title: Titanium dioxide nanoparticle-induced testicular damage, spermatogenesis suppression, and gene expression alterations in male mice.
abstract: Although titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) have been demonstrated to accumulate in organs resulting in toxicity, there is currently only limited data regarding male reproductive toxicity by TiO2 NPs. In this study, testicular damage and alterations in gene expression profiles in male mice induced by intragastric administration of 2.5, 5, and 10mg/kg body weight of TiO2 NPs for 90 consecutive days were examined. Our findings showed that TiO2 NPs can cross the blood-testis barrier to reach the testis and accumulate therein, which, in turn, results in testicular lesions, sperm malformations, and alterations in serum sex hormone levels. Furthermore, microarray analysis showed that 70 genes with known functions were up-regulated, while 72 were down-regulated in TiO2 NPs-exposed testes. Of the altered gene expressions, Ly6e, Adam3, Tdrd6, Spata19, Tnp2, and Prm1 are involved in spermatogenesis, whereas Sc4mol, Psmc3ip, Mvd, Srd5a2, Lep, and Cyp2e1 are associated with steroid and hormone metabolism. Hence, the production and application of TiO2 NPs should be carried out cautiously, especially by humans of reproductive age.
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
authors.forename: Guodong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Yuguan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ze
authors.forename: Xiaoyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xuezi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ze
authors.forename: Suxin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gui
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Qingqing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fashui
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Xueguang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D008297:Male; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014025:Titanium / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium