<p>La₂O₃ Nanoparticles Induce Reproductive Toxicity Mediated by the Nrf-2/ARE Signaling Pathway in Kunming Mice</p>

Abstract

Purpose: Lanthanum oxide (La 2 O 3 ) nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely used in catalytic and photoelectric applications, but the reproductive toxicity is still unclear. This study evaluated the reproductive toxicity of two different-sized La 2 O 3 particles in the testes. Materials and Methods: Fifty Kunming mice were randomly divided into five groups. Mice were treated with La 2 O 3 NPs by repeated intragastric administration for 90 days (control, nano-sized with 5, 10, 50 mg/kg BW and micro-sized with 50 mg/kg BW). Mice in the control group were treated with de-ionised water without La 2 O 3 NPs. Sperm parameters, testicular histopathology, TEM assessment, hormone assay and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) pathway were performed and evaluated. Results: The body weight of mice treated with La 2 O 3 NPs or not had no difference; sperm parameters and histological assessment showed that La 2 O 3 NPs could induce reproductive toxicity in the testicle. Serum testosterone and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in the NH (nanosized with 50 mg/kg BW) group were markedly decreased relative to control group, and an increase of luteinizing hormone (LH) in NH group was detected . Additionally, transmission electron microscopy revealed that the ultrastructural abnormalities induced by La 2 O 3 NPs were more severe than La 2 O 3 MPs in the testes. Furthermore, La 2 O 3 NPs treatment inhibited the translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) from the cytoplasm into the nucleus as well as the expression of downstream genes NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase1 (NQO1), hemeoxygenase 1 (HO-1) and (glutathione peroxidase) GSH-Px, thus abrogating Nrf-2-mediated defense mechanisms against oxidative stress. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrated that La 2 O 3 NPs improved the spermatogenesis defects in mice. La 2 O 3 NPs inhibited Nrf-2/ARE signaling pathway that resulted in apoptosis in the mice testes.

Pseudoephedrine Nanoparticles Alleviate Adriamycin-Induced Reproductive Toxicity Through the GnRhR Signaling Pathway

“…Weight is a key indicator to evaluate the side-effects of drugs. 21 , 37 In vivo studies showed that PSE-NPs had no effect on the bodyweight of mice in the present study. Adriamycin could reduce sperm motility significantly and increase the number of dead sperm in mice.…”

“…Gene expression levels were calculated as a ratio to the expression of the reference gene, and data were analyzed using the 2 −ΔΔCt method. 21 …”

Study of the mechanism of mitochondrial division and mitochondrial autophagy in the male reproductive toxicity induced by nickel nanoparticles

“…Sex hormones are regulated by the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonad (HPG) axis 40 and play a key role in the regulation of the development of the reproductive system and related activities. 41,42 The hypothalamus synthesizes and secretes the gonadotropin-releasing hormone that acts on the pituitary and stimulates the anterior pituitary to release gonadotropins (LH and FSH). FSH regulates sperm production by stimulating the production of Sertoli cytokines, and LH participates in maintaining sperm production through paracrine action, consequently stimulating Leydig cells to produce the androgen testosterone (T) that is extremely important for the development of the male phenotype.…”

Advances in endocrine toxicity of nanomaterials and mechanism in hormone secretion disorders

“…In addition to those metal‐based NPs mentioned above, other metals and metal oxide nanomaterials could also cause endocrine disorders in aquatic organisms and rat/mouse including Mn 3 O 4 NPs (Zhang et al, 2020), La 2 O 3 NPs (Yuan et al, 2020), CeO 2 NPs (Adebayo et al, 2018; Nedder et al, 2020), Fe 2 O 3 NPs (Sundarraj et al, 2017), Au NPs (Teles et al, 2017) and Au NRs (Jiang et al, 2017), palladium NPs (Leso et al, 2019), Mo NPs (Asadi et al, 2017), CoFe 2 O 4 NPs (Ahmad et al, 2016), and SeNPs ( Table 1). It is worth noting that Se NPs increased serum T at supranutritional level (0.2, 0.4, 0.8 mg/kg) and decreased serum T higher than 4.0 mg Se/kg bw (Liu, He, et al, 2017), which was consistent with the results of another study, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mg/kg nanoselenium treatment can significantly restore the decrease of serum testosterone levels in nickel‐treated rats (Gan et al, 2019), proving that Se NPs has a stimulating effect to T level at low dose.…”

“…Cuo NPs did not cause any changes in thyroid hormone levels in fresh water fish under experimental conditions(Canli et al, 2018). Muoth2.1.5 | Other metals and metal oxide nanomaterialsIn addition to those metal-based NPs mentioned above, other metals and metal oxide nanomaterials could also cause endocrine disorders in aquatic organisms and rat/mouse including Mn 3 O 4 NPs(Zhang et al, 2020), La 2 O 3 NPs(Yuan et al, 2020), CeO 2 NPs(Adebayo et al, 2018;…”