Testicular biodistribution of silica-gold nanoparticles after intramuscular injection in mice

With the continuing development of nanomaterials, the assessment of their potential impact on human health, and especially human reproductive toxicity, is a major issue. The testicular biodistribution of nanoparticles remains poorly studied. This study investigated whether gold-silica nanoparticles could be detected in mouse testes after intramuscular injection, with a particular focus on their ability to cross the blood–testis barrier. To that purpose, well-characterized 70-nm gold core–silica shell nanoparticles were used to ensure sensitive detection using high-resolution techniques. Testes were collected at different time points corresponding to spermatogenesis stages in mice. Transmission electron microscopy and confocal microscopy were used for nanoparticle detection, and nanoparticle quantification was performed by atomic emission spectroscopy. All these techniques showed that no particles were able to reach the testes. Results accorded with the normal histological appearance of testes even at 45 days post sacrifice. High-resolution techniques did not detect 70-nm silica-gold nanoparticles in mouse testes after intramuscular injection. These results are reassuring about the safety of nanoparticles with regard to male human reproduction, especially in the context of nanomedicine.