Rihane Ben Younes N., Amara S., Mrad I., Omri K., El Ghoul J., El Mir L., El Ghoul J., El Mir L., Jeljeli M., Ben Rhouma K., Abdelmelek H., Sakly M.
Faculty of Sciences, TN
Keywords: elevated plus-maze, emotional behavior, open field, rats, TiO2 nanoparticles
Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) have a wide range of applications in many fields. The effects of TiO2 NPs on the central nervous system are still unclear. The present study, we investigated the effects of sub-acute exposure to TiO2 NPs on emotional behavior in adult Wistar rats. Animals were injected intraperitoneally (ip) with TiO2 NPs (25 mg/kg body weight) every two days for 20 days and then tested in the elevated plus-maze and in an open field. The elevated plus-maze test showed that sub-acute TiO2 NPs treatment increased significantly the anxious index (AI). TiO2 NPs treatment decreased the frequency of entries in the central part of the open field (session 1). Central part entries also became more frequent from day to day with no significant difference between days 1, 2 and 3. The immobility time of TiO2 NPs injected rats increased significantly. However, no significant effect was observed in the number of contacts with objects between treated and control groups. Titanium content assessed in the homogenate brain remained unchanged in the TiO2 NPs treated group. In conclusion, analyses of open-field data confirm the plus maze results indicating that TiO2 NPs could altered the neurobehavioral performance of adult Wistar rats.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 3, Nanotechnology 2013: Bio Sensors, Instruments, Medical, Environment and Energy (Volume 3)
Published: May 12, 2013
Pages: 388 - 391
Industry sectors: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing | Medical & Biotech
Topics: Biomaterials, Cancer Nanotechnology
ISBN: 978-1-4822-0586-2