Uterine metabolic disorder induced by silica nanoparticles: biodistribution and bioactivity revealed by labeling with FITC

Extensive application of nanomaterials has dramatically increased the risk of silica nanoparticle (SiNP, SiO2) exposure, yet their biological effect on reproduction has not been fully elucidated. By tracking the uterine biodistribution of SiNP in pregnant mice, this study was conducted to evaluate the biological effect of SiNP on reproduction. First, SiNP was conjugated with FITC, and then the FITC-SiNP was administrated to trophoblast (100 mu g/mL, 24 h) in vitro and pregnant mice (0.25 mg/mouse, 2-24 h) in vivo. It was found that the FITC-SiNP was internalized by trophoblast and deposited in the uterus. The internalization of SiNP caused trophoblast dysfunction and apoptosis, while SiNP accumulation in the uterus induced diffuse inflammatory infiltration. The genome-wide alteration of gene expression was studied by high throughput sequencing analysis, where 75 genes were found to be dysregulated after SiNP exposure, among which ACOT2, SCD1, and CPT1A were demonstrated to regulate the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids. Moreover, the suppression of unsaturated fatty acids caused mitochondrial overload of long-chain fatty acyl-CoA (LACoA), which further induced both trophoblast apoptosis and endometrial inflammation. In conclusion, the successful conjugation of FITC onto SiNP facilitated the tracking of SiNP in vitro and in vivo, while exposure to FITC-SiNP induced uterine metabolic disorder, which was regulated by the ACOT/CPT1A/SCD1 axis through the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids signaling pathway.

Automated summary

The extensive application of nanomaterials has increased the risk of silica nanoparticle exposure, and this study focused on evaluating the biological effect of SiNP on reproduction. FITC-SiNP was found to be internalized by trophoblast cells in vitro and in pregnant mice, leading to trophoblast dysfunction and apoptosis, as well as uterine inflammatory infiltration. Dysregulation of 75 genes, including ACOT2, SCD1, and CPT1A, was observed after SiNP exposure, indicating a link to the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids and subsequent metabolic disorder in the uterus.