Accumulation of Iron Oxide Nanoparticle and Conventional Iron Oxide in Rat Ovary and Oxidative Stress Caused by It

[Background]Iron is one of the most essential elements of life that plays a major role in structure of the most cells of body and is potentially toxic and dangerous, because it easily participates in oxidation-reduction reactions and produces reactive oxygen species, which leads to oxidative stress; nanomaterials such as iron nanoparticles found in environmental pollution and can also be dangerous.[Objectives]The current study aimed at evaluating and comparing the effects of accumulation of conventional iron oxide and iron oxide nanoparticles in rat ovary and its relationship with serum oxidative stress.[Methods]The current experimental study was conducted on 5 groups of female rats, control, iron oxide (15 mg/kg), and iron oxide nanoparticles (5, 15, and 45 mg/kg). All rats were treated intraperitoneally for 16 days. Then, they were euthanized and their ovarian tissue was removed, and iron accumulation in the ovaries was measured by atomic absorption. Malondialdehyde (MDA), carbonyl protein, thiol protein, and total antioxidant activity were also measured in rats serum samples.[Results]According to the current study findings, iron accumulation increased significantly (P = 0.046) in the group that received conventional iron oxide, as compared with the control group. Also, the mean of total antioxidant activity (4.4 ± 294.31 µM/L) and thiol protein (3.3 ± 381.09 µm/mL) showed a significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences in group that received conventional iron oxide, compared with the other groups, MDA and protein carbonyl had no significant (P ≥ 0.05) difference.[Conclusions]According to the findings, conventional iron oxide particle induced more accumulation and more oxidative stress than nanoparticles.