COPPER NANOPARTICLES AFFECTING APOPTOSIS RELATED GENE EXPRESSION AND THE PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF ALPHA-LIPOIC ACID IN ADULT MALE ALBINO RATS: A CHRONIC STUDY

Mohamed, Marwa Issak; Eltokhy, Rabab Abdulmoez; Abdelsalam, Mervat Hamdy; El-Zohairy, Eman Abdelfattah; Rashed, Laila Ahmed; Abdel-raof, Nada Elsayed; Mahrous, Mai Mohamed

doi:10.21608/ejfsat.2024.316786.1348

COPPER NANOPARTICLES AFFECTING APOPTOSIS RELATED GENE EXPRESSION AND THE PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF ALPHA-LIPOIC ACID IN ADULT MALE ALBINO RATS: A CHRONIC STUDY

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

² Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine , Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

³ Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

10.21608/ejfsat.2024.316786.1348

Abstract

Background: Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) attract considerable interest because of their specific chemical and physical characteristics. In nanotoxicology, reactive oxygen species are considered the primary underlying chemical process that sets off subsequent processes that can eventually result in cell damage. The antioxidant and metal/toxin chelating properties of alpha-lipoic acid have been shown to have beneficial effects on a broad range of clinical conditions.
Aim of the study: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of copper nanoparticles on cytoplasmic/mitochondrial apoptosis through apoptosis-related genes and to study the potential protective effect of alpha-lipoic acid against apoptosis induced by copper nanoparticles.
Methods: The toxicity was investigated by evaluating the levels of BCL-2 and BAX genes in the liver and kidney tissues of rats using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis and evaluating hepato-nephrotoxicity and, oxidative stress markers as well.
Results: CuNPs caused increased expression of BAX gene (cytoplasmic/mitochondrial pro-apoptotic gene) and decreased expression of BCL-2 gene (anti-apoptotic gene) in rats receiving CuNPs compared to the control groups. The use of alpha-lipoic acid had a protective effect when given with copper nanoparticles. However, it had no significant effect when given alone compared to the control groups.

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