Os nanocontaminantes e o sistema imune de equinoides (Echinodermata) - Uma revisão bibliográfica

Abstract

Echinoderms constitute a group of emblematic invertebrate animals that live exclusively in marine environments and play fundamental roles in benthic communities. The Echinoid class, composed of sea urchins and sand dollars, has a huge variety of lifestyles and body characteristics adapted to live in different types of environments. The persistence and existence of these animals over millions of years have been attributed to the presence of an efficient innate immune system. This system can operate uniformly against any type of particle in the environment and ingested by the animal, including emerging nanocontaminants. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been reported as critical contaminants in the oceans. These contaminants can be of different natures and may affect marine and coastal communities. Therefore, the aim of this study was to review the studies that have evaluated the effects of nanocontaminants on the immune system of echinoids, in order to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge about the impact of NPs on echinoids, in order to guide future research. Ten articles were found that evaluated the effects of different NPs: polystyrene nanoparticles functionalized with amine and carboxyl groups (PS-NH2, PS-COOH - nanoplastics), metal oxides (SnO2, CeO2, Fe3O4), zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), gold nanoparticles coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP-Au), and silver nanoparticles (Ag). Titanium dioxide nanoparticles were the most frequent in the literature, with 4 studies, followed by nanoplastics with 2 studies. Nine studies used the sea urchin species Paracentrotus lividus, and one used Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis. The main effects found in the studies were: changes in phagocytic/enzymatic activity, oxidative stress, and cytotoxicity in coelomocytes, as well as alterations in different signaling pathways in the organisms, impacting the animal's health. The results found are alarming and highlight the need for further studies evaluating the effects of nanocontaminants in the marine environment, especially involving other echinoid species and, most importantly, a broader geographic scope.