1Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia
2Zoology and Entomology Department Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
3Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Food and Agriculture Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
4Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Home Economics, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
Cadmium (Cd) is a frequent environmental toxin that causes harm to humans, animals and plants. In the current Study, the therapeutic effects of Prodigiosin conjugated silver nanoparticles (PG-AgNP2) (a red pigment generated by Serratia marcescens strain) on cadmium chloride (CdCl2)-induced testicular toxicity in rats was assessed.
CdCl2 (6.5 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) into male albino rats followed by an i.p. injection of PG-AgNP2 (3 mg/kg) for seven days.
As a result of Cd exposure, a considerable decline in the amount of serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmitters in the hypothalamus was observed. In addition, injection with CdCl2 caused an increase in residual Cd levels in the testis and a decrease in serum levels of FSH, LH and testosterone. Testicular tissue suffered from considerable oxidative damage due to CdCl2 exposure. MDA and NO levels were increased by CdCl2 and natural antioxidant proteins were less abundant. In addition, the inflammatory mediators were markedly increased as a result of Cd exposure. Testicular cells exposed to CdCl2 underwent apoptosis, as shown by increased Bax and caspase 3 expression and decreased Bcl2 expression. Our research indicates that PG-AgNP2 may function as a natural remedy to ameliorate harm in the hypothalamic pituitary testicular axis associated with CdCl2 exposure.
Apoptosis, Inflammation, Nanoparticles, Prodigiosin, Testis, Testosterone
