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Exposure to silica nanoparticles causes reversible damage of the spermatogenic process in mice.

ABSTRACT: Environmental exposure to nanomaterials is inevitable, as nanomaterials have become part of our daily life now. In this study, we firstly investigated the effects of silica nanoparticles on the spermatogenic process according to their time course in male mice. 48 male mice were randomly divided into control group and silica nanoparticle group with 24 mice per group, with three evaluation time points (15, 35 and 60 days after the first dose) per group. Mice were exposed to the vehicle control and silica nanoparticles at a dosage of 20 mg/kg every 3 days, five times over a 13-day period, and were sacrificed at 15, 35 and 60 days after the first dose. The results showed that silica nanoparticles caused damage to the mitochondrial cristae and decreased the levels of ATP, resulting in oxidative stress in the testis by days 15 and 35; however, the damage was repaired by day 60. DNA damage and the decreases in the quantity and quality of epididymal sperm were found by days 15 and 35; but these changes were recovered by day 60. In contrast, the acrosome integrity and fertility in epididymal sperm, the numbers of spermatogonia and sperm in the testes, and the levels of three major sex hormones were not significantly affected throughout the 60-day period. The results suggest that nanoparticles can cause reversible damage to the sperms in the epididymis without affecting fertility, they are more sensitive than both spermatogonia and spermatocytes to silica nanoparticle toxicity. Considering the spermatogenesis time course, silica nanoparticles primarily influence the maturation process of sperm in the epididymis by causing oxidative stress and damage to the mitochondrial structure, resulting in energy metabolism dysfunction.

SUBMITTER: Xu Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4086902 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Recent advances in nanotechnology have led to the development of nanoparticles with innovative functions in various fields. However, the biological effects of nanoparticles-particularly those on the fetus-need to be investigated in detail, because several previous studies have shown that various nanoparticles induce pregnancy complications in mice. In this regard, our previous findings in mice suggested that the increase in peripheral neutrophil count induced by treatment with silica nanoparticles with a diameter of 70?nm (nSP70) may play a role in the associated pregnancy complications. Therefore, here, we sought to define the role of neutrophils in nSP70-induced pregnancy complications. The peripheral neutrophil count in pregnant BALB/c mice at 24?h after treatment with nSP70 was significantly higher than in saline-treated mice. In addition, maternal body weight, uterine weight, and the number of fetuses in nSP70-treated mice pretreated with anti-antibodies, which deplete neutrophils, were significantly lower than those in nSP70-treated mice pretreated with phosphate-buffered saline or isotype-matched control antibodies. Histology revealed that neutrophil depletion increased nSP70-induced placental damage from the decidua through the spongiotrophoblast layer and narrowed spiral arteries in the placentae. In addition, depletion of neutrophils augmented nSP70-induced cytotoxicity to fetal vessels, which were covered with endothelium. The rate of apoptotic cell death was significantly higher in the placentae of anti-nSP70-treated mice than in those from mice pretreated with isotype-matched control antibodies. Therefore, impairment of placental vessels and apoptotic cell death due to nSP70 exposure is exacerbated in the placentae of nSP70-treated mice pretreated with anti-antibodies. Depletion of neutrophils worsens nSP70-induced pregnancy complications in mice; this exacerbation was due to enhanced impairment of placental vessels and increased apoptotic cell death in maternal placentae. Our results provide basic information regarding the mechanism underlying silica-nanoparticle-induced pregnancy complications.

Project description:BackgroundMesoporous silica (MPS) nanoparticles (NPs), which have a unique pore structure and extremely large surface area and pore volume, have received much attention because of their biomedical application potential. Using MPS NPs for biomedical devices requires the verification of their biocompatibility because the surface area of NPs is one of the most important determinants of toxicity, including the cellular uptake and immune response. We have previously reported that the cytotoxicity and inflammation potential of MPS NPs have been shown to be lower than those of general amorphous colloidal silica (Col) NPs in macrophages, but the low cytotoxicity does not guarantee high biocompatibility in vivo. In this study, we compared the in vivo immunotoxicity of MPS and Col NPs in the mouse model to define the effects of pore structural conditions of silica NPs.Materials and methodsBoth MPS and Col NPs (2, 20, and 50 mg/kg/day) were intraperitoneally administered in female BALB/c mice for 4 weeks, and clinical toxicity, lymphocyte population, serum IgG/IgM levels, and histological changes were examined.ResultsThere was no overt sign of clinical toxicity in either MPS- or Col-treated mice. However, MPS NPs led to significant increases in liver and spleen weight and splenocyte proliferation. Mice treated with MPS NPs showed altered lymphocyte populations (CD3(+), CD45(+), CD4(+), and CD8(+)) in the spleen, increased serum IgG and IgM levels, and histological changes. Despite slight changes in lymphocyte populations in the spleen, Col NPs did not alter other immunological factors.ConclusionThe results indicate that in vivo exposure to MPS NPs caused more damage to systemic immunity than that of Col NPs through the dysregulation of the spleen. The results for in vivo data are inconsistent with those for in vitro data, which show lower cytotoxicity for MPS NPs. These results suggest the importance of verifying biocompatibility both in vitro and in vivo during the design of new nanomaterials.

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Exposure to silica nanoparticles causes reversible damage of the spermatogenic process in mice.

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