Morphological Changes in Bombyx mori Silk Gland and Gut, in Association with the Feeding of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

The Bombyx mori silkworm is very important econom-
ically and is a model for several studies. The larval life of silkworms is
divided into five instars. The 5th instar is the longest, where the larvae
show maximum food consumption and growth. The silk is produced
in a paired gland composed of glandular epithelium and a lumen.
Food digestion occurs in the midgut, represented by a folded
columnar monolayered epithelium, which includes goblet cells and
stem cells in a basal lamina. We aimed to investigate the influence
of concentrations of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) in food on
the silk gland and midgut morphology.