Yttrium Oxide Nanoparticles Moderate the Abnormal Cognitive Behaviors in Male Mice Induced by Silver Nanoparticles

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) have been used in medical, agricultural, and industrial purposes. Furthermore, NPs can cross the blood-brain barrier and encourage some effects on spatial learning and memory in organism. Here, we investigate the possible neurotoxicity of Ag-NPs with special emphasis on the neuroprotective impacts of yttrium-oxide nanoparticles (YO-NPs) in male mice. Male mice ( n = 24 ) were weekly intraperitoneally injected for 35 days as the following; groups I, II, III, and IV received tap water (control), Ag-NPs (40 mg/kg), YO-NPs (40 mg/kg), and Ag-NPs/YO-NPs (40 mg/kg each), respectively. After that, animals were tested in shuttle box, Morris water-maze, and T-maze devices to evaluate the spatial learning and memory competence. Neurotransmitters and oxidative indices in the forebrain were estimated. According to behavioral studies, the male animals from the Ag-NP group presented worse memory than those in the control group. The biochemical changes after Ag-NP exposure were observed through increasing TBARS levels and decline in oxidative biomarkers (SOD, CAT, GST, and GSH) and neurotransmitters (DOP, SER, and AChE) in the forebrain of male mice compared to untreated animals. Interestingly, the animals treated with mixed doses of Ag-NPs and YO-NPs displayed improvements in behavioral tests, oxidative parameters, and neurotransmitters compared to males treated with Ag-NPs alone. In conclusion, the abnormal behavior related to learning and memory in male mice induced by Ag-NPs was significantly alleviated by YO-NPs. Specifically, the coinjection of YO-NPs with Ag-NPs moderates the disruption in neurotransmitters, oxidative indices of mice brains, which reflects on their cognitive behaviors.

The effect of yttrium oxide nanoparticles on memory, inflammatory responses and mitochondrial biogenesis in cholestatic male Wistar rats

“…It has been observed in several studies that yttrium oxide nanoparticles can cross the blood-brain barrier, play their antioxidant roles, and protect cells that are exposed to oxidative stress (Panyala et al, 2019, Kassem et al, 2022. Also, yttrium oxide nanoparticles can reduce the level of ROS, improve the functions of mitochondria, prevent their fragmentation, and ultimately prevent hippocampal neuron apoptosis (Hosseini et al, 2015;Abu-Taweel et al, 2022).…”