Silibinin alleviates small intestine damage induced by aerosol inhalation of ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate

Abstract

Industrialization and urbanization produce hazardous particulate matter (PM), including ammonium compounds like (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3, which comprise around 50 % of PM. Despite this, the influence of ammonium on intestinal inflammation remains unclear. We studied an ammonium mixture’s effects on the intestine, finding elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress in exposed mice, causing small intestine morphological changes. Investigating mitigation strategies, we assessed silibinin, an antioxidant from milk thistle seeds. Silibinin treatment in (NH4)2SO4- and NH4NO3-exposed mice significantly reduced inflammatory markers, alleviated oxidative stress, and preserved intestinal tissue integrity via the PI3K/AKT pathway. Our findings elucidate ammonium’s potential impact on intestinal inflammation and highlight silibinin’s therapeutic impact against PM-induced small intestine damage.

Keywords

• Air pollution
• Ammonium
• Colitis
• Silibinin
• Particulate matter