Insight Study on the Comparison between Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Its Bulk Impact on Reproductive Performance, Antioxidant Levels, Gene Expression, and Histopathology of Testes in Male Rats.
Antioxidants (Basel)
; 10(1)2020 Dec 31.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33396429
ABSTRACT
Background:
Despite the beneficial effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on different biomedical applications, including their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ones, it might have cytotoxic and genotoxic impacts on the male reproductive system.Objective:
The current study compares the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles and their bulk form, at different doses, on male rats' reproductive performance, testicular antioxidants, gene expression, and histopathology. Materials andMethods:
Thirty male rats were randomly allocated equally in five groups. The control one was injected with Tween 80 (10%). The zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnONP) groups received ZnONPs < 50 nm, specifically, 5 mg/kg (ZnONP-1) and 10 mg/kg (ZnONP-2). The bulk zinc oxide (BZnO) groups were administered 5 mg/kg (BZnO-1) and 10 mg/kg (BZnO-2), correspondingly. Rats were injected intraperitoneally with the respected materials, twice/week for eight consecutive weeks. Finally, the male rats' sexual behavior and their pup's performance were determined in a monogamous mating system. Rats were then anesthetized and sacrificed for semen characteristics evaluation and tissue collection for antioxidant and hormones analysis, gene expression, and histopathological examination.Results:
It was shown that ZnONP-1 improved sexual behavior, semen characteristics, and pup's performance compared to its bulk form. Similarly, the testicular antioxidants activity, glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased with a decrease in the malonaldehyde (MDA), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) levels. It also improves the reproductive hormone levels and mRNA expression of different steroidogenesis-associated genes and anti-apoptotic genes.Conclusion:
It can be concluded that zinc oxide nanoparticles, administered at 5 mg/kg, had the most beneficial effect on male reproductive performance, while 10 mg/kg could have a detrimental effect.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Language:
En
Journal:
Antioxidants (Basel)
Year:
2020
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: