Silver nanoparticles induce histopathological alterations in juvenile Penaeus vannamei

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the histopathological alterations in juvenile Penaeus vannamei caused by silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for two types of experiments: at sublethal concentrations of 3.6 to 7.1μg/μL of metallic silver (Ag) for a short period up to 72h and for 2.6 to 7.9μg of Ag/μL for the long period up to 264h. The severity degree of the changes was evaluated and the histopathological index (Hi) was determined in both experiments using the necrosis (cellular dead) as an indicator. The pathological changes in the striated muscle, gills, antennal gland, circulatory system, heart, lymphoid organ, and connective tissue are described. The histopathological effects were similar for the two experiments without a direct relationship with the concentrations. In the short-term experiment, the values of Hi were higher (2.34 ± 0.41 at 48hpi and 1.91 ± 0.39 at 72hpi) compared with the long-term experiment (values between 0.57 ± 0.36 to 1.74 ± 0.57 at 264hpi). The observed pathologies are similar to those caused by other metals, with the exception of the agglomerations of black particles in the gills, lymphoid organ, and muscle, which has not been previously reported. This work shows that silver nanoparticles cause damage to shrimp in sublethal concentrations.