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. 2022 Jun 30;44(7):2923-2938.
doi: 10.3390/cimb44070202.

Hepatoprotective Effect of Silver Nanoparticles at Two Different Particle Sizes: Comparative Study with and without Silymarin

Mahmoud A Elfaky  1   2 , Alaa Sirwi  1 , Sameh H Ismail  3 , Heba H Awad  4 , Sameh S Gad  4
Affiliations

Hepatoprotective Effect of Silver Nanoparticles at Two Different Particle Sizes: Comparative Study with and without Silymarin

Mahmoud A Elfaky et al. Curr Issues Mol Biol. .

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles have been used for numerous therapeutic purposes because of their increased biodegradability and bioavailability, yet their toxicity remains questionable as they are known to interact easily with biological systems because of their small size. This study aimed to investigate and compare the effect of silver nanoparticles' particle size in terms of their potential hazard, as well as their potential protective effect in an LPS-induced hepatotoxicity model. Liver slices were obtained from Sprague Dawley adult male rats, and the thickness of the slices was optimized to 150 μm. Under regulated physiological circumstances, freshly cut liver slices were divided into six different groups; GP1: normal, GP2: LPS (control), GP3: LPS + AgNpL (positive control), GP4: LPS + silymarin (standard treatment), GP5: LPS + AgNpS + silymarin (treatment I), GP6: LPS + AgNpL + silymarin (treatment II). After 24 h of incubation, the plates were gently removed, and the supernatant and tissue homogenate were all collected and then subjected to the following biochemical parameters: Cox2, NO, IL-6, and TNF-α. The LPS elicited marked hepatic tissue injury manifested by elevated cytokines and proinflammatory markers. Both small silver nanoparticles and large silver nanoparticles efficiently attenuated LPS hepatotoxicity, mainly via preserving the cytokines' level and diminishing the inflammatory pathways. In conclusion, large silver nanoparticles exhibited effective hepatoprotective capabilities over small silver nanoparticles.

Keywords: cyclooxygenase enzyme 2; interleukin-6; nitric oxide; silver nanoparticles; silymarin; tumor necrosis factor alpha.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 6
Figure 6
Expression levels of IL-6 among different groups.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Expression levels of NO among different groups.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Expression levels of TNF-α among different groups.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Expression levels of COX-2 among different groups.
Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) XRD pattern of silver nanoparticles and (B) Raman spectra.
Figure 2
Figure 2
AFM image of colloidal silver nanoparticles. (A) 2D-view AFM image of 200 nm × 200 nm size. (B) 3D-view AFM image of 200 nm × 200 nm size. (C) 2D-view AFM image of 100 nm × 100 nm size. (D) 3D-view AFM image of 100 nm × 100 nm size.
Figure 3
Figure 3
TEM image of silver nanoparticles (A) and bulk silver (B).
Figure 4
Figure 4
SEM image of silver nanoparticles.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Zeta potential of silver nanoparticles (A) and DLS of silver nanoparticles (B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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