%0 Journal Article
%T In vivo observation of gold nanoparticles in the central nervous system of Blaberus discoidalis
%A Aracely Rocha
%A Yan Zhou
%A Subrata Kundu
%A Jorge M Gonz¨˘lez
%A S BradleighVinson
%A Hong Liang
%J Journal of Nanobiotechnology
%D 2011
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1477-3155-9-5
%X Negatively charged gold nanoparticles (nAuNPs) of 50 nm in diameter were injected into the central nervous system (CNS) of the insect. By using such a cost effective method, we were able to characterize nAuNPs and to analyze their interactions with a biological system. It showed that the charged particles affected the insect's locomotion. The nAuNPs affected the insect's behavior but had no major impacts on the life expectancy of the cockroach after two months of observation. This was apparently due to the encapsulation of nAuNPs inside the insect's brain. Based on cockroach's daily activity, we believed that the encapsulation occurred in the first 17 days.The method proposed here is an inexpensive and reliable way of observing the response of biological systems to nanoparticles in-vivo. It opens new windows to further understand how nanoparticles affect neural communication by monitoring insect activity and locomotion.Due to their small size, nanoparticles (NPs) have been used to probe biological systems [1-3]. Common biological systems, mainly mice, currently used to study, analyze, and test in vivo treatments for neuron damage and repair are expensive and many times difficult to maintain. It is necessary to find a suitable biological system that is inexpensive, easy to maintain, and handle. As early as in 1990, Huber et al. reported cockroaches as good candidates for neurobiology studies [4]. This idea was later applied by Scharrer for endocrine studies [5]. There are reports proving the similarities between vertebrate and invertebrate brains [6]. In particular, non-vertebrate systems such as cockroaches were ideal models for neurotoxicology studies [7]. The comparison between invertebrate (like cockroaches) and vertebrate (like mice) has been made in terms of their behavior, anatomy, biology, and physiology. Invertebrate subjects are not only cost effective and readily available, but also they do not feel pain [8]. This opens new avenues for experimental protoco
%U http://www.jnanobiotechnology.com/content/9/1/5