Journal of King Saud University: Science (Aug 2024)
Sulforaphane (4-methylsulfnylbutyl isothiocyanate) mitigates gold nanoparticle induced brain toxicity in male albino rats
Abstract
Objective: Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have shown great promise for a variety of biomedical applications; however, emerging evidence suggests that they exhibit toxic effects on different organs including the brain. Sulforaphane (SFN) is a naturally occurring compound derived from plants, which has been recognized for its impressive antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory characteristics. The neuroprotective potential of SFN was assessed in this study to determine its effectiveness against GNP-induced toxicity in brain tissues. Methods: Male Wistar rats were administered GNPs daily, either alone or in combination with SFN, over a 7-day period. Inflammatory and oxidative stress markers including serotonin and Nrf2 levels were measured in brain tissues. Histological changes were assessed for GNP-mediated tissue damage. Results: Compared with the control, GNP-treated rats exhibited a significant increase in brain inflammatory and oxidative stress (OS) markers including MDA, 8OHdG, and IL-6 and a significant decrease in Glutathione S-transferase, Glutathione reductase, SOD, Total antioxidant capacity, Nrf2, brain parameters (serotonin, dopamine, Gama Amino Butyric Acid) and Brain-derived neurotrophic factor. GNP treatment also resulted in marked histopathological changes in brain tissue. In addition, rats administered with combined GNP and SFN showed a significant reversal in the levels of these biomarkers. SFN also protected brain tissue from GNP-induced histopathological changes. Molecular docking studies confirmed the competitive binding of SFN with GNPs to amino acid receptor proteins, 1MAH and 1KU6, which supports the experimental data. Conclusion: Collectively, our findings indicate the neuroprotective capacity of SFN against GNP-induced brain damage, presumably by blocking OS and inflammation.
