The effects of prenatal exposure to silver nanoparticles on the developing brain in neonatal rats

An increasing number of studies indicate that oxidative stress is a mechanism in nanoparticle-mediated neurotoxicity which may lead to apoptosis and cause brain damage. However, there are relatively few studies investigating the developmental neurotoxic effects of nanoparticles. This study was designed to evaluate the potential of silver nanoparticles to induce toxicity on developing brains and determine the possible mechanism. Pregnant Wistar rats were divided into two groups. Animals in the experimental group were treated orally with a silver nanoparticle suspension (25 mg kg(-1) BW) while animals in the control group were treated with deionized water. The off spring were sacrificed and their brains were collected. Silver accumulation, the amounts of malondialdehyde and glutathione, glutathione peroxidase activity, and the amounts of caspase 8 and 9 in the brains of offspring were determined using ICP-MS analysis, spectrophotometric assay, and ELISA, respectively. The results showed that maternal exposure to silver nanoparticles can in duce oxidative stress and apoptosis in brains of their offspring. These findings indicate that silver nanoparticles act as a developmental toxicant and application of this particle during pregnancy may affect fetus embryogenesis.