Polydopamine Nanoparticles Protect Against Nicotine-Induced Male Reproductive Toxicity: An In Vitro Study
Keywords:
Polydopamine nanoparticles, nicotine, male reproductive toxicity, oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species, sperm quality, nanomedicineAbstract
Background: Male infertility affects 45–50% of infertile couples worldwide. Nicotine, the primary toxic alkaloid in tobacco, causes male reproductive toxicity by inducing excessive reactive oxygen species generation, oxidative damage to spermatozoa, and disruption of spermatogenesis. Polydopamine nanoparticles, melanin-mimicking nanomaterials derived from the self-polymerization of dopamine, possess potent antioxidant and ROS-scavenging properties.
Objectives: This study aimed to synthesize and characterize polydopamine nanoparticles and evaluate their protective effects against nicotine-induced sperm cell toxicity in vitro.
Methods: Bare polydopamine nanoparticles were synthesized via a modified Stöber method and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and UV-visible spectroscopy. Sperm cells isolated from the cauda epididymis of Swiss albino mice were treated with nicotine and co-incubated with polydopamine nanoparticles (3–100 µM) for 4 hours. Sperm cytotoxicity, head morphology, nuclear maturity, chromatin condensation, acrosomal integrity, DNA fragmentation, and intracellular oxidative stress were assessed.
Results: Polydopamine nanoparticles were spherical, smooth, and uniform (~280 nm; PDI: 0.339). Nicotine significantly increased sperm toxicity and all oxidative damage parameters (p < 0.0001 vs. normal control). Co-treatment with polydopamine nanoparticles (3–100 µM) significantly restored sperm viability and reversed all nicotine-induced toxicological endpoints in a concentration-dependent manner (p < 0.001 vs. disease control).
Conclusions: Polydopamine nanoparticles effectively mitigate nicotine-induced oxidative damage to sperm cells in vitro, supporting their potential as a therapeutic nanomaterial for drug-induced male reproductive toxicity
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