Document Type : Full research article
Authors
Chemistry Department, Payame Noor University, 19395-4697 Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Recent studies have reported that metal sulfide nanoparticles had potential adverse effects. In this research, lead (II) sulfide nanoparticles have been synthesized under different reaction conditions. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the particle size and morphology. Distribution, accumulation and toxic effects of nanoparticles on rats as a biological model were studied. Lead (II) sulfide nanoparticles (less than 50 nm in diameter) were administered orally in two doses (15 or 60 mg/Kg body weight/day) to Wister rats for 28 consecutive days. Lead concentrations and iron parameters in soft tissues were measured using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The lead levels were highest in the liver, followed in decreasing order by the levels in the spleen, kidney and brain. There were no significant levels of lead in kidney and brain at low dose of administration. Iron concentration was lowest in the group that had the highest lead level, which is probably due to an interference that could take place by lead through iron uptake mechanism.
Keywords
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