Sex differences in the toxicity of polyethylene glycol-coated gold nanoparticles in mice

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles have received wide interest in disease diagnosis and therapy, but one of the important issues is their toxicological effects in vivo. Sex differences in the toxicity of gold nanoparticles are not clear. In this work, body weight, organ weight, hematology, and biochemistry were used to evaluate sex differences in immune response and liver and kidney damage. Pathology was used to observe the general toxicity of reproductive organs. The immune response was influenced significantly in female mice, with obvious changes in spleen and thymus index. Hematology results showed that male mice treated with 22.5 nm gold nanoparticles received more significant infection and inflammation than female mice. Meanwhile, the biochemistry results showed that 4.4 and 22.5 nm gold nanoparticles caused more significant liver damage in male mice than female mice, while 22.5, 29.3, and 36.1 nm gold nanoparticles caused more significant kidney damage in female mice than male mice. No significant toxicological response was found in the reproductive system for female or male mice. It was found that gold nanoparticles caused more serious liver toxicity and infection in male mice than female mice. These findings indicated that sex differences may be one of the important elements for in vivo toxicity of gold nanoparticles.

Toxicity of Nanoparticles on the Reproductive System in Animal Models: A Review

“…Similarly, iron oxide magnetic NPs (IOMNs) of 10 nm were recently shown to enter the mouse uterus more readily than larger NPs of 20, 30, and 40 nm (Yang et al, 2015 ). Information on whether these or other types of NPs cause toxicity in the uterus is lacking, However one recent study demonstrated sex-differences in the effects of gold NPs on mice livers and kidneys, having no toxicity on the reproductive system induced by 4.4 and 22.5, 29.3, or 36.1 nm particles (4,000 μg/kg), when administered by an intraperitoneal injection to either male or female mice (Chen et al, 2013 ).…”

Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles for Tumor Therapy: Effective Heating versus Possible Toxicity

“…Thus, we can conclude that investigated MNPs do not have toxic effect on reproductive system as well regardless of the animals’ sex. No difference in the effect of nanoparticles on the testis and ovaries of mice was also shown in the study of Chen et al [ 39 ]. Altogether, these data indicate that MNPs, i.p.…”

Biomarkers of susceptibility: State of the art and implications for occupational exposure to engineered nanomaterials

“…In this regard, gender related differences were reported in NP biokinetic profile of Ag-NPs that showed longer half-lives of elimination in female mice (Xue et al, 2012) as well as in Ag and Au-NP organ distribution, with greater metal accumulation in kidneys of female compared to male animals (Kim et al, 2008, 2009; Sung et al, 2009, 2011; Xue et al, 2012). Interestingly, in line with NP accumulation data, obvious kidney damage was evident in females treated with polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated Au-NPs while male animals showed more severe alterations in blood alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels as biomarkers of hepatic function (Chen et al, 2013). However, the exact functional meaning of the gender-related differential accumulations and the causal anatomically or hormonally based mechanisms underlining different health effects are poorly understood and should be investigated to define susceptibility factors which may deserve occupational health attention.…”