ZnO Nanoparticles Induce Dyslipidemia and Atherosclerotic Lesions Leading to Changes in Vascular Contractility and Cannabinoid Receptors Expression as Well as Increased Blood Pressure

Abstract

ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs) have been shown to have therapeutic potential in some diseases such as diabetes and cancer. However, concentration-dependent adverse effects have also been reported. Studies which evaluate the effects of ZnONPs on the cardiovascular system are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular effects of a low dose of ZnONPs administered chronically in healthy rats. Changes in dyslipidemia biomarkers, blood pressure, aortic wall structure, vascular contractility, and expression of cannabinoid receptors in the aorta wall were evaluated. Healthy rats were divided into two groups: control or treated (one, two, and three months). The treated rats received an oral dose of 10 mg/kg/day. The results showed that treatment with ZnONPs induced dyslipidemia from the first month, increasing atherosclerosis risk, which was confirmed by presence of atherosclerotic alterations revealed by aorta histological analysis. In in vitro assays, ZnONPs modified the aorta contractile activity in response to the activation of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). The expression of CB1 and CB2 was modified as well. Moreover, ZnONPs elicited an increase in blood pressure. In conclusion, long-time oral administration of ZnONPs induce dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis eliciting alterations in aorta contractility, CB1 and CB2 receptors expression, and an increase in blood pressure in healthy rats.

Composite g‐C3N4@ZnO NP electrostatic self‐assembly: enhanced ROS as a key factor for high‐efficiency control of tobacco wildfire disease

“…When stimulated by light, the electrons in the corresponding valence band are able to move freely, thereby enhancing the oxidative decomposition of pathogenic bacteria through active substances with strong oxidation properties. Moreover, ZnO NPs, which benefit from its photocatalytic activity, has shown a feasibility acting as a commercial microbicide in plant disease control 12,23,24 . However, the wide band gap of ZnO NPs limits their responsiveness to only ultraviolet light, resulting in a low utilization rate of sunlight and short‐lived photogenerated charge carriers 25 .…”

“…Moreover, ZnO NPs, which benefit from its photocatalytic activity, has shown a feasibility acting as a commercial microbicide in plant disease control. 12,23,24 However, the wide band gap of ZnO NPs limits their responsiveness to only ultraviolet light, resulting in a low utilization rate of sunlight and short-lived photogenerated charge carriers. 25 In this regard, we suspected that g-C 3 N 4 nanosheet binding of ZnO NPs not only enhances light absorption but also promotes efficient charge separation in photoexcited electron-hole pairs and reveals enhanced photocatalysis, which could promote the antimicrobial activity in agricultural application.…”