The Toxicity Assessment of Iron Oxide (Fe3O4) Nanoparticles on Physical and Biochemical Quality of Rainbow Trout Spermatozoon

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of different doses (50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/L) of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) at 4 °C for 24 h on the kinematics of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum, 1792) spermatozoon. Firstly, Fe3O4 NPs were prepared at about 30 nm from Iron (III) chloride, Iron (II) chloride, and NH3 via a co-precipitation synthesis technique. Then, the prepared Fe3O4 NPs were characterized by different instrumental techniques for their chemical structure, purity, morphology, surface properties, and thermal behavior. The size, microstructure, and morphology of the prepared Fe3O4 NPs were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). The thermal properties of the Fe3O4 NPs were determined with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) analysis techniques. According to our results, there were statistically significant (p < 0.05) decreases in the velocities of spermatozoon after treatment with 400 mg/L Fe3O4 NPs. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were significant (p < 0.05) decrease after 100 mg/L in after exposure to Fe3O4 NPs in 24 h. As the doses of Fe3O4 NPs increases, the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and total glutathione (tGSH) significantly (p < 0.05) increased at doses of 400 and 800 mg/L.

Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as an Alternative to Antibiotics Additive on Extended Boar Semen

“…This is in agreement with previous reports, that suggest a hypothesis that the time of interaction between semen and NPs can be crucial regarding their potential toxic activity [ 34 , 35 ]. In accordance with this scientific hypothesis, a significant decrease of VCL, VSL and VAP was observed after a prolonged (24 h) incubation of rainbow trout semen with Fe 3 O 4 NPs [ 24 ].…”

“…Despite the potential biological benefits of NPs, nanotoxicity and its impact on cells’ health is a concern [ 14 ]. Previous studies reported that Fe 3 O 4 NPs affect rainbow trout sperm [ 24 ], whilst titanium dioxide TiO 2 NPs negatively affect mouse gene expression of Leydig cells, as well as semen quality parameters [ 25 ]. No studies were found to report the effects of Fe 3 O 4 NPs on boar semen.…”

“…The process of fertilization is a complex of sequencing events, involving the normal movement of the spermatozoa to reach the oviduct, the approach to oocyte, the sperm acrosome reaction, the sperm penetration into the ooplasm, the merging of the gametes, the fusion of the pronuclei and the intermingling of the paternal and maternal chromosomes. Low semen quality, as expressed by variables from semen analysis, is a common cause of subfertility or infertility [ 24 ]. This study provided a protocol for co-incubation of sperm with NPs, regarding both time and concentration, which had no detrimental effect on semen parameters.…”

Application of Gray Level co-Occurrence Matrix Algorithm for Detection of Discrete Structural Changes in Cell Nuclei After Exposure to Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and 6-Hydroxydopamine

“…For example, a recent study done by Huang et al (2019) showed that exposure to γ-Fe2O3 NPs leads to increased embryonic developmental toxicity in larval zebrafish and mice (possibly related to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress), while α-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 have no such effects. On the other hand, a recent study by Özgür et al (2018) also revealed that, in Oncorhynchus mykiss spermatozoon, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles lead to significant changes in oxidative status followed by the increase of the levels of total glutathione and malondialdehyde. The limited number of studies and often conflicting results stress the importance of future research in this field.…”

Fe3O4 Nanoparticles for Complex Targeted Delivery and Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

“…Weissleder et al [18] studied the toxic effect on rats and beagle dogs, revealing that no toxicity was detected in animals that received 3000 mmol Fe/kg overall. Furthermore, various materials, such as silane-based compounds, metals, polymers, and fatty and amino acids, have been used for coating and stabilizing the surface of iron oxide NPs in order to reduce toxicity and increase biocompatibility [19,20,21]. Among other materials, silane-based compounds are most promising since they have high biocompatibility, stability, low toxicity, low cost, and high prospects for functionality [22,23,24,25].…”