Ultrastructural hepatocytic alterations induced by silver nanoparticle toxicity

ABSTRACT

Silver nanoparticles (SNPs) are widely used in nanomedicine and consuming products with potential risk to human health. While considerable work was carried out on the molecular, biochemical, and physiological alterations induced by these particles, little is known of the ultrastructural pathological alterations that might be induced by nanosilver materials. The aim of the present work is to investigate the hepatocyte ultrastructural alterations that might be induced by SNP exposure. Male rats were subjected to a daily single dose (2 mg/kg) of SNPs (15–35 nm diameter) for 21 days. Liver biopsies from all rats under study were processed for transmission electron microscopy examination. The following hepatic ultrastructural alterations were demonstrated: mitochondria swelling and crystolysis, endoplasmic reticulum disruption, cytoplasmic vacuolization, lipid droplets accumulation, glycogen depletion, karyopyknosis, apoptosis, sinusoidal dilatation, Kupffer cells activation, and myelin figures formation. The current findings may indicate that SNPs can induce hepatocyte organelles alteration, leading to cellular damage that may affect the function of the liver. These findings might indicate that SNPs potentially trigger heptocyte ultrastructural alterations that may affect the function of the liver with potential risk on human health in relation to numerous applications of these particles. More work is needed to elucidate probable ultrastructural alterations in the vital organs that might result from nanosilver toxicity.

KEYWORDS:

• Hepatocytes
• liver
• nanotoxicity
• oxidative stress
• silver nanoparticles
• ultrastructural alterations

Funding

The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for funding this research project (IRG14-06). The authors acknowledge that the nanoparticles used were charity from Dr. Laszlo Sajti and prepared by financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft within the excellence cluster REBRITH (Exc62/1), and from Land Niedersachsen and Volkswagenstiftung within the project of Biofabrication for NIFE.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for funding this research project (IRG14-06). The authors acknowledge that the nanoparticles used were charity from Dr. Laszlo Sajti and prepared by financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft within the excellence cluster REBRITH (Exc62/1), and from Land Niedersachsen and Volkswagenstiftung within the project of Biofabrication for NIFE.