The Ameliorative Role of Eugenol against Silver Nanoparticles-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Male Wistar Rats

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) utilization is becoming increasingly popular. The existing investigation evaluates the ameliorative impact of eugenol (Eug) against the toxic influences of AgNPs on rats' liver.

Sixty adult male rats were enrolled equally into control, Eug (100 mg kg^-1 orally), AgNPs-low dose (1 mg kg^-1 i.p), AgNPs-high dose (2 mg kg^-1 i.p), Eug + AgNPs-low dose (100 mg kg^-1 orally + 1 mg kg^-1 i.p), and Eug + AgNPs high dose (100 mg kg^-1 orally + 2 mg kg^-1 i.p). All the groups were treated daily for 30 days, subsequently serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total protein, total albumin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total oxidative capacity (TOC), malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels were measured; hepatic tissues superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels were evaluated; histopathology and histomorphometry were documented in the liver of all groups; and Bcl-2, P53, Caspase-3, and TNF-α reactive proteins were also immunohistochemically detected.

AgNPs significantly triggered oxidative stress in hepatic tissues, characterized by elevated levels of AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, TOC, MDA, TNF-α, and IL-6 correlating with considerable decline in total protein, total albumin, TAC, SOD, CAT, GSH, and GPx. These changes were paralleled with histopathological alterations remarkable by devastation of the ordinary hepatic structure, with decrease in the numbers of normal hepatocytes, elevation in the numbers of necrotic hepatocytes, periportal and centrilobular inflammatory cells, deteriorated Kupffer cells, and dilated/congested central and portal veins. Alongside, a marked diminution in Bcl-2 immunoreactivity and a significant elevation in P53, Caspase-3, and TNF-α immunoreactivities were recorded. Supplementation of AgNPs-treated animals with Eug reversed most of the biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical changes.

This study proposed that Eug has an ameliorative effect against AgNPs-induced hepatotoxicity.