Abstract
Ni oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) are extensively used in industries dealing with welding, electroplating and in production of alloys but despite of their large scale uses, it is expected that they might have lot more drawbacks than their bulky counter parts. Present investigation was aimed to document the effect of two different doses of NiO NPs on behavior of albino mice in a sex specific manner. Five weeks old albino mice (N = 48) of both sex were intraperitoneally injected with either low dose (20 mg) or high dose (50mg/ ml saline/ Kg body weight) of NiO NPs (average particle size 43 nm) for 14 days. Control groups were treated with saline solution. A series of behavioral tests were conducted in all subjects. Both low and high dose of NiO NPs treated male mice, during rota rod test, spent significantly less time on rotating rod than controls. Male mice treated with both doses of NiO NPs performed more stretch attend reflex than control. Female mice injected with high dose of NiO NPs had significantly reduced mobile and immobile episodes during open field test than mice exposed to low dose and control group. High dose of NiO NPs treated females had reduced line crossing, stretch attend reflex, number of approaches to familiar and novel objects than low dose NiO NPs and saline treated female mice. No change in body weight was observed when this parameter was compared between NiO NPs and saline injected albino mice of both sexes. In conclusion, we are reporting that NiO NPs can affect the muscular activity, object recognition capacity and exploratory behaviour of albino mice. The effects were more pronounced at higher dose and in female mice.