Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi, University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
J Assist Reprod Genet. 2013 Sep;30(9):1203-9. doi: 10.1007/s10815-013-0078-y. Epub 2013 Aug 15.
To evaluate the effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles on mouse spermatogenesis.
Thirty two adult male NMRI mice were used. Experimental Groups (ZNP-1-ZNP-3) received one of the following treatments daily for 35 days: 5, 50 and 300 mg/kg zinc oxide nanoparticles respectively. Control group received only distilled water. Epididymal sperm parameters, testicular histopathology, morphometric analysis and spermatogenesis assessments were performed for evaluation of the zinc oxide nanoparticles effects on testis.
Epididymal sperm parameters including sperm number, motility and percentage of abnormality were significantly changed in 50 and 300 mg/kg zinc oxide nanoparticles treated mice (p < 0.01). Histopathological criteria such as epithelial vacuolization, sloughing of germ and detachment were significantly increased in 50 and 300 mg/kg zinc oxide nanoparticles treated mice (p < 0.001). 300 mg/kg zinc oxide nanoparticles induced formation of multinucleated giant cells in the germinal epithelium. 50 and 300 mg/kg zinc oxide nanoparticles also caused a significant decrease in seminiferous tubule diameter, seminiferous epithelium height and maturation arrest (p < 0.001).
Zinc oxide nanoparticles act as testicular toxicant and further studies are needed to establish its mechanism of action upon spermatogenesis.
评估氧化锌纳米颗粒对小鼠精子发生的影响。
将 32 只成年雄性 NMRI 小鼠用于实验。实验组（ZNP-1-ZNP-3）分别接受以下处理中的一种，每天一次，共 35 天：5、50 和 300mg/kg 氧化锌纳米颗粒。对照组仅接受蒸馏水。评估氧化锌纳米颗粒对睾丸的影响，对附睾精子参数、睾丸组织病理学、形态计量分析和精子发生进行检测。
50 和 300mg/kg 氧化锌纳米颗粒处理的小鼠附睾精子参数（精子数量、活力和异常率百分比）显著改变（p<0.01）。上皮细胞空泡化、生殖细胞脱落和脱离等组织病理学标准在 50 和 300mg/kg 氧化锌纳米颗粒处理的小鼠中显著增加（p<0.001）。300mg/kg 氧化锌纳米颗粒诱导生精上皮中形成多核巨细胞。50 和 300mg/kg 氧化锌纳米颗粒还导致曲细精管直径、生精上皮高度和成熟阻滞显著减少（p<0.001）。
氧化锌纳米颗粒可作为睾丸毒物，需要进一步研究以确定其对精子发生的作用机制。
