Study on myocardial toxicity induced by lead halide perovskites nanoparticles

Abstract

Lead halide perovskites (LHPs) are outstanding candidates for next-generation optoelectronic materials, with considerable prospects of use and commercial value. However, knowledge about their toxicity is scarce, which may limit their commercialization. Here, for the first time, we studied the cardiotoxicity and molecular mechanisms of representative CsPbBr₃ nanoparticles in LHPs. After their intranasal administration to Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice, using advanced synchrotron radiation, mass spectrometry, and ultrasound imaging, we revealed that CsPbBr₃ nanoparticles can severely affect cardiac systolic function by accumulating in the myocardial tissue. RNA sequencing and Western blotting demonstrated that CsPbBr₃ nanoparticles induced excessive oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes, thereby provoking endoplasmic reticulum stress, disturbing calcium homeostasis, and ultimately leading to apoptosis. Our findings highlight the cardiotoxic effects of LHPs and provide crucial toxicological data for the product.

Keywords:

• CsPbBr₃
• biotransformation
• biodistribution
• cardiotoxicity
• damage mechanism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2021YFA1201200 and 2020YFA0710702); Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. XDB36000000); Directional Institutionalized Scientific Research Platform relies on Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. 2222087); Science and Technology Project of Nanchong (No. 20SXQT0022 and 22SXQT0364); Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province Project (No. 2021YJ0208); and Research Project Foundation of Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College (No. 2022JB002).