有紧密的联系,而QD在体内的生物转运和转化过程会受到暴露途径、暴露剂量、表面修饰材料以及粒径等因素的影响。其中,QD的暴露途径会影响QD在体内的吸收和分布;暴露剂量会影响QD在体内的代谢和排泄,进而影响量子点在体内的分布;表面修饰材料会影响QD在体内的分布、代谢和排泄;粒径则可影响QD在体内的吸收、分布以及排泄,粒径较大的QD更易在体内存留,且难以清除。QD进入体内后,可通过循环系统在肝和肾等组织器官中蓄积和降解,其降解产物可经肝、脾和肾等组织器官的代谢作用后,经粪便和尿液排出体外;此外,QD可与体内生物大分子相互作用,损伤遗传物质,影响基因的表达水平,影响肝、肾和神经等组织器官的功能,使组织器官出现病理和功能损伤。

As a novel fluorescent nanomaterial, quantum dots （QDs） have a prospect for wide application. However, the adverse effects of QDs have become a concern among and more researchers. The toxic actions of QDs in vivo are closely associated with the biotransport and bio- transformation of QDs, which can be affected by the exposure pathways, exposure dose, surface modification and the particle size. Among them, the exposure pathways can affect the absorption and distribution of QDs in vivo, the exposure dose can affect the metabolism and excretion, thus influencing the distribution of QDs in vivo, the surface modification can affect the distribution, metabolism and excretion of QDs in vivo, the particle size can affect the absorption, distribution and excretion of QDs in vivo, and larger QDs are more likely to remain in the body and difficult to remove. QDs can enter the body through the circulatory system, get accumulated and degraded in the liver, kidney and other organs. The degraded products can be excerted through excrement and urine under the metabolism in the liver, spleen and kidneys. In addition, QDs can interact with biological macromolecules in the body, causing DNA damage, affecting the function and gene expression level of the liver, kidney, nervous system and other organs, and resulting in pathological and functional damage to tissues and organs.