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Silver Nanoparticles Enhance Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis in Liver and Kidney Tissues: Potential Protective Role of Thymoquinone

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Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Taif University Researchers Supporting Program (Project number: TURSP-2020/151), Taif University, Saudi Arabia, for supporting this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biochemistry and Chemistry of Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

    Basma Salama

  2. Department of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia

    Khalid J. Alzahrani & Khalaf F. Alsharif

  3. Regional Laboratory, General Administration of Laboratories and Blood Banks, Ministry of Health, Taif, Saudi Arabia

    Khalid S. Alghamdi

  4. Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

    Osama Al-Amer

  5. Genome and Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

    Osama Al-Amer

  6. Pathology Department, College of Medicine, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia

    Khalid E. Hassan

  7. Department of Cancer and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Mohamed A. Elhefny

  8. Department of Medial Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Alqunfudah, Saudi Arabia

    Mohamed A. Elhefny

  9. Surgery Department, College of Medicine, Al-Qunfudah Branch, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

    Alaa Jameel A. Albarakati

  10. Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia

    Fahad Alharthi

  11. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Al-Baha University, Almakhwah, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia

    Hussam A. Althagafi & Rami B. Kassab

  12. Basic Medical Science, Histopathology Department, National Organization for Drug Control and Research, Giza, Egypt

    Hassan Al Sberi

  13. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia

    Hassan Al Sberi

  14. Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Galala University, El-Galala City, Egypt

    Hatem K. Amin

  15. Biology Department, College of Science and Humanities, Prince Sattam Bin Abdul Aziz University, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia

    Maha S. Lokman

  16. Department of Human Anatomy, College of Medicine, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia

    Ashraf Albrakati

  17. Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Helwan, 11795, Egypt

    Ahmed E. Abdel Moneim, Rami B. Kassab & Ayah S. Fathalla

Authors
  1. Basma Salama
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  2. Khalid J. Alzahrani
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  3. Khalid S. Alghamdi
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  4. Osama Al-Amer
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  5. Khalid E. Hassan
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  6. Mohamed A. Elhefny
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  7. Alaa Jameel A. Albarakati
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  9. Hussam A. Althagafi
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  10. Hassan Al Sberi
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  11. Hatem K. Amin
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  15. Ahmed E. Abdel Moneim
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  16. Rami B. Kassab
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  17. Ayah S. Fathalla
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Contributions

Conceptualization and supervision: A.E.A., R.B.K., and A.A.; animal treatments and molecular and biochemical methodologies were performed by B.S., K.J.A., K.S.A., O.A., K.E.H., and M.A.E.; histological methodology and investigation were conducted by F.A., H.A.A., H.A., and A.S.F.; data analysis, software, data curation, and visualization were performed by H.K.A., M.S.L., K.F.A., and A.A.; writing-reviewing and editing manuscript was performed by B.S., A.E.A., and R.B.K. All authors participated in the design and interpretation of the study and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rami B. Kassab.

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The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the institutional animal care and use committee, Faculty of Science, Helwan University (HU/2020/Z/AEN0120-01), following the European Community Directive (86/609/EEC).

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Salama, B., Alzahrani, K.J., Alghamdi, K.S. et al. Silver Nanoparticles Enhance Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis in Liver and Kidney Tissues: Potential Protective Role of Thymoquinone. Biol Trace Elem Res 201, 2942–2954 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-022-03399-w

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