Research Article A Stereological Study of the Toxic Effects of Cerium Oxide during Pregnancy on Kidney Tissues in Neonatal NMRI Mice Afsaneh Nemati, 1 Vahideh Assadollahi, 2 Ilaria Peluso , 3 Abolfazl Abbaszadeh, 4 Mandana Beigi-boroujeni, 1 Zahra Khanipur, 1 and Mohammadreza Gholami 5 1 Razi Herbal Medicines Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran 2 Cancer and Immunology Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran 3 Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Center for Food and Nutrition (CREA-AN), Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy 4 Hazrat Fatemeh Hospital, School of Medicine, Burn Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 5 Department of Anatomy, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran Correspondence should be addressed to Mohammadreza Gholami; rezagholami57@gmail.com Received 23 February 2020; Revised 27 April 2020; Accepted 2 June 2020; Published 23 June 2020 Academic Editor: Luciano Saso Copyright © 2020 Afsaneh Nemati et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Background. Both antioxidant and prooxidant activities have been previously reported for cerium oxide (CeO 2 ). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CeO 2 at different doses on changes in kidney tissues and markers in neonatal mice. Methods. We randomly divided 30 pregnant NMRI mice into five groups (n =6 per group)—a control group and four groups treated with intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of different doses of CeO 2 (10, 25, 80, or 250 mg/kg body weight (bw)) on gestation days (GD) 7 and GD14. At the end of the treatment period, we analyzed the kidney tissues and serum samples. The levels of two serum redox markers, malondialdehyde (MDA) and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP), were determined. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test, and a P value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results. The mean total volumes of the renal corpuscle, glomeruli, and Bowman’s capsule membranes significantly increased, and there was a significant decrease in the mean total volume of Bowman’s space in the high-dose CeO 2 group compared to that in the control group. No statistically significant differences existed in the serum levels of MDA and FRAP in the treated and control groups. Conclusion. Our results suggest that high doses of CeO 2 impair fetal renal development in pregnant mice, which results in kidney damage. Therefore, CeO 2 administration during pregnancy could have dose-dependent adverse effects on the developing kidneys in neonates. 1. Introduction Cerium is the most abundant rare-earth metal and most active element in the lanthanide group. Cerium is a soft, duc- tile, and malleable metal with a color that ranges from iron- gray (commercial grade) to silver (pure form). Cerium com- pounds have the highest environmental activity compared to other members of the lanthanide group [1]. Cerium oxide (CeO 2 ) is the most commonly used commercial compound of cerium [2]. Cerium oxide lan- thanides are widely used as catalysts, oxygen sensors, in the manufacture of solar/fuel cells, and polishing agents in various fields [3–6]. The unique properties of CeO 2 , especially its low toxicity and high reducibility, have increased the use of micro- and nanosized CeO 2 in various medical fields and led to significant advances in these fields [1]. The medical applications of CeO 2 are due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial prop- erties and its high angiogenic potential. Cerium oxide is used to assist with the healing of various tissues such as the bones, skin, cardiac, and nerves. Recently, the transfer of drugs and genes by CeO 2 nanoparticles and the use of CeO 2 as treatments for cancer and other diseases has received much attention [7, 8]. Hindawi Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity Volume 2020, Article ID 9132724, 11 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/9132724