Biochemical and morphological alterations caused by silver nanoparticles in Wistar rats

Abstract

This study evaluated the biochemical effect of the oral administration of silver nanoparticles on some biochemical parameters and tissue morphology. Wistar rats of both sexes with an average weight of 160 ± 5 g were randomly assigned into four groups. Animals in Group 1 served as the control and received 0.5 mL of distilled water (drug vehicle). Those in Groups 2, 3, and 4 were administered with 10, 50, and 100 mg/kg body weight silver nanoparticles, respectively. The animals were sacrificed under slight anesthesia 24 hours after the last treatment. Silver nanoparticle exposure in rats elevated the level of rat serum total cholesterol, triacylglyceride, free glycerol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and bilirubin ( p < 0.05) when compared with the control. The level of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol was depleted by nanoparticle exposure, whereas the atherogenic index rose. The levels of albumin, urea, creatinine, as well as activities of aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase were decreased by the nanoparticles, whereas the total protein and alanine transaminase were inconsistently altered relative to the control. Furthermore, the nanoparticle treatment caused morphological lesions in rat cardiac, renal, and hepatic tissues relative to the control. We show evidence that silver nanoparticle potentiated biochemical changes predisposing to liver injury and cardiovascular disorder in rat.