Effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles on dams and embryo–fetal development in rats

Abstract

This study investigated the potential adverse effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO SM20[−] NPs; negatively charged, 20 nm) on pregnant dams and embryo–fetal development after maternal exposure over the period of gestational days 5–19 with Sprague Dawley rats. ZnO SM20(−) NPs were administered to pregnant rats by gavage at 0 mg/kg/day, 100 mg/kg/day, 200 mg/kg/day, and 400 mg/kg/day. All dams were subjected to caesarean section on gestational day 20, and all the fetuses were examined for external, visceral, and skeletal alterations. Toxicity in the dams manifested as significantly decreased body weight at 400 mg/kg/day and decreased liver weight, and increased adrenal glands weight at 200 mg/kg/day and 400 mg/kg/day. However, no treatment-related difference in the number of corpora lutea, the number of implantation sites, the implantation rate (%), resorption, dead fetuses, litter size, fetal deaths, fetal and placental weights, and sex ratio were observed between the groups. Morphological examinations of the fetuses demonstrated no significant difference in the incidences of abnormalities between the groups. No significant difference was found in the Zn content of fetal tissue between the control and high-dose groups. These results showed that a 15-day repeated oral dose of ZnO SM20(−) was minimally maternotoxic at dose of 200 mg/kg/day and 400 mg/kg/day.

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle Caused Plasma Metabolomic Perturbations Correlate with Hepatic Steatosis

“…If the concentration of 100 mg/kg of diet was calculated based on animal body weight (BW), it was calculated to be around 10 mg/kg BW. Therefore, the current concentrations were lower than those used in other studies (100–1000 mg/kg BW) ( Yan et al, 2012 ; Hong et al, 2014a , b ). A total of 420 hens were randomly assigned into the seven treatments, with three replicates per treatment and 20 hens per replicate.…”

“…Moreover, ZnO NPs have been used in prophylactic drugs against bacterial diseases due to their antibacterial activity ( Yan et al, 2012 ). Reports have shown, however, that they can adversely affect organisms such as mice ( Bargheer et al, 2015 ; Yang et al, 2015 ) and rats ( Hong et al, 2014a , b ; Choi et al, 2015 ), and also human cells ( Kim et al, 2013 ; Tuomela et al, 2013 ). In our previous reports, we have described how ZnO NPs disrupted pubertal hen ovarian development ( Liu et al, 2016 ), inhibited chick embryonic development by upsetting the γ-H2AX and NF-κB pathways ( Liu et al, 2017 ), and even disturbed skin stem cells ( Ge et al, 2017 ).…”

Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Development, Zinc Metabolism and Biodistribution of Minerals (Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn) in Mice

“…Oral treatment with nano-ZnOs for 14 days could disturb energy metabolism and cause mitochondria and cell membrane impairment in rat kidney, which may contribute to nano-ZnO induced nephrotoxicity [ 21 ]. Recently, it was reported that the oral doses for the study with 15-days repeated of nano-ZnOs were maternotoxic in the 200 mg/kg/day group, and embryotoxic in the 400 mg/kg/day group [ 22 , 23 ]. Despite of the significant acute effects of nano-ZnOs on mice and rats, the long term effects of nano-ZnOs on the development has not been reported.…”

Toxicological inhalation studies in rats to substantiate grouping of zinc oxide nanoforms

“…Furthermore, ZnO nanoparticles were reported in in vivo studies after intranasal and inhalation exposure to be transported into various brain regions along the olfactory nerve (61,99) and after intraperitoneal exposure causing electrophysiological deficits in the hippocampus affecting spatial learning and memory (100). Other studies could not observe developmental toxicity in prenatal (101,102) and postnatal (103) rats after maternal dietary exposure to ZnO.…”