ArticleScientific reports2025
Efficacy of zinc oxide nanoparticles in chemical castration of male Wistar rats.
Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Synergistic amelioration of heat stress-induced testicular damage and impaired fertility by sesame seed oil and α-lipoic acid in male rats.Basic and clinical andrology · 2026Article
- Experimental and molecular docking evidence for the protective role of Monascus purpureus red pigments against hydroxyapatite nanoparticle-induced testicular injury in male rats.Scientific reports · 2026Article
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4 authors.
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Abstract
This study investigated the dose-dependent effects of intratesticular zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on reproductive toxicity in male Wistar rats, evaluating their potential as a chemical castration agent. Fifty rats, weighing 250-300 g and aged 12-14 weeks, were divided into five groups: control, sham (normal saline), and ZnO NPs at 5 mg/mL, 10 mg/mL, and 25 mg/mL. ZnO NPs (< 100 nm) were dissolved in saline and injected into the caudal testis. After 60 days, assessments included testicular oxidative stress markers (total antioxidant capacity [TAC], catalase [CAT], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], superoxide dismutase [SOD], malondialdehyde [MDA], nitric oxide [NO]), epididymal sperm parameters (count, motility, viability, morphology, DNA integrity, plasma membrane functionality), histopathological and morphometric evaluations (Johnsen/Cosentino scores, seminiferous tubule diameter [STsD], Sertoli cell index [SCI], repopulation index [RI], meiotic index [MI], Leydig cell nuclear diameter [LCND], tubular differentiation index [TDI], spermiogenesis index [SPI]), apoptosis-related gene expression (Caspase-3, Caspase-8, Caspase-9, Fas, Bcl-2 via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction [qRT-PCR]), and fertility indices post-mating. Results revealed dose-dependent impairments: reduced sperm concentration, motility, viability, and membrane integrity; increased DNA damage and morphological abnormalities; depleted antioxidants with elevated MDA/NO; severe histopathological changes including tubule atrophy and cell loss; upregulation of pro-apoptotic genes and downregulation of Bcl-2; and reduced fertility with higher implantation losses. While ZnO NPs exhibit beneficial effects, such as antioxidant and antimicrobial properties at low concentrations (typically < 5 mg/mL or 1-50 mg/kg in oral/intraperitoneal studies), they become toxic at higher doses (≥ 10 mg/mL in this intratesticular model), primarily through oxidative stress and apoptosis. These findings, despite species-specific and route-dependent variations, underscore ZnO NPs' detrimental impact on spermatogenesis, emphasizing the need for cautious application to mitigate risks to male fertility.
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