RENO-PROTECTIVE EFFICACY OF AQUEOUS CINNAMON BURMANNI EXTRACT ON MULTI-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES-INDUCED TOXICITY

Abstract

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are widely used in industrial and biomedical applications. Exposure to these tubes causes inflammation, oxidative stress and/or function disorders in the body tissues and systems. The use of certain natural products that have antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory activities might decrease this toxicity. Thus, the present study aims to assess the four weeks toxicity effect of inhaled MWCNTS on the kidneys of male rats, and the possible protective effect of aqueous extract of Cinnamon Burmanni (C. Burmanni). MWCNTs were synthesized in nano-photonic lab (Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University). Thirty-two male rats (Rattus norvegicus) were divided equally into 4 groups: control group, cinnamon-treated group (daily, orally administrated 75 mg/kg body weight of aqueous C. Burmanni extract for 4 consecutive weeks), MWCNTs-treated group (animals were subjected to wood shaving cage litter containing 1.0 g MWCNTs/kg body weight, twice a week), and cinnamon and MWCNTs-treated group (treated simultaneously with both MWCNTs and aqueous C. Burmanni extract). Estimation of nitrite content, total thiols and reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations, as well as glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities in serum, in addition to the histopathological examination of kidney sections, were carried out. MWCNTs exposure resulted in significant elevation of nitrite content with significant decrease in GSH and total thiols levels and GST activity, and non-significant change in GPx activity in the serum samples. Histopathological studies of MWCNTs inhaled rats showed proteinaceous material accumulation in the lumen of renal tubules, vacuolation and congestion of glomerular tufts and perivascular oedema. Aqueous C. Burmanni extract greatly ameliorated these lesions via a significant decrease in serum nitrite content and significant elevation of serum GSH and total thiols contents as well as GST and GPx activity compared to their respective controls. In conclusion, aqueous C. Burmanni extract showed reno-protective effect against MWCNTs-induced cytoxicity via lowering reactive nitrogen species level and alleviating antioxidant enzymatic and non-enzymatic markers.