Abstract
Corannulene (Cor) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PHA) whose molecular structure is three dimensional with a unique bowl-like structure and surface charge. Perylene (Per) is similar to corannulene, with 20π electrons in its fragrance system, but it is a planar structure. Although scientists in various fields have been extensively investigating corannulene, the toxicological evaluation on organisms and its possible mechanisms remain unclear. Our objective is to investigate the toxic effects of corannulene and perylene on ovaries and oocytes. First, corannulene and perylene were wrapped with 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethyleneglycol)] (mPEG-DSPE) to form mPEG-DSPE/corannulene nanoparticles (mP-D/CoNps) and mPEG-DSPE/perylene nanoparticles (mP-D/PeNps), which enhanced their water solubility and biocompatibility. Then, the toxic effects of mP-D/CoNps or mP-D/PeNps on the quality of mouse oocytes and their possible mechanisms were studied in vivo. Our results indicated that mP-D/CoNps or mP-D/PeNps affected the first polar body extrusion of oocytes, increased the number of primordial follicles in the ovary, altered mitochondrial membrane potentials, induced oxidative stress and led to autophagy and apoptosis.