Silica nanoparticles enhance germ cell apoptosis by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Silica nanoparticles (SiO NPs) are widely used in daily life and can enter organisms through several pathways, often causing unpredictable toxicity. Although SiO NPs are known to cause damage to the respiratory system, little is known about their oral toxicity, and their potential harm to the reproductive system is unclear. In this study, we used a Caenorhabditis elegans model to clarify SiO NPs oral toxicity in vivo and explore their effect on the reproductive system. We exposed C. elegans to 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg /mL SiO NPs for 24 hr. Our results showed that SiO NPs exposure for 24 hr did not affect nematode survival rates, but did affect, to varying degrees, the reproduction, development, and movement of nematodes, with nematode fecundity being the most sensitive to SiO NPs toxicity. The NPs exposed group showed enhanced germ cell apoptosis and increased oxidative stress as seen through an increase in ROS and malondialdehyde (MDA), and decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH). N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), an antioxidant, negated SiO NPs effect on germ cells and restored nematodes reproductive ability. We also found that SiO NPs could affect the expression of genes related to metal detoxification, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. The expression of metallothionein coding genes mtl-1 and mtl-2 changed most significantly among the tested genes. We demonstrated that SiO NPs could enhance germ cell apoptosis by inducing oxidative stress, providing a new area for studies of the mechanism of SiO NP toxicity.