Effect of Nano-alumina on Animal Behavioral Changes in vivo

[Objective] To investigate the potential toxicity of aluminum oxide (alumina) nanoparticles in SD rats, focusing on potential neurobehavioral defects and the possible mechanisms. [Methods] Male SD rats were administrated with nano-carbon and nano-alumina with a mean particle size of about 50 nm by intranasal administration. Changes in neurobehavior, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), reactive oxygen species (ROS), cell death rates and expression of cell death related genes were analyzed by the Morris method, flow cytometry, and qRT-PCR, respectively. [Results] These analyses demonstrated that nano-alumina impaired neurobehavioral functions and induced cell necrosis and apoptosis, likely mediated by the reduction in MMP and ROS and the induction of the caspase-3 gene. [Conclusion] The results show a strong pro-cell death effect of nano-alumina on SD rats in vivo, suggesting that nano-alumina may serve as an inducer for neural toxicology.