Histomorphometric evaluation of mice testicular tissue following administration of Methionine loaded zinc oxide nanoparticles

Background: Nanoparticles have widespread use in medicine and related applications. Studies showed that nanoparticles have probable effects on male reproductive system.Objective: The aim of present study was to evaluate the mice testicular tissue following administration of Methionine loaded zinc oxide nanoparticles.Materials and Methods: Animals: Fifty sexually mature male NMRI mice weighed 25–30 g (1.5-2 months old) were randomly divided into 5 groups with 10 animals and housed in cages at 21±2oC in an artificial dark-light (12 hr) cycle. During the study, the animals received water and pellet food (Javaneh Khorasan Co, Iran) ad libitum. Experimental design: Fifty mice randomly divided into 5 different groups of 10 as follows: groups M50 and M100, which received 0.2 ml L-Methionin (Merck, Germany), diluted in distilled water, at dose of 50 and 100 mg.kg-1 daily for 6 wk, respectively. Groups N50 and N100 which received 0.2 ml L-Methionin loaded mesoporous zinc nanoparticles at dose of 50 and 100 mg.kg-1 daily for 42 days, respectively. Finally, group C (control) which received the same volume of normal saline. The supplements were injected intra-peritoneally in all animals, during experiment. Histomorphometrical assays: After necropsy, the testis samples from all the animals of each group were preserved in 10% neutral buffered formalin (Merck, Germany) solution for histological examination at week 6. Formalin-fixed samples were processed by the standard paraffin wax technique, and sections of 5 μm thickness were cut and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and rate of spermatogenesis, meiotic index, diameter of seminiferous tubules, epithelium height of seminiferous tubules, and Johnsen scores determined.Results: Results of the present study showed that there are significant differences between histomorphometrical characteristics of methionine loaded zinc oxide nanoparticles and control and methionine group.Conclusion: It seems that it would be better to replace methionine with methionine loaded zinc oxide nanoparticles to improve testicular tissue safety.

Keywords:

Testis , Histomorphometry , Methionine loaded zinc oxide nanoparticles , Mice