Zinc-nanoparticles alleviate the ovarian damage induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in pregnant rats and their fetuses

AbstractLipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an endotoxin derived from the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria. LPS exposure during early gestation is associated with adverse effects on the placenta as well as on developmental outcomes, including embryonic resorption, fetal death, congenital teratogenesis, and fetal growth retardation. This work aimed to explore the adverse effects of LPS injected at an early stage of gestation on the gonads of pregnant rats and the ovaries of their pups and the role of zinc nanoparticles (Zn-NPs) against these adverse effects. Twenty-four pregnant rats were used in this study. They were divided at gestation day 4 into four groups (n = 6): control, Zn-NPs (20 mg/kg orally from gestation day E14 till the end of weaning), LPS (50 µg/kg at gestation days E7 and E9), and LPS + Zn-NPs group. The body weight and placenta weight were recorded at gestational day 16. At postnatal day 21 (weaning), the mothers rats and their o ffspring were sacrificed and immediately dissected to remove the ovaries and uteri from the mothers and the ovaries from their offspring for subsequent biochemical, histological, and immunohistochemical investigations. The obtained results revealed that LPS exposure during early gestation caused sev ere histopathological alterations in the placenta, uterus, and ovaries of mothers, as well as in the ovaries of their pups. Also, the uterine and ovarian sections displayed a positive reaction for caspase-3 antibody and a negative r...
Source: Histochemistry and Cell Biology - Category: Biomedical Science Source Type: research