silicon and Abnormalities--Drug-Induced

Silicon crystal 2-5 nm nanoparticles in the form of 1-5-μ granules in water suspension were injected intraperitoneally in a single dose to male F(1)(CBA×C57Bl/6) mice or to outbred albino rats on days 1, 7, and 14 of gestation. Silicon crystal nanoparticles in doses of 5, 25, and 50 mg/kg exhibited no cytogenetic activity in mouse bone marrow cells after 24-h exposure and in doses of 5 and 25 mg/kg after 7 and 14-day exposure. A 24-h exposure to silicon nanoparticles in a dose of 5 mg/kg significantly increased DNA damage (detected by DNA comet assay) in bone marrow cells. In a dose of 50 mg/kg they considerably increased DNA damage in bone marrow and brain cells after exposure of the same duration. Silicon nanoparticles in doses of 5 and 50 mg/kg caused no genotoxic effects in the same cells after 3-h and in a dose of 5 mg/kg after 7-day exposure. Silicon crystal nanoparticles in a dose of 50 mg/kg caused death of 60-80% mice after exposure <24 h. Injected in a dose of 50 mg/kg on days 1, 7, and 14 of gestation, silicon crystal nanoparticles reduced body weight gain in pregnant rats and newborn rats at different stages of the experiment, but had no effect on other parameters of physical development of rat progeny and caused no teratogenic effects.

Topics: Abnormalities, Drug-Induced; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Bone Marrow Cells; DNA Damage; Female; Male; Mice; Mutagenicity Tests; Nanoparticles; Pregnancy; Rats; Reproduction; Silicon

In recent years, it has been demonstrated that oral aluminium (Al) exposure can produce growth retardation, delayed ossification and an increased incidence of foetal abnormalities in rats and mice. On the other hand, it has been also suggested that silicon may have a protective effect in limiting oral Al absorption. The aim of the present study was to assess whether dietary silicon could prevent against Al-induced maternal and developmental toxicity in mice. On gestation days 6-15, Al nitrate nonahydrate (398 mg/kg/day) was given by gavage to three groups of pregnant animals, which also received silicon in drinking water at concentrations of 0, 118 and 236 mg/l on days 7-18 of gestation. Three additional groups of pregnant mice received respectively: 270.6 mg/kg of sodium nitrate (gavage), and silicon in drinking water at 118 and 236 mg/l. Although silicon administration at 236 mg/l significantly reduced the percentage of Al-induced deaths, abortions and early deliveries, neither 118 nor 236 mg/l of silicon produced significant ameliorations on Al-induced foetotoxicity. Under the current experimental conditions dietary silicon was not effective in protecting against Al-induced developmental toxicity.

Topics: Abnormalities, Drug-Induced; Aluminum Compounds; Animals; Body Weight; Bone and Bones; Diet; Eating; Embryonic and Fetal Development; Female; Fetus; Kidney; Liver; Male; Mice; Nitrates; Organ Size; Pregnancy; Reproduction; Sex Ratio; Silicon; Survival Rate

The embryotoxic and teratogenic potential of gamma- glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane ( GPTS ) was evaluated in rats. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were administered 0, 50, 500, or 1,000 mg/kg/day of GPTS by gavage on days 6 through 15 of gestation. No treatment related signs of toxicity, behavioral alterations or mortalities were observed in any of the pregnant animals. There was no evidence of adverse effects in mean maternal body weight, liver weight or food consumption of the treated females. The number of implantation sites, number of live fetuses per litter, the mean litter size, the sex ratio, the fetal body weight or the crown-rump length were not affected by treatment. The incidence of resorptions among the total fetal population was not altered by the administration of GPTS to pregnant rats, indicating that the test material is not embryolethal in rats at the tested dose levels. Few scattered incidences of fetal alterations in the external, soft tissue or skeletal examinations were seen both among treated and untreated litters, however, no single alteration was observed in treated litters at an incidence which was significantly different from the control. In conclusion GPTS was not embryotoxic or teratogenic in rats at dose levels up to 1000 mg/kg/day.

Topics: Abnormalities, Drug-Induced; Animals; Body Weight; Bone and Bones; Female; Male; Pregnancy; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Silanes; Silicon