The Effect of Nanoparticles in Rats During Critical Periods of Pregnancy

Abstract

Background and Objective. Nanotechnology works with substances at a nanometer scale, and it offers many solutions for biomedicine. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been shown as effective agents for imaging, drug delivery, pathogen detection, etc. However, to date, NP toxicity is poorly known. The aim of our study was to investigate the embryotoxicity and teratogenicity of quantum dots (QDs) at the different stages of rat embryogenesis. Materials and Methods. Wistar rats were injected with CdSe/ZnS or CdTe QDs on the 6th, 13th, and 18th days of embryogenesis. Cyclophosphamide was chosen as a positive control of embryotoxicity. On the 21st day, the number of resorptions, weight, length, and external malformations of the embryos were estimated. Fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy analysis were used to determine the accumulation of QDs in the tissues. Results. Exposure to cyclophosphamide during the pregnancy decreased the embryonic weight and length when compared with the control group and produced numerous malformations. The effects depended on the stage of embryogenesis. Meanwhile, QDs did not cause any embryotoxic or teratogenic effects. However, CdTe QDs induced necrosis in the tissues of the peritoneal cavity. The necrotic tissues contained QDs with altered spectroscopic properties. Spectroscopic and microscopic tissue examination revealed that QDs accumulated in the placenta, but no penetration to the embryonic tissues was observed. Conclusions. QDs did not cause any direct embryotoxic or teratogenic effects, but they had adverse effects on the maternal organism. The observed QD effects and the long-term accumulation of QDs in the maternal organism may increase the risk of adverse effects on embryo development.

Acute toxicity of quantum dots on late pregnancy mice: Effects of nanoscale size and surface coating

“…In the previous researches, the results of QDs toxicity evaluations on embryo was usually associated with the efficiency of the placenta as barrier. Zalgeviciene et al saw the presence of CdSe/ZnS QDs in the uterus and placenta, but not in embryonic tissues in animals injected with QDs at 13th day of embryogenesis, and found no direct embryotoxicity or teratogenic effects [30]. In the study of Chu et al, a large amount of Cd was detected in the pups after maternal injection with MPA-coated QDs at late pregnancy, and the Cd content increased with increasing injection dosage [9].…”

Nanoparticles and female reproductive system: how do nanoparticles affect oogenesis and embryonic development

“…However, there is some evidence suggesting that certain NPs cannot pass through the PB. CdTe QDs coated with polyethylene glycol or mercaptopropionic acid, for example, were injected into Wistar rats, and subsequent penetration through the placental barrier was observed [ 94 ]. These QDs were mostly found in the complex cell structure of the placenta [ 94 ].…”

Pharmacokinetic Properties and Safety of Cadmium-Containing Quantum Dots as Drug Delivery Systems

“…There are many studies in this field [109][110][111], but the detailed effects of NPs still pose many questions. A decrease in embryonic weight after QDs injection on the sixth day of embryogenesis (CdSe/ZnS QDs, 9.6%; CdT QDs, 6.2%) has been reported, and no embryotoxic or teratogenic effects were observed at any stage of embryogenesis [112]. Others have shown that NPs (nSP and TiO2s 70 nm and 35 nm in diameter, respectively) can cross the placental barrier in pregnant mice and cause neurotoxicity in their offspring [113].…”