Salama Basma, Alzahrani Khalid J, Alghamdi Khalid S, Al-Amer Osama, Hassan Khalid E, Elhefny Mohamed A, Albarakati Alaa Jameel A, Alharthi Fahad, Althagafi Hussam A, Al Sberi Hassan, Amin Hatem K, Lokman Maha S, Alsharif Khalaf F, Albrakati Ashraf, Abdel Moneim Ahmed E, Kassab Rami B, Fathalla Ayah S
Biochemistry and Chemistry of Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Department of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia.
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2023 Jun;201(6):2942-2954. doi: 10.1007/s12011-022-03399-w. Epub 2022 Aug 26.
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are the most common nanomaterials in consumer products. Therefore, it has been crucial to control AgNPs toxicological effects to improve their safety and increase the outcome of their applications. This work investigated the possible protective effect of thymoquinone (TQ) against AgNPs-induced hepatic and renal cytotoxicity in rats. Serum markers of liver and kidney functions as well as liver and kidney oxidative stress status, pro-inflammatory cytokines, apoptosis markers, and histopathology were assessed. TQ reversed AgNPs-induced elevation in serum liver and kidney function markers, including aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, urea, and creatinine. Moreover, TQ co-administration with AgNPs alleviates hepatic and renal oxidative insults by decreasing MDA and NO levels with a significant increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione recycling enzymes peroxidase and reductase) compared to AgNPs-treated rats. Besides, TQ upregulated hepatic and renal Nrf2 gene expression in AgNPs-intoxicated rats. Furthermore, TQ co-administration decreased the hepatic and renal pro-inflammatory mediators represented by IL-1β, TNF-α, TGF-β, and NF-κB levels. Besides, TQ co-administration decreased apoptotic protein (Bax) levels and increased the anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2) levels. These findings were confirmed by the histopathological examination of hepatic and renal tissues. Our data affirmed the protective effect of TQ against AgNPs cytotoxicity and proposed a possible mechanism of TQ antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects. Consequently, we could conclude that using TQ might control AgNPs toxicological effects, improve their safety, and increase the outcome of their applications.
银纳米颗粒（AgNPs）是消费产品中最常见的纳米材料。因此，控制AgNPs的毒理学效应对于提高其安全性并增加其应用效果至关重要。本研究调查了百里醌（TQ）对大鼠体内AgNPs诱导的肝和肾细胞毒性的可能保护作用。评估了肝脏和肾脏功能的血清标志物以及肝脏和肾脏的氧化应激状态、促炎细胞因子、凋亡标志物和组织病理学。TQ逆转了AgNPs诱导的血清肝肾功能标志物升高，包括天冬氨酸转氨酶、丙氨酸转氨酶、尿素和肌酐。此外，与AgNPs处理的大鼠相比，TQ与AgNPs共同给药通过降低丙二醛（MDA）和一氧化氮（NO）水平，同时显著提高抗氧化酶（超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶以及谷胱甘肽循环酶过氧化物酶和还原酶）的活性，减轻了肝脏和肾脏的氧化损伤。此外，TQ上调了AgNPs中毒大鼠肝脏和肾脏中核因子E2相关因子2（Nrf2）基因的表达。此外，TQ共同给药降低了以白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β）、肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）、转化生长因子-β（TGF-β）和核因子κB（NF-κB）水平为代表的肝脏和肾脏促炎介质。此外，TQ共同给药降低了凋亡蛋白（Bax）水平并增加了抗凋亡蛋白（Bcl-2）水平。这些发现通过肝脏和肾脏组织的组织病理学检查得到证实。我们的数据证实了TQ对AgNPs细胞毒性的保护作用，并提出了TQ抗氧化、抗炎和抗凋亡作用的可能机制。因此，我们可以得出结论，使用TQ可能控制AgNPs的毒理学效应，提高其安全性，并增加其应用效果。
