Concerns with Male Infertility Induced by Exposure to Titanium Nanoparticles and the Supporting Impact of Pelargonium graveolens Essential Oil: Morphometric Records in Male-Wistar Rats.

Background : Due to the increased use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 NPs), the risks of their reprotoxic effect arise. This study anticipated examining the potential protective effects of GEO (geranium essential oil) components screened via GC/MS analysis against the reprotoxic impacts of TiO 2 NPs on male rats. Methods : Thirty-two adult male rats were randomly assigned to four groups: control, GEO (75 mg/kg bwt/orally/day/60 days), TiO 2 NPs (100 ppm/rat/IP/day/60 days), and TiO 2 NPs + GEO. After 60 days, hormonal assay, semen appraisal, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes, testis and prostate morphometry, and the steroidogenesis-related genes' mRNA expressions were assessed. Results : The TEM and DLS results demonstrated that synthesized TiO 2 NPs are spherical with minimal aggregations polydispersed and varying in size from 50 to 100 nm. TiO 2 NPs IP injection-induced sperm abnormalities decreased the percent of motile sperms in the sperm count, reduced sex hormone levels, altered the testicular oxidant/antioxidant status and mRNA expression of steroid-related genes, and induced architectural alterations in testicular, epididymal, and prostate gland tissues. GEO significantly rescued the TiO 2 NPs-altered spermiogram, sex hormones, and antioxidant capacity, restored the tissue architectures, and enhanced steroidogenesis-related gene mRNA expression. Conclusions : These findings may significantly contribute to developing combinatorial treatments for infertility associated with various environmental and industrial xenobiotic exposures.