Background. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are more often used in various products, and consequently the potential deleterious effects associated with exposure to them are of concern. Several lines of evidence have demonstrated that the toxicity of AgNPs affects different organs and leads to some side effects, including weight loss, inflammation and cell death. Objectives. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of AgNPs on sperm parameters and testicular histology. Material and methods. In the present study, 28 male adult Wistar rats were categorized into a control group and 3 experimental groups (AgNP-1, AgNP-2 and AgNP-3), intraperitoneally (i.p.) receiving 30, 125 and 300 mg/kg of AgNPs, respectively. Twenty-eight days after injection the epididymes and the testes of each rat were dissected in order to evaluate sperm parameters, sperm chromatin integrity and histomorphometric changes in the testicular tissue. Results. The results showed a significant decrease in sperm count (p < 0.0001), vitality (p < 0.05) and morphology changes (p < 0.001) in the group receiving 300 mg/kg of AgNPs compared to the control group. A significant decrease was also observed in the number of spermatogonia, Sertoli and Leydig cells in the AgNP-2 and AgNP-3 groups (p < 0.05). The evaluation of sperm chromatin did not show any significant differences among the experimental groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions. The data showed some dose-dependent adverse effects of AgNPs on sperm and seminiferous tubules. More experimental investigations are necessary to draw better conclusions regarding the safety of nanoparticles (NPs) on the male reproduction system.

The authors studied respiratory symptoms and lung function among welders at welding workshops, and among nonwelders, in Hamadan, Iran. They used a questionnaire to record demographic data, smoking habits, and respiratory symptoms. The authors measured pulmonary functions with subjects standing upright. They collected metal fume samples from the respiratory zone of workers and analyzed the samples by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The concentrations of iron and manganese were higher than threshold limit values. The prevalence of asthma and clinical symptoms was higher in welders than nonwelders. Also, bronchitis was more common among welders (17.45%) than among nonwelders (2.56%). The average respiratory function values of welders were lower than those of nonwelders, with a significant difference between the means (p < 0.001 for all terms). The results of this study also strongly suggest a synergistic relationship between the effects of smoking and welding exposure.

Background Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can accumulate in various organs after oral exposure. The main objective of the current study is to evaluate the renal toxicity induced by AgNPs after repeated oral exposure and to determine the relevant molecular mechanisms. Methods In this study, 40 male Wistar rats were treated with solutions containing 30, 125, 300, and 700 mg/kg of AgNPs. After 28 days of exposure, histopathological changes were assessed using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E), Masson’s trichrome, and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. Apoptosis was quantified by TUNEL and immunohistochemistry of caspase-3, and the level of expression of the mRNAs of growth factors was determined using RT-PCR. Results Histopathologic examination revealed degenerative changes in the glomeruli, loss of tubular architecture, loss of brush border, and interrupted tubular basal laminae. These changes were more noticeable in groups treated with 30 and 125 mg/kg. The collagen intensity increased in the group treated with 30 mg/kg in both the cortex and the medulla. Apoptosis was much more evident in middle-dose groups (i.e., 125 and 300 mg/kg). The results of RT-PCR indicated that Bcl-2 and Bax mRNAs upregulated in the treated groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, the data related to EGF, TNF-α, and TGF-β1 revealed that AgNPs induced significant changes in gene expression in the groups treated with 30 and 700 mg/kg compared to the control group. Conclusion Our observations showed that AgNPs played a critical role in in vivo renal toxicity.

Farmers in developing countries use harmful pesticides while taking few or no protective measures. There is limited evidence on factors affecting their safety measures. The objective of this study was to identify the underlying factors influencing farmers’ protective behaviors (PBs) and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the exposure to pesticides. From April to August 2017, a descriptive study was conducted in Twiserkan County in western Iran among 474 farmers from 104 villages. A questionnaire was developed to measure demographic characteristics and factors suggested in integrated agent-centered (IAC) framework. The questionnaire was validated in terms of content validity through expert reviews and tested for reliability in a group of farmers. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews with farmers. Physiological arousal (β = .154, p < .05), intention (β = .345, p < .05), habit (β = .188, p < .05), and contextual factors (β = .101, p < .05) had a significant and positive impact on farmers engaging in pesticide PBs. Among the assessed factors, only physiological arousal (β = .122, p < .05) and habit (β = .646, p < .05) were found to have a significant and positive effect on the use of PPE, but the intention (β = –.039, p > .05) and contextual factors (β = –.009, p > .05) had no significant relation with the use of PPE. The results of this study identified determinants of farmers’ safety measures. Our results suggest that the IAC framework could serve as a guide to developing a more effective intervention for safety measures of Iranian farmers.

Background: Pesticides have critical effects on human health. Because of the high amount of pesticides used, individual exposure is almost inevitable. According to the above-mentioned issues, few studies have been done in this area in Iran. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of pesticides use among farmers in Kabudrahang County, Hamadan Province, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Kabudrahang County. Data were collected from 262 farmer's sprayer, during April to July 2016. Data were collected, using convenience sampling through interviews with the farmers who had spryer during period spraying. Data collection instrument was a questionnaire that included three sections. Content validity ratio and content validity index indicators were used to measure the validity of questionnaire used from. Data were recorded in SPSS version 21.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois) and were analyzed using frequency analysis and Pearson correlation test. Results: Burning eyes and dizziness were the greater symptoms of poisoning with pesticides. Overall, most of them did not have proper knowledge. Many farmers had proper attitudes toward the use of personal protective equipment. However, 37.4% of them reported that the use of personal protective equipment is not easy. The farmers' practice toward the use of the personal protective equipment correlated with their knowledge and attitude ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: It is proposed that educational sets consisted of acquaintance with poisons and their applications, storage, and carrying the pesticides, the methods for effective of different individual protection facilities, and utilizing the behavior to reduce the exposure to poisons should be developed and be available to farmers.

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