Graphene oxide toxicity in W1118 flies

The risk of graphene oxide (GO) exposure to various species has been greatly amplified in recent years due to its booming production and applications in various fields. However, a deep understanding of the GO biosafety lags its wide applications. Herein, we used W-1118 flies as a model organism to study GO toxicity at relatively low concentrations. We found that GO exposure led to remarkable weight loss, delayed development, retarded motion, and shortened lifespan of these flies. On the other hand, the GO influence on their sex ratio and the total number of pupae and adults were insignificant. The toxicological effect of GO was shown to be related to its serious compromise of the nutrient absorption in flies due to the severe damages in midguts. These damages were then attributed to the excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which triggers the oxidative stress. These findings reveal the underlying mechanisms of GO biotoxicities in fruit flies, which might provide a useful reference to assess the risks of these newly invented nanomaterials likely never encountered by various species before. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Automated summary

The exposure of graphene oxide (GO) has been shown to have negative effects on fruit flies, including weight loss, delayed development, slower motion, and shortened lifespan. The toxicity of GO is related to its severe damage to nutrient absorption in fruit fly midguts, caused by the excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) triggering oxidative stress. However, the influence of GO on the sex ratio and total number of pupae and adults of fruit flies is insignificant.