Advance Access publication May 20, 2010 Silver Nanoparticles Disrupt GDNF/Fyn kinase Signaling in Spermatogonial Stem Cells

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) are being utilized in an in-creasing number of fields and are components of antibacterial coatings, antistatic materials, superconductors, and biosensors. A number of reports have now described the toxic effects of silver nanoparticles on somatic cells; however, no study has examined their effects on the germ line at the molecular level. Spermato-genesis is a complex biological process that is particularly sensitive to environmental insults. Many chemicals, including ultrafine particles, have a negative effect on the germ line, either by directly affecting the germ cells or by indirectly acting on the somatic cells of the testis. In the present study, we have assessed the impact of different doses of Ag-NPs, as well as their size and biocompatible coating, on the proliferation of mouse spermatogo-nial stem cells (SSCs), which are at the origin of the germ line in the adult testis. At concentrations ‡ 10 mg/ml, Ag-NPs induce