Histological alterations and apoptosis in rat liver following silver nanoparticle intraorally administration

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are increasingly used in different applications and can potentially cause adverse effects on organs and tissues. This study investigated the effects of AgNPs administration on the liver´s histology in the rats. AgNPs were orally administered to Sprague-Dawley rats at various concentrations (30, 125, 300 and 700 mg/kg body weight/day) for 28consecutive days. At the end of the experiments, liver tissue was taken for histologic evaluation. The obtained results showed a decrease in diameter of hepatocytes in 125 mg/kg (P<0.05) and increase in the Kupffer cells that was more evident in rats exposed to 30 and 125 mg/kg of AgNPs. The histological changes in the liver parenchyma of rats affected by AgNPs included, disruption of hepatic cell cords, polyploidization, hydropic degeneration, presence of inflammation cells, focal lymphocytic infiltration, dilation of sinusoidal space, blood cell aggregation in central vein and sinusoids, binucleated cells, eosinophilic cytoplasm, pyknotic nuclei of hepatocytes. These histological alterations were more evident in rats exposed to 30 and 125 mg/kg of AgNPs. The apoptotic changes were more prominent in 300mg/kg treated group. In 700 mg/kg group, no major changes in the structural component of the liver were observed while occasional foci of inflammatory cell infiltrates were present. Our results suggest that injection of AgNPs could have cytotoxic effects on the structure and apoptosis of livers in rat.

Key words: Silver nanoparticles, Liver, Hydropic degeneration, hepatocytes, Kupffer cells

Colvin VL. Nature biotechnology. 2003;21(10):1166-70.

Rai M, Yadav A, Gade A. Biotechnology advances. 2009;27(1):76-83.

Yin J, Yang Y, Hu Z, Deng B. Journal of Membrane Science. 2013;441:73-82.

Ma S, Lin D. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts. 2013;15(1):145-60.

Jiang HS, Qiu XN, Li GB, Li W, Yin LY. Environmental toxicology and chemistry. 2014;33(6):1398-405.

Panyala NR, Peña-Méndez EM, Havel J. J Appl Biomed. 2008;6(3):117-29.

Stensberg, Matthew Charles, et al. "Toxicological studies on silver nanoparticles: challenges and opportunities in assessment, monitoring and imaging." Nanomedicine, 2011; 6(5): 879-898.

Liu J, Wang Z, Liu FD, Kane AB, Hurt RH. ACS nano. 2012;6(11):9887-99.

Michalopoulos GK. Journal of cellular physiology. 2007;213(2):286-300.

Pourhamzeh M, Mahmoudian ZG, Saidijam M, Asari MJ, Alizadeh Z. The Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on the

Biochemical Parameters of Liver Function in Serum, and the Expression of Caspase-3 in the Liver Tissues of Male

Rats. Avicenna Journal of Medical Biochemistry. 2016(In press).

Li Z-H, Zlabek V, Li P, Grabic R, Velisek J, Machova J, Randak T. Ecotoxicology and environmental safety.

;73(6):1391-6.

Amacher DE, Adler R, Herath A, Townsend RR. Clinical chemistry. 2005;51(10):1796-803.

Niazi JH, Sang B-I, Kim YS, Gu MB. Applied biochemistry and biotechnology. 2011;164(8):1278-91.

Kim YS, Kim JS, Cho HS, Rha DS, Kim JM, Park JD, Choi BS, Lim R, Chang HK, Chung YH. Inhalation toxicology. 2008;20(6):575-83.

El Mahdy MM, Eldin TAS, Aly HS, Mohammed FF, Shaalan MI. Experimental and Toxicologic Pathology. 2015;67(1):21-9.

Abdelhalim MAK, Jarrar BM. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2011;10(1):1.

Gentric G, Desdouets C, Celton-Morizur S. International journal of hepatology. 2012;2012.

Jarrar BM, Taib NT. Saudi journal of biological sciences. 2012;19(2):203-10.

Al Gurabi MA, Ali D, Alkahtani S, Alarifi S. OncoTargets and therapy. 2015;8:295.

Galon J, Pages F, Marincola FM, Angell HK, Thurin M, Lugli A, Zlobec I, Berger A, Bifulco C, Botti G. Journal of translational medicine. 2012;10(1):205.

Grizzi F, Chiriva-Internati M. Medical hypotheses. 2007;69(2):258-61.

Saller R, Meier R, Brignoli R. Drugs. 2001;61(14):2035-63.

Nagy A. Characterization and Interactions of Nanoparticles in Biological Systems: The Ohio State University; 2010.

Aimaretti G, Ambrosio MR, Di Somma C, Gasperi M, Cannavo S, Scaroni C, Fusco A, Del Monte P, De Menis E, Faustini-Fustini M. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2005;90(11):6085-92.

Guidotti J-E, Brégerie O, Robert A, Debey P, Brechot C, Desdouets C. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2003;278(21):19095-101.

Abdelhalim MAK, Jarrar BM. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2011;10(1):1.

Sadauskas E, Wallin H, Stoltenberg M, Vogel U, Doering P, Larsen A, Danscher G. Particle and Fibre

Toxicology. 2007;4(1):1.

Priprem A, Mahakunakorn P, Thomas C, Thomas I. Am J Nanotechnol. 2010;1:78-85.

Agius C, Roberts R. Journal of Fish Diseases. 2003;26(9):499-509.

Sarhan OMM, Hussein RM. International journal of nanomedicine. 2014;9:1505.

Jain TK, Reddy MK, Morales MA, Leslie-Pelecky DL, Labhasetwar V. Molecular pharmaceutics. 2008;5(2):316-27.

Aslan M, Ryan TM, Adler B, Townes TM, Parks DA, Thompson JA, Tousson A, Gladwin MT, Patel RP, Tarpey MM. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2001;98(26):15215-20.

Elmore S. Toxicologic pathology. 2007;35(4):495-516.

Li N, Xia T, Nel AE. Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 2008;44(9):1689-99.

Chandra J, Samali A, Orrenius S. Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 2000;29(3):323-33.

Loeschner K, Hadrup N, Qvortrup K, Larsen A, Gao X, Vogel U, Mortensen A, Lam HR, Larsen EH. Particle and fibre toxicology. 2011;8(1):1.

Choi JE, Kim S, Ahn JH, Youn P, Kang JS, Park K, Yi J, Ryu D-Y. Aquatic Toxicology. 2010;100(2):151-9.