Mohamed Amany Abdel-Rahman, Abd-Elhakim Yasmina M, Alsubaie Nawal, Metwally Mohamed M M, Khamis Tarek, El-Far Ali H, Alotaibi Badriyah S, Abuzahrah Samah S, Ibrahim Rowida E
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt.
Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia.
Vet Res Commun. 2025 May 27;49(4):210. doi: 10.1007/s11259-025-10770-4.
The current study evaluated the effects of genistein (GEN) supplementation to alleviate the arsenic (As)-induced hepatotoxicity in Oreochromis niloticus. This was conducted in two steps: a computational prediction study (in silico) and an experimental investigation (in vivo). The prediction step involved molecular docking analysis to assess the interactions between GEN and key stress-related mRNAs in Nile tilapia. In the experimental phase, 160 Nile tilapia fingerlings were randomly assigned to four treatment groups (in four replicates/group) for 60 days: (1) a control group fed a basal diet, (2) a GEN group receiving a GEN-supplemented diet (500 mg/kg), (3) an As group exposed to 10 µg/L As, and (4) an As + GEN group, in which fish was exposed to As and fed the GEN-supplemented diet. The computational assessment of GEN's binding ability revealed strong interactions with key mRNAs associated with inflammation and misfolded protein responses. The in vivo results revealed that GEN significantly alleviated As-induced hepatic oxidative stress and hepatocellular damage by restoring liver enzyme levels, lipid profiles, and bilirubin content and restoring the serum proteins to near-normal values. Additionally, GEN downregulated the expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress- and inflammation-related genes in the liver tissue of the As + GEN group, compared to the As-exposed fish fed on a basal diet. Additionally, the histopathological analysis further confirmed that GEN supplementation mitigated hepatic tissue damage, reducing necrosis, congestion, and inflammatory cell infiltration. In conclusion, GEN supplementation effectively counteracted As-induced hepatotoxicity in Nile tilapia by modulating oxidative stress, ER stress, and inflammation while preserving liver structure and function. Also, the molecular docking results suggest that GEN interacts with the mRNAs of inflammatory and misfolded protein targets, which are increased due to exposure to As-contaminated water. All our findings highlight GEN as a promising natural dietary additive for improving hepatic health in fish inhabiting As-contaminated environments.
本研究评估了补充染料木黄酮(GEN)对减轻尼罗罗非鱼砷(As)诱导的肝毒性的作用。该研究分两个步骤进行:计算预测研究(计算机模拟)和实验研究(体内实验)。预测步骤涉及分子对接分析,以评估GEN与尼罗罗非鱼中关键应激相关mRNA之间的相互作用。在实验阶段,将160尾尼罗罗非鱼幼鱼随机分为四个处理组(每组四个重复),持续60天:(1)喂食基础饲料的对照组;(2)接受添加GEN饲料(500 mg/kg)的GEN组;(3)暴露于10 μg/L As的As组;(4)As + GEN组,即鱼暴露于As并喂食添加GEN的饲料。对GEN结合能力的计算评估显示,它与炎症和错误折叠蛋白反应相关的关键mRNA有强烈相互作用。体内实验结果表明,GEN通过恢复肝酶水平、脂质谱和胆红素含量,并将血清蛋白恢复到接近正常的值,显著减轻了As诱导的肝脏氧化应激和肝细胞损伤。此外,与喂食基础饲料的As暴露鱼相比,GEN下调了As + GEN组肝脏组织中内质网(ER)应激和炎症相关基因的表达。此外,组织病理学分析进一步证实,补充GEN减轻了肝脏组织损伤,减少了坏死、充血和炎性细胞浸润。总之,补充GEN通过调节氧化应激、ER应激和炎症,同时保持肝脏结构和功能,有效抵消了尼罗罗非鱼中As诱导的肝毒性。此外,分子对接结果表明,GEN与炎症和错误折叠蛋白靶点的mRNA相互作用,这些靶点因暴露于受As污染的水中而增加。我们所有的研究结果都突出了GEN作为一种有前景的天然膳食添加剂,可改善生活在受As污染环境中的鱼类的肝脏健康。