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. 2023 Apr 17;11(4):381.
doi: 10.3390/toxics11040381.

Magnesium Supplementation Alleviates the Toxic Effects of Silica Nanoparticles on the Kidneys, Liver, and Adrenal Glands in Rats

Mohamed Moharram Badawy  1   2 , Mohamed Z Sayed-Ahmed  3   4 , Yosif Almoshari  5 , Saad S Alqahtani  3 , Saeed Alshahrani  6 , Heba Allah Ali Mabrouk  7 , Marwa M Abd-Elsalam  8 , Khalid Alkashif  6 , Sarfaraz Ahmad  3 , Ahmed M El-Sebaey  9 , Mohamed G Hamama  10 , Dalia Alsaied Moustafa Ahmed  1
Affiliations

Magnesium Supplementation Alleviates the Toxic Effects of Silica Nanoparticles on the Kidneys, Liver, and Adrenal Glands in Rats

Mohamed Moharram Badawy et al. Toxics. .

Abstract

Concerns regarding the possible hazards to human health have been raised by the growing usage of silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) in a variety of applications, including industrial, agricultural, and medical applications. This in vivo subchronic study was conducted to assess the following: (1) the toxicity of orally administered SiNPs on the liver, kidneys, and adrenal glands; (2) the relationship between SiNPs exposure and oxidative stress; and (3) the role of magnesium in mitigating these toxic effects. A total of 24 Sprague Dawley male adult rats were divided equally into four groups, as follows: control group, magnesium (Mg) group (50 mg/kg/d), SiNPs group (100 mg/kg/d), and SiNPs+ Mg group. Rats were treated with SiNPs by oral gavage for 90 days. The liver transaminases, serum creatinine, and cortisol levels were evaluated. The tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were measured. Additionally, the weight of the organs and the histopathological changes were examined. Our results demonstrated that SiNPs exposure caused increased weight in the kidneys and adrenal glands. Exposure to SiNPs was also associated with significant alterations in liver transaminases, serum creatinine, cortisol, MDA, and GSH. Additionally, histopathological changes were significantly reported in the liver, kidneys, and adrenal glands of SiNPs-treated rats. Notably, when we compared the control group with the treated groups with SiNPs and Mg, the results revealed that magnesium could mitigate SiNPs-induced biochemical and histopathologic changes, confirming its effective role as an antioxidant that reduced the accumulation of SiNPs in tissues, and that it returns the levels of liver transaminases, serum creatinine, cortisol, MDA, and GSH to almost normal values.

Keywords: adrenal gland; kidney; liver; magnesium; oxidative stress; silica nanoparticles.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representative hydrodynamic size (A) and Zeta potential (B) of the SiNP suspension.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Representative liver sections photomicrographs. (A1,A2) Liver of the control rats. (B1,B2) Rats that received Mg. (C1,C2) Rats exposed to SiNPs showing sinusoidal dilatation (arrowheads). The hepatocytes’ nuclei are of variable size with pyknosis of some nuclei (arrows). Most of the hepatocytes show cytoplasmic vacuolation (tailed arrows). (D1,D2) Rats exposed to SiNPs and received Mg, showing no obvious changes in the hepatocytes and hepatic sinusoids. H&E. (A1,B1,C1,D1) ×20 magnification. (A2,B2,C2,D2) ×40 magnification.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Representative kidney section photomicrographs. (A1,A2) Control rats demonstrating the normal structure of the glomeruli (G), proximal (P), and distal (D) convoluted tubules. (B1,B2) Rata that received Mg. (C1,C2) Rats exposed to SiNPs showing inter-tubular congestion (arrows) with swelling and vacuolation of the endothelial lining of the proximal and distal convoluted tubules (arrow heads). (D1,D2) Rats exposed to SiNPs and that received Mg showing normal cellularity of the glomerulus and renal tubules. H&E. (A1,B1,C1,D1) ×20 magnification. (A2,B2,C2,D2) ×40 magnification.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Representative adrenal gland sections photomicrographs. (A1,A2,A3) Control rats demonstrating the normal structure of the zona glomerulosa (ZG), zona fasciculata (ZF), zona reticularis (ZR), and medulla (M). (B1,B2,B3). Rats that received Mg and showing normal histological architecture and arrangement of cells within the adrenal cortex and medulla. (C1,C2,C3) Rats exposed to SiNPs showing disorganized cell cords interspersed with distended blood sinusoids (arrow heads) and abnormal cortical cells, which show vacuolated cytoplasm (arrows) and pyknotic nuclei (tailed arrows). H&E. (A1,B1,C1,D1) ×20 magnification. (A2,B2,C2,D2) ×40 magnification. (A3,B3,C3,D3) ×100 magnification.
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