SUMMARY: Special features of nanoparticles have resulted in their widespread use. Small molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) nanoparticles can translocate from the entry portals into the circulatory and lymphatic systems and ultimately to body tissues and organs depending on their composition and size. In this research, sixty Wistar rats weighting 180-250 g were divided into 6 groups (n=10) randomly: Group 1 (Control) did not receive any medicine. Group 2 (Sham) received intraperitoneal normal saline for 35 days on a daily basis. Groups 3, 4, 5 and 6 received 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg MoO 3 , respectively, the same way in the sham group and at the same interval. At the end of the experiment, the rats were weighted again and anesthetised. Then blood samples were taken from their hearts to determine the serum levels of estrogen, progesterone, and gonadotropins. Their ovaries were removed and ovarian volume, follicular diameter, number of each follicle type, and oocyte volume were determined. Results indicated that MoO 3 nanoparticles strongly reduced body and ovarian weights in the rats. Moreover, a significant decrease was observed in ovarian volume, the number of follicle types, oocyte volume and follicular diameter. The nanoparticles increased the number of atretic follicles via ovarian tissue structure. MoO 3 nanoparticles decreased serum estrogen level and increased serum level of FSH that was associated with disruption in the regulation of progesterone and LH secretion. The findings showed that MoO 3 nanoparticles could bear negative effects on ovarian structure and function.

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Aspartame is one of the synthetic sweeteners widely used in the food industry as a sugar substitute in recent decades. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of different doses of aspartame on histological and histomorphometric changes in the stomach in BALB/C mice. Material & Methods: In this study, 24 BALB/C mice aged three weeks were selected and divided into three experimental groups that received 0.3 ml aspartame solution at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg body weight, and a control group that received drinking water with the same condition up to nine weeks of age. Eventually, some tissue sections were prepared from the stomachs and stained using the hematoxylin-eosin method. After histological evaluation, the necessary images were prepared and the histomorphometric examination was conducted using an optical microscope equipped with Axiovision software. The thickness of mucosa, submucosa, musculature, and depth of pits was measured and the frequency of parietal cells was calculated in the dimensions of 6.25 × 104 μm 2 .(Ethic code: 7506001/6/7) Findings: Histological results indicated destruction and disruption of the mucosal epithelium and gastric pits and atrophy of gastric glands including glandular cells. In the histomorphometric examination of the non-glandular part, only the thickness of the mucosa had a significant difference in the group receiving the highest dose of aspartame compared to the control group (P<0.05). However, in the evaluation of the glandular part, mucosal and muscle thickness in all three experimental groups and the submucosa thickness in the glandular and non-glandular parts in the experimental group (400 mg body weight) showed a significant increase compared to the control group (P<0.05). Moreover, the depth of gastric pits increased significantly and the frequency of parietal cells had a significant decrease in the experimental groups compared to the control group (P<0.05). Discussion & Conclusion:Although aspartame may partially play a protective role by decreasing parietal cells, it should be noted that higher doses of aspartame could induce tissue changes in different layers of the stomach. Therefore, it is recommended to use it with more caution.