Journal of Advanced Biomedical Sciences

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Background & Objective: Zinc is an essential trace element which plays a key role in the growth and the development of the embryo during pregnancy. This study was designed to investigate the cytotoxic effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles on embryonic development and to assess the weight of body, kidney, and liver in Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mice.

  Materials & Methods: 25 female of NMRI mice weighting 30±3.0 gram were randomly divided into five groups (five in each group, four experimental groups and one control group). Mice in experimental groups one, two, three, and four received intraperitoneal ZnO nanoparticle with the concentrations of 50,100,150, and 200 mg / kg, respectively during 15 days (every other day). At the end, the weight of the body, the kidney, and the liver of the pregnant mice and the embryos were measured. In addition, histopathological evaluations were performed on embryos. The data were analyzed by SAS software in P≤0.05.  

Results: Based on the macroscopic observations, the embryo and the kidney weights decreased and increased, respectively with increasing different concentrations of nanoparticle compared with controls (P≤0.05). Our data showed that at different concentrations of nanoparticles, the distance, the size, and the number of vertebral bodies increased compared to the control group. At the concentration of 150 mg/kg, an accumulation of mesenchymal cells for cartilage were observed and it seems that high dose of nanoparticles prevents embryo growth.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that ZnO nanoparticles cause embryonic developmental delay, undifferentiated and disorganized vertebral bodies in NMRI mice.

  

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Background & Objective: Nowadays, the beneficial effects of nanomaterials are accepted in medicine and industry. Considering the increasing use of nanoparticles and their possible toxicity, the effect of nanoparticles on oxidative stress markers was investigated in this study.
Material & Methods: In this experimental- interventional study, 32 Balb mice were divided into 4 groups of 8. The control group received saline, and other three groups received gold, silver, and zinc oxide nanoparticles at a concentration of 100 PPM with IP injection during 28 days. After anesthesia, the tissues of liver, heart and lung were removed, and the activity level of oxidative stress markers was evaluated.
Results: MDA level was significantly increased in zinc oxide treatment group in all three tissues and in gold treatment group in liver tissue. This factor showed a significant decrease in silver nanoparticle treatment in these tissues. The activity of catalase and glutathione peroxidase enzymes in the treatment of silver nanoparticle showed a significant increase. While in the treatment group with zinc oxide and gold nanoparticles, the activity of these enzymes decreased, this decrease was significant only in zinc oxide nanoparticle.
Conclusion: It is concluded that the silver nanoparticle acts as a useful nanoparticle by decreasing MDA and oxidative stress and inducing antioxidant enzymes, while the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticle shows its toxicity.
 

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Background & Objective: Postpartum depression appears to be a harmful condition affecting mothers and their babies negatively. Regarding their side effects, the tendency to use antidepressants has especially fallen in nursing mothers. Considering the effect of zinc on mood, this study was conducted to determine the efficacy of zinc oxide nanoparticles on postpartum depression in female mice.
Material & Methods: In this experimental study, the adult female mice of NMARI breed (25-30gr) were divided into six groups respectively (n=8): 1) Control 2) Depressed group 3, 4, 5) Depressed groups treated with a dose of zinc oxide nanoparticles including (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) 6) Depressed groups treated for 8 days with a dose of 5 mg/kg zinc oxide nanoparticles.
First, the studied animals were depressed by intraperitoneal injection of 5mg/kg progesterone for 5 days. The control group received no drug or solvent. The assessment of depression rate on the eighth day after the start of administration of progesterone was conducted by forced swim test.
Results: The zinc oxide nanoparticles at doses 10 mg/kg (P< 0.01) and 20 mg/kg (P< 0.05) and also at 5 mg/kg dose for 8 days (P< 0.01) led to a significant decrease in immobilization time in depressed mice.
Conclusion: Administration of progesterone induces depression, and thus, increases the period of immobilization of mice. The zinc oxide nanoparticles reduced the symptom of postpartum depression in forced swim test. The findings can be used to show the effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles in the reduction of postpartum depression.
 

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Materials & Methods: The Zinc oxide nanoparticles were green-synthesized by the extract of Amaranthus cruentus leaves. Size and morphological characteristics of ZnO NPs determined by DLS tests, FESEM and TEM. To investigate the effect of ZnO nanoparticles on induction apoptosis, cancer cells were seeded in T25 flasks and treated with different concentrations of nanoparticles (15, 30 and 60 μg/ml). After 48 hours, gene expression changes of Bax and Bcl-2 was investigated by Real time PCR technique. SPSS software and one-way ANOVA test were used to analyze the data. At the end, comparison of means did by least significant differences (LSD) method.
Results: The DLS test showed the average size of the synthesized ZnO NPs is about 30 to 38 nm. The results of gene expression by Real time PCR technique showed that ZnO nanoparticles reduced anti-apoptosis gene expression Bcl-2 and increases pro-apoptotic gene expression in MDA cell line.
Conclusion: In general, the results obtained from this study can claim that ZnO nanoparticles have anti-cancer properties and can be introduced after further studies as candidates for cancer treatment in the field of medicine and pharmacy.
 

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