Effects of Silver Nanoparticles on Proliferation and Apoptosis in Granulosa Cells of Chicken Preovulatory Follicles: An In Vitro Study

Abstract

The continuous development of poultry production related to the growing demand for eggs and chicken meat makes it necessary to use modern technologies. An answer to this demand may be the use of nanotechnology in poultry farming. One of the promising nanomaterials in this field are silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which are used as disinfectants, reducing microbial pollution and the amounts of greenhouse gases released. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of AgNPs on the proliferation and apoptosis process in the granulosa cells of chicken preovulatory follicles. The in vitro culture experiment revealed that both 13 nm and 50 nm AgNPs inhibited the proliferation of the granulosa cells. However, a faster action was observed in 50 nm AgNPs than in 13 nm ones. A size-dependent effect of AgNP was also demonstrated for the caspase-3 activity. AgNPs 13 nm in size increased the caspase-3 activity in granulosa cells, while 50 nm AgNPs did not exert an effect, which may indicate the induction of distinct cell death pathways by AgNPs. In conclusion, our study reveals that AgNPs in vitro inhibit granulosa cell proliferation and stimulate their apoptosis. These results suggest that AgNPs may disrupt the final stage of preovulatory follicle maturation and ovulation.

Cytotoxicity of Metal‐Based Nanoparticles: From Mechanisms and Methods of Evaluation to Pathological Manifestations

“…[ 73 ] In addition, the activity of caspase‐3 correlated positively with the size of Ag NPs. [ 74 ] Caspase‐9 is an initial caspase that recruits and activates caspase‐3, thereby initiating the caspase cascade reaction and inducing the apoptosis of target cells. Several recent reports have shown that apoptosis induced by ZnO NP exposure was closely related to the activation of caspase‐3, caspase‐7, and caspase‐9.…”

Assessing cytotoxicity and endoplasmic reticulum stress in human blood–brain barrier cells due to silver and copper oxide nanoparticles

“…In several studies, Ag-and CuO-NPs were shown to influence proliferation in different cell types (Rodríguez-Razón et al 2018;Shafagh et al 2015). Smaller Ag-NPs were more toxic than larger NPs, in spite of the fact that smaller NPs tended to aggregate during cell uptake, which limited binding to cell membranes (Katarzynska-Banasik et al 2021). In our study, at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h, Ag-NPs, regardless of size, inhibited cell proliferation when compared with untreated cells (Fig.…”