Synergistic ameliorating effect of dithiophenolate chitosan nanoparticle and Solanum nigrum combination against...

Lead (Pb) toxicity is one of the most common causes of human cardiotoxicity. We evaluated the therapeutic role of Solanum nigrum extract (SNE) and dithiophenolate-chitosan nanoparticle (DTP-CSNP) on Pb-induced cardiotoxicity in rats, and the results were compared with the dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA, reference drug). Additionally, the combination effect of SNE and DTP-CSNP against Pb-induced cardiotoxicity was assessed. The study focused on the determination of the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and cardiotherapeutic functions of SNE (375 mg/kg), DTP-CSNP (20 and 40 mg/kg), and their combination (SNE + DTP₄₀). The characterization of SNE and DTP-CSNP was studied. The results showed that SNE contains phenolics, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, and minerals, which may play an important role in its therapeutic effect. SNE, DTP₂₀, and DTP₄₀ exhibited a therapeutic impact against cardiotoxicity by reducing Pb levels, oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death. Moreover, they regulated the abnormal levels of cardiac biomarkers induced by Pb toxicity. DTP-CSNP showed a superior therapeutic effect to DMSA, and the SNE + DTP₄₀ combination displayed a synergistic anti-cardiotoxic effect (combination index < 1). These results were in harmony with heart histopathology. Thus, the combination of both SNE and DTP-CSNP has powerful efficacy in the treatment of cardiotoxicity and can be a good alternative to DMSA.