Measuring properties of nanoparticles in embryonic blood vessels: Towards a physicochemical basis for nanotoxicity

The developing field of nanotoxicology aims to relate the physical properties of nanomaterials to potential risk when organisms are exposed to those materials. Regulators are interested in whether a nanoformulation would alter the risk of the native material. It may be that due to the physical nature of embryonic blood vessels (i.e. they are angiogenic and therefore leaky), embryos are at greater risk for bio-accumulation of nanoparticles (NPs) than mature organisms. To study the physicochemical nature of nanoparticle accumulation from embryonic blood vessels, one needs to measure the NP properties in situ, because these properties could be significantly dependent on environment. We have undertaken a study of the dynamics of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots and polystyrene nanospheres in the blood vessels of the chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). We show proof of principle that fluorescence correlation spectroscopy can be used in this system to determine the concentrations and hydrodynamic radii of NP solutions micro-injected into the CAM. (C) 2010 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.