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