PAKISTAN
VETERINARY
JOURNAL
     
 
previous page   Pak Vet J, 2023, 43(4): 689-694   next page
 
Effects of Oral Administration of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles on Epididymal Semen Quality, Testicular DNA Damage and Histopathology in Male Rats
 
Serdar Aktas*1, Serdal Ogut2, Mehmet Fatih Bozkurt3 and Sanan Raza4
 

1Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aydın, Turkey; 2Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Health Sciences Faculty, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Aydın, Turkey; 3Afyon Kocatepe University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Department of Pathology, Aydın, Turkey; 4Department of Clinical Sciences (Theriogenology Section), University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Jhang Campus, Pakistan
*Corresponding author: saktas@adu.edu.tr

Abstract   

This study aimed to investigate the effects of orally administered Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on reproductive health in rats. A total of 20 rats, aged 2 to 3 months, were divided into two groups. One group (n=10) received a dosage of 250mg/kg bw TiO2 (15 nm particle size) daily for 28 days, while the other group (n=10) received only tap water as a control. At the end of the study, rats were euthanized, epididymal sperm samples were collected and testicular tissues were examined using both hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemical techniques to assess the levels of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α). Oxidative stress levels were measured by Total Antioxidant Status (TAS), Total Oxidant Status (TOS), Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity. The results indicated that the oral administration of TiO2 nanoparticles significantly impaired sperm quality parameters (P<0.01). In the TiO2-treated group, seminiferous tubule diameter and epithelial height were lower compared to control group (P<0.05). Furthermore, the levels of 8-OHdG, indicating DNA damage, and HIF-1α, a marker of tissue hypoxia, were increased in the testicular tissue. Additionally, the levels of oxidants (TOS and MDA) were increased, while antioxidant markers (TAS and GSH-Px) were decreased in TiO2-treated group. In conclusion, oral administration of TiO2 nanoparticles induces DNA damage, adversely affects epididymal semen quality, and elevates oxidant levels in testicular tissue. These results underscore the detrimental effects of TiO2 nanoparticles (<100nm, especially <25nm) on reproductive health and highlight the importance of further investigation into their potential adverse effects in humans.

To Cite This Article: Aktas S, Ogut S, Bozkurt MF and Raza S, 2023. Effects of oral administration of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on epididymal semen quality, testicular DNA damage and histopathology in male rats. Pak Vet J, 43(4): 689-694. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2023.078

 
   
 

ISSN 0253-8318 (Print)
ISSN 2074-7764 (Online)



scopus
 
DOI
 
DOAJ SEAL