Here we report the toxicological evaluation of mesoporous silica particles (MSPs) in the nematode C. elegans. Specifically, we have investigated the effect of bare micro- (M0) and nano-sized (N0) MSPs, and their corresponding functionalized particles with a starch derivative (Glu-N) (M1 and N1, respectively) on C. elegans ageing parameters. The toxicity of MSPs, their impact on C. elegans lifespan, movement capacity, progeny and ability to survive upon exposure to acute oxidative stress were assessed. This study demonstrated that both size particles assayed (M0 and N0), labeled with rhodamine and monitored through fluorescence microscopy, are ingested by the nematode. Moreover, toxicity assays indicated that bare nano-sized particles (N0) have a negative impact on the C. elegans lifespan, reducing mobility and progeny production. By contrast, micro-sized particles (M0) proved innocuous for the nematodes. Furthermore, functionalization of nanoparticles with starch derivative reduced their toxicity in C. elegans. Thus, oral intake of N1 comparatively increased the mean lifespan and activity rates as well as resistance to oxidative stress. The overall findings presented here demonstrate the influence of MSP size and surface on their potential toxicity in vivo and indicate the silica-based mesoporous particles to be a potential support for encapsulation in oral delivery applications. Furthermore, the good correlation obtained between healthy aging variables and viability (mean lifespan) validates the use of C. elegans as a multicellular organism for nanotoxicology studies of MSPs.

在这里，我们报告线虫秀丽隐杆线虫中孔二氧化硅颗粒（MSPs）的毒理学评价。具体来说，我们研究了裸露的微型（M0）和纳米级（N0）MSP，以及它们相应的带有淀粉衍生物（Glu-N）的官能化颗粒（分别为M1和N1）对秀丽隐杆线虫老化参数的影响。评估了MSP的毒性，它们对秀丽隐杆线虫的寿命，运动能力，后代和暴露于急性氧化应激后的存活能力的影响。这项研究表明，两种大小的颗粒都可以检测到（M0和N0被线虫摄入被罗丹明标记并通过荧光显微镜监测的）。此外，毒性试验表明，裸露的纳米级颗粒（N0）对秀丽隐杆线虫的寿命具有负面影响，从而降低了迁移率和后代的产生。相比之下，线虫的微小颗粒（M0）无害。此外，用淀粉衍生物官能化纳米颗粒降低了其在秀丽隐杆线虫中的毒性。因此，口服摄入N1相对增加了平均寿命和活动率以及对氧化应激的抵抗力。此处呈现的总体发现证明了MSP大小和表面对其在体内的潜在毒性的影响并且表明基于二氧化硅的中孔颗粒是口服递送应用中包封的潜在载体。此外，在健康的衰老变量和生存能力（平均寿命）之间获得的良好相关性验证了秀丽隐杆线虫作为多细胞生物用于MSP的纳米毒理学研究的有效性。