Argovit™ Silver Nanoparticles Mitigate Sodium Arsenite-Induced Cytogenotoxicity Effects in Cultured Human Lymphocytes

Exposure to arsenic, a known environmental and occupational genotoxicant, poses significant health risks. Identifying agents capable of mitigating its effects is crucial for public health. This study evaluates the protective potential of Argovit™ silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against cytotoxic and genotoxic damage induced by sodium arsenite in ex vivo cultured human lymphocytes obtained from the whole blood of healthy donors. Lymphocytes were exposed to sodium arsenite (3.7 × 10^-3 µg/mL) and Argovit™ AgNPs (3.6 × 10^-3 µg/mL). The cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay was performed using a modified 144 h protocol to assess delayed effects across two cell cycles. Four groups were analyzed: untreated control, sodium arsenite only, AgNPs only, and sodium arsenite followed by AgNPs. Arsenite exposure increased cytotoxic and genotoxic biomarkers. In contrast, post-treatment with AgNPs significantly reduced these effects. All treatments were performed in duplicate, and data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn's post hoc comparison (p < 0.05). Statistical analysis confirmed the antigenotoxic and cytoprotective properties of Argovit™. These findings support its potential application as a mitigating agent in scenarios of environmental or occupational exposure to genotoxic compounds.