Effect of Nanosilica on Haematological Parameters in Wistar Rats

Neha, Batra M and Chauhan RS (2020). Effect of Nanosilica on Haematological Parameters in Wistar Rats. Journal of Immunology Immunopathology, 22(2): 197–206. Thirty-five, six weeks old, Wistar Rats of both sexes were divided randomly in two groups, group I with 20 rats as control group and group II with 15 rats as treatment group. Group I was kept as control whereas group II was orally administered silicon dioxide (silica) nanoparticles of 20 nm diameter in distilled water. The Silica nanoparticles were administered at NOAEL dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight per day and were gavaged once daily for 90 days. Blood was collected by cardiac puncture from 5 rats from each group at 0 (only from group I), 30th, 60th and 90th DPT for haematological studies. Blood for haematological studies, was collected in Ethylene di-amine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) vials. There were non-significant variations in the values of haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), total erythrocyte count (TEC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) in group II rats as compared to group I rats. Moreover, no significant variation was observed in haemoglobin, TEC, MCV, MCHC values within group II rats at different time intervals. While in PCV values, there was a significant variation within group II. MCH values revealed a significant decrease in group II rats at 60th DPT. There was a significant decrease in the total leucocyte count (TLC) at 60th DPT in group II rats as compared to group I rats while at other time intervals the variation was nonsignificant. When these values were compared between various time intervals, no significant variation could be observed within group II rats. Lymphocytes, neutrophil, monocytes, eosinophil and basophil values did not show any significant variation in between group I and group II rats. Moreover, no significant changes for these values were observed within the group II rats at various time intervals. It can be concluded from the present studies that nanosilica have adverse effects on haematological parameters of Wistar rats at NOAEL dose.