Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in industrial and medical applications and humans may be exposed through different routes, increasing the risk of toxicity. We investigated the transcript expression of genes involved in the regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular (HPT) axis and the parameters associated with sperm functionality after prepubertal exposure. AgNPs modulated the transcript expression of genes involved in the control of the HPT axis and spermatogenesis in the groups treated with lower doses, while the functional parameters related to sperm and puberty were affected in the groups administered higher doses. These results suggest that the HPT axis is disrupted by AgNPs during the prepubertal and pubertal periods, which are highly susceptible windows for the endocrine-disrupting chemical activity.

中文翻译：

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暴露于银纳米颗粒后，下丘脑-垂体-睾丸轴和睾丸功能得到调节†

银纳米颗粒（AgNPs）广泛用于工业和医疗应用，人类可能通过不同的途径接触，从而增加了中毒的风险。我们研究了参与下丘脑-垂体-睾丸（HPT）轴调节的基因的转录本表达以及青春期前暴露后与精子功能相关的参数。在低剂量组中，AgNPs调节与HPT轴控制和精子发生有关的基因的转录表达，而在高剂量组中，与精子和青春期有关的功能参数受到影响。这些结果表明，HPT轴在青春期前和青春期受到AgNP的干扰，这是破坏内分泌的化学活性的高度敏感窗口。