Dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6), an organosilicon compound, is an emerging environmental pollutant commonly found in personal care products, healthcare formulations, industrial processes, consumer goods, and surface coatings. Despite its widespread use, the toxicological effects of D6 are not well understood. In current study, Caenorhabditis elegans was used as a model organism to investigate the multifaceted impacts of D6 toxicity. We examined physiological changes, biochemical disruptions, molecular responses in gene expression, reproductive impairments, and mitochondrial dysfunction across different concentrations of D6 (0.05–1.00 mg/L). We firstly observed a biphasic dose-response relationship: low concentrations of D6 slightly enhanced growth and stimulated physiological responses, while higher concentrations significantly reduced growth and lifespan, indicating toxicity of D6. At elevated concentrations, D6 induced oxidative stress and cellular damage, reduced food intake, and lowered glucose, pyruvate and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, suggesting mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes, such as hexokinase (HK), adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), were observed, indicating a counter-adaptive response to oxidative stress. RNA interference of genes like mtl-1, sod-3, and daf-2 made C. elegans more susceptible to D6 toxicity, while vit-2 and gpx-3 exhibited resistance. The study also highlights the role of germ cell apoptosis in the adverse effects of D6. Overall, our findings provide novel insights into the toxicological mechanisms of D6 and highlight its potential environmental risks, and these findings suggest that excessive use of D6 could have harmful ecological consequences, underscoring the need for further investigation into its ecotoxicity.

中文翻译：

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研究十二甲基环己己硅氧烷对秀丽隐杆线虫的双相影响：从生殖和线粒体功能障碍到生化和分子反应

十二甲基环己硅氧烷 （D6） 是一种有机硅化合物，是一种新兴的环境污染物，常见于个人护理产品、保健配方、工业过程、消费品和表面涂层中。尽管 D6 被广泛使用，但其毒理学作用尚不清楚。在目前的研究中，以秀丽隐杆线虫为模式生物，研究 D6 毒性的多方面影响。我们检查了不同浓度的 D6 （0.05–1.00 mg/L） 的生理变化、生化破坏、基因表达的分子反应、生殖障碍和线粒体功能障碍。我们首先观察到双相剂量反应关系：低浓度的 D6 略微促进生长并刺激生理反应，而较高浓度显着降低生长和寿命，表明 D6 具有毒性。在浓度升高时，D6 会诱导氧化应激和细胞损伤，减少食物摄入量，并降低葡萄糖、丙酮酸和三磷酸腺苷 （ATP） 水平，提示线粒体功能障碍。此外，还观察到抗氧化酶的活性变化，如己糖激酶 （HK）、三磷酸腺苷 （ATPase）、过氧化物酶 （POD）、过氧化氢酶 （CAT）、超氧化物歧化酶 （SOD） 和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶 （GSH-Px），表明对氧化应激的反适应性反应。mtl-1、sod-3 和 daf-2 等基因的 RNA 干扰使秀丽隐杆线虫更容易受到 D6 毒性的影响，而 vit-2 和 gpx-3 表现出耐药性。该研究还强调了生殖细胞细胞凋亡在 D6 不良反应中的作用。 总体而言，我们的研究结果为 D6 的毒理学机制提供了新的见解，并强调了其潜在的环境风险，这些发现表明过度使用 D6 可能会产生有害的生态后果，强调需要进一步研究其生态毒性。