TY - JOUR
T1 - Sub-acute intravenous administration of silver nanoparticles in male mice alters Leydig cell function and testosterone levels
AU - Garcia, Thomas X.
AU - Costa, Guilherme M.J.
AU - França, Luiz R.
AU - Hofmann, Marie Claude
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by NIH HD044543 and HD054607 to MCH, NIH T32 ES007326 fellowship to TG, and in part through Cancer Center Support Grant CA16672. We are also grateful to Lou Ann Miller with the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory Central Facilities at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for sample preparation for – and analysis with – TEM; Dr. Cristian Rodriguez-Aguayo at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for assistance in measuring particle size distribution through DLS; Dr. Parmeswaran Diagaradjane at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for his valuable input regarding tissue preparation for ICP-MS; Dr. Yongjun Gao and Minako Righter at the University of Houston Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences for performing ICP-OES and ICP-MS analyses; and Dr. Francis Pau and the Endocrine Technology and Support Core Laboratory at Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Sciences University for analyzing mouse IGF1 for this study. LH, FSH, and testosterone assays performed at University of Virginia Center for Research in Reproduction Ligand Assay and Analysis Core were supported by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Specialized Cooperative Centers Program in Reproduction Research grant U54-HD28934 to the University of Virginia Center for Research in Reproduction Ligand Assay and Analysis Core, which is also supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD/NIH (SCCPIR) Grant U54-HD28934 .
PY - 2014/6
Y1 - 2014/6
N2 - The aim of this study was to determine whether short-term, in vivo exposure to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) could be toxic to male reproduction. Low dose (1. mg/kg/dose) AgNPs were intravenously injected into male CD1 mice over 12 days. Treatment resulted in no changes in body and testis weights, sperm concentration and motility, fertility indices, or follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone serum concentrations; however, serum and intratesticular testosterone concentrations were significantly increased 15 days after initial treatment. Histologic evaluation revealed significant changes in epithelium morphology, germ cell apoptosis, and Leydig cell size. Additionally, gene expression analysis revealed Cyp11a1 and Hsd3b1 mRNA significantly upregulated in treated animals. These data suggest that AgNPs do not impair spermatogonial stem cells in vivo since treatment did not result in significant decreases in testis weight and sperm concentrations. However, AgNPs appear to affect Leydig cell function, yielding increasing testicular and serum testosterone levels.
AB - The aim of this study was to determine whether short-term, in vivo exposure to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) could be toxic to male reproduction. Low dose (1. mg/kg/dose) AgNPs were intravenously injected into male CD1 mice over 12 days. Treatment resulted in no changes in body and testis weights, sperm concentration and motility, fertility indices, or follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone serum concentrations; however, serum and intratesticular testosterone concentrations were significantly increased 15 days after initial treatment. Histologic evaluation revealed significant changes in epithelium morphology, germ cell apoptosis, and Leydig cell size. Additionally, gene expression analysis revealed Cyp11a1 and Hsd3b1 mRNA significantly upregulated in treated animals. These data suggest that AgNPs do not impair spermatogonial stem cells in vivo since treatment did not result in significant decreases in testis weight and sperm concentrations. However, AgNPs appear to affect Leydig cell function, yielding increasing testicular and serum testosterone levels.
KW - Fertility
KW - Reproductive toxicity
KW - Spermatogenesis
KW - Testis
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U2 - 10.1016/j.reprotox.2014.01.006
DO - 10.1016/j.reprotox.2014.01.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 24447867
AN - SCOPUS:84893506553
SN - 0890-6238
VL - 45
SP - 59
EP - 70
JO - Reproductive Toxicology
JF - Reproductive Toxicology
ER -