Mitigating potential ofGinkgo bilobaextract and melatonin against hepatic and nephrotoxicity induced by Bisphenol A in male rats

Morphological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical study on the ameliorative effect of gallic acid against bisphenol A-induced nephrotoxicity in male albino rats

This study aimed to determine the effect of gallic acid (GA) on ameliorating bisphenol A (BPA) nephrotoxicity in male rat kidneys. Forty rats were assigned randomly into two groups: control (ten animals) and BPA (40 mg/kg bwt) (thirty animals), the second group was divided into three subgroups: BPA alone, BPA + G50 (50 mg/kg bwt), and BPA + G200 (200 mg/kg bwt). The biochemical analysis included measurements of the contents of nitric oxide, lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species, and cytokines (interleukin-1α and interleukin-6) in the kidney. The antioxidant enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase were also measured in the kidney. Kidney function was assessed by determining uric acid, urea, and creatinine levels. The morphological investigations included hematoxylin and eosin staining for assessing the general histology and determining the glomerular and corpuscular areas, the tubular cell degeneration mean area, and the mean leukocyte infiltration area. Also, collagen fiber intensity and polysaccharide content were analyzed. Furthermore, immunohistochemical, morphometric, and ultrastructural studies were carried out. The results revealed morphological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical alterations in the kidney. Most of these changes showed a satisfactory improvement of kidney damage when BPA-administered rats were treated with GA at both doses. In conclusion, GA exhibited a strong protective effect against BPA-induced nephrotoxicity.

Can Antioxidants Reduce the Toxicity of Bisphenol?

BPA is still the subject of extensive research due to its widespread use, despite its significant toxicity resulting not only from its negative impact on the endocrine system but also from disrupting the organism’s oxidative homeostasis. At the molecular level, bisphenol A (BPA) causes an increased production of ROS and hence a change in the redox balance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and modulation of cell signaling pathways. Importantly, these changes accumulate in animals and humans, and BPA toxicity may be aggravated by poor diet, metabolic disorders, and coexisting diseases. Accordingly, approaches using antioxidants to counteract the negative effects of BPA are being considered. The preliminary results that are described in this paper are promising, however, it should be emphasized that further studies are required to determine the optimal dosage and treatment regimen to counteract BPA toxicity. It also seems necessary to have a more holistic approach showing, on the one hand, the influence of BPA on the overall human metabolism and, on the other hand, the influence of antioxidants in doses that are acceptable with the diet on BPA toxicity. This is due in part to the fact that in many cases, the positive effect of antioxidants in in vitro studies is not confirmed by clinical studies. For this reason, further research into the molecular mechanisms of BPA activity is also recommended.

A comparison of hepatotoxicity induced by different lengths of tungsten trioxide nanorods and the protective effects of melatonin in BALB/c mice

Tungsten trioxide nanoparticles (WO₃ NPs) have shown increasing promise in biological and biomedical fields in recent years. However, their possible hazards, especially the adverse effects related to their sizes on human health and environment, are still yet poorly understood. In this study, we compared the hepatotoxicity in mice induced by WO₃ nanorods of two different lengths (125-200 nm and 0.8-2 μm) via intraperitoneal injection, and explored the protective role of melatonin, an antioxidant, against the hepatotoxicity. The results showed that 10 mg/kg/day of shorter WO₃ nanorods could cause obvious hepatic function impairment, histopathological lesions, and significant enhancement in levels of oxidative stress and inflammation in mouse liver. However, similar effects were found only in the 20 mg/kg/day longer WO₃ nanorods-treated mice, and these adverse effects were attenuated by pretreatment with melatonin. These findings indicate that WO₃ nanorods can exert hepatotoxicity in mice in a dose- and length-dependent manner, and that shorter WO₃ nanorods cause more severe hepatotoxicity than their longer counterparts. Melatonin could serve as an effective protective agent against the longer WO₃ nanorods-induced hepatotoxicity by decreasing the oxidative stress level. This study is important for determining the environmental and human health risks of exposure to WO₃ NPs and their size-dependent toxicity, and provides an appealing strategy to avoid the adverse effects. WO₃ nanorods with different lengths can exert hepatotoxicity in mice, in a dose- and length-dependent manner. Short WO₃ nanorods causes more severe hepatic injury than long ones. Melatonin exhibits an effectively protective effects against WO₃ nanorods-induced hepatic injury through reducing the oxidative stress level.

Adult Male Rats Show Resilience to Adolescent Bisphenol A Effects on Hormonal and Behavioral Responses While Co-Exposure With Hop Extracts Supports Synergistic Actions

The adolescence period, marked by sexual and brain maturation, has shown sensitivity to various environmental disruptors. Exposure to the xenoestrogen bisphenol A (BPA) is known to alter physiological and behavioral responses although its role at this critical period remains largely unknown. Recent research further suggests biochemical and genomic effects of BPA to be mitigated by various natural compounds, while effects on behavior have not been examined. This study aimed to characterize (1) the effects of dietary BPA during adolescence on endogenous corticosterone (CORT) secretion, emotional behavior, and testosterone (T) in adulthood, and (2) the impact of combined exposure to BPA with hop extracts (Hop), a phytoestrogen with anxiolytic properties. To do so, four groups of male Wistar rats [postnatal day (PND) 28] were administered corn oil (control), BPA (40 mg/kg), hops (40 mg/kg), or BPA-hops by oral gavage for 21 days (PND 28–48). Blood droplets collected on PND 28, 48, and 71 served to measure CORT and T changes. As adults, rats were tested in the elevated plus maze (EPM), the social interaction test, and the forced swim test. Our findings demonstrated elevated anxiety and a trend toward depressive-like behaviors in BPA- compared to hops-exposed rats. However, BPA intake had no impact on basal CORT levels, or adulthood T secretion and sociability. Of note, BPA's anxiogenic effect manifested through decreased EPM open arm entries was abolished by hops co-supplementation. Together, our observations suggest the adolescence period to be less sensitive to deleterious effects of BPA than what has been reported upon gestational and perinatal exposure.

Oral Supplements of <i>Ginkgo biloba</i> Extract Alleviate Neuroinflammation, Oxidative Impairments and Neurotoxicity in Rotenone-Induced Parkinsonian Rats

BACKGROUND

Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) is known to contain several bioactive compounds and exhibits free radical scavenging activity. Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons and is associated with oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of GbE in a rat model of PD induced by rotenone (ROT; a neurotoxin).

METHODS

Twenty-four male albino rats were randomly divided into four groups of six rats each: normal control, GbE treated, toxin control (ROT treated) and GbE+ROT group.

RESULTS

Oral administration of ROT (2.5 mg/kg b.w.) for 50 days caused an increased generation of lipid peroxidation products and significant depletion of reduced glutathione, total thiol content and activities of enzymatic antioxidants, i.e., superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in the brains of treated rats. Furthermore, ROT caused an elevation in acetylcholinesterase, interleukin-1β, interleukin- 6 and tumor necrosis factor-α and a significant reduction in dopamine in the stratum and substantia nigra. Immunohistochemical results illustrated that ROT treatment reduced the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). GbE treatment (150 mg/kg b.w./day) significantly reduced the elevated oxidative stress markers and proinflammatory cytokines and restored the reduced antioxidant enzyme activities, DA level and TH expression. These results were confirmed by histological observations that clearly indicated a neuroprotective effect of GbE against ROT-induced PD.

CONCLUSION

GbE mitigated ROT-induced PD via the inhibition of free-radical production, scavenging of ROS, and antioxidant enhancement.

Metabolomic perturbation precedes glycolytic dysfunction and procreates hyperglycemia in a rat model due to bisphenol S exposure

Previous studies highlighted bisphenol S (BPS), an industrial chemical responsible for harmful effects comparable to its congener substance bisphenol A (BPA). Accounted for various adversities to biological functions, it could alter the expression of endogenous metabolites in many metabolic processes. The study was aimed to investigate the altered metabolites in hyperglycemic condition triggered by sub-chronic exposure of BPS in serum and urine samples of Wistar rats. Invaded effects of hyperglycemia due to BPS exposure on Wistar rats were investigated by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT). Metabolomic profiling of serum and urinary metabolites was done by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The metabolomics data were represented by one way ANOVA, principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) along with the mapping of perturbed metabolic pathways. The OGTT and ITT showed increased levels of glucose in treated animals with median and high doses, indicating the manifestation of hyperglycemia. The metabolomic profiling of serum and urine revealed BPS could cause consequential metabolomic perturbation mainly of amino acids, sugars, and organic acids. Furthermore, the extrapolation of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) based systematic analysis helped to monitor the altered pathways, including amino acids, glycolysis, pyruvate metabolism, etc., which were provoked due to BPS exposure. The overview of the perturbed metabolite profiling in rats promisingly showed early diagnostic markers of hyperglycemic condition triggered due to the BPS exposure. Findings from this study will be helpful towards the exploration of mechanistic insights of several disturbed pathways.

In vivo protective effects of Ginkgo biloba L. leaf extract against hydrogen peroxide toxicity: cytogenetic and biochemical evaluation

In this study, the protective effects of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract (GbE) against toxicity induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in Swiss albino mice were investigated. Abnormal metaphase number (AMn), mitotic index (MI), micronucleus (MN), and chromosomal abnormalities (CAs) were analyzed for cytogenetic effects. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in liver and kidney organs were investigated as indicators of biochemical toxicity. Six experimental groups were formed as a control and treatment group, each containing six animals. The mice in the control group were given tap water, while the mice in the administration group received two different doses of GbE and H₂O₂ for 45 consecutive days. It was observed that H₂O₂ administration caused a significant decrease in MI compared to the control group and caused a significant decrease in the frequency of AMn, MN, and CAs. Chromatid break was the most common type of CAs induced by H₂O₂, and the other CAs types observed in this study were chromosome break, fragment, dicentric, gap, and ring. It has been determined that GbE treatment decreases the clastogenic effects of H₂O₂ and reduces the MN and CAs frequency and causes a re-increase in mitotic cell numbers. It was determined that H₂O₂ administration caused changes in biochemical parameters and resulted in significant increases in serum AST, ALP, ALT, BUN, and creatinine levels. However, the level of MDA, which is an indicator of oxidative damage, increased, and GSH level decreased in liver and kidney tissues. Oxidative damage caused by H₂O₂ in liver and kidney tissues was improved, and all biochemical parameters tested were found to be ameliorated after GbE treatment. This improvement was dependent on the dose of GbE, and improvement in 150 mg/kg bw GbE was found to be more prominent. As a result, the GbE can be used as an antioxidant nutritional supplement to protect against the toxic effects of environmental agents such as H₂O₂.

Ginkgo biloba mitigates silver nanoparticles-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats via improvement of mitochondrial biogenesis and antioxidant status

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are noble metal nanoparticles, due to their good physicochemical properties, which have been exploited in biological applications. Nanotechnological applications advance very quickly while few literatures assessed the effects of natural products on the risks of nanoparticles in vivo. Thirty male adult rats were enrolled equally into: control, AgNPs (50 mg/kg b.w i.p 3 times/week) and GBE (100 mg/kg b.w daily per os)+AgNPs. After 30 days, the assessment of liver function, antioxidative status, mitochondrial biogenesis, and histopathological analyses were performed. AgNP exposure enhanced the hepatic lipid peroxidation (+ 281.7%) along with a decline in the reduced glutathione (- 58.3%) levels. The apparent hepatic oxidative damage was associated with obvious hepatic dysfunction that was ascertained by alteration of serum liver enzymatic biomarkers, lipid profile, and pathological hepatic lesions. Following AgNP exposure, hepatic silver and calcium contents were increased without changes in the trace element concentrations. Finally, the mRNA transcripts of hepatic PGC-1α, mtTFA, and Nrf2 were downregulated after AgNP exposure. Interestingly, GBE has the ability to alleviate AgNP-induced hepatic damage assessed by augmentation of reduced glutathione level and mitochondrial biogenesis. This study explored the potential protective role of GBE on AgNPs-induced hepatotoxicity via attenuation of oxidative stress, substantial enhancement of cell viability with concomitant mitigating DNA damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Bisphenol A co-exposure effects: a key factor in understanding BPA's complex mechanism and health outcomes

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental endocrine disrupting chemical widely used in the production of consumer products, such as polycarbonate plastics, epoxies, and thermal receipt paper. Human exposure to BPA is ubiquitous due to its high-volume production and use. BPA exposure has been associated with obesity, diabetes, reproductive disorders, and cancer. Yet, the molecular mechanisms or modes of action underlying these disease outcomes are poorly understood due to the pleiotropic effects induced by BPA. A further confounding factor in understanding BPA's impact on human health is that co-exposure of BPA with endogenous and exogenous agents occurs during the course of daily life. Studies investigating BPA exposure effects and their relationship to adverse health outcomes often ignore interactions between BPA and other chemicals present in the environment. This review examines BPA co-exposure studies to highlight potentially unexplored mechanisms of action and their possible associations with the adverse health effects attributed to BPA. Importantly, both adverse and beneficial co-exposure effects are observed between BPA and natural chemicals or environmental stressors in in vitro and in vivo models. These interactions clearly influence cellular responses and impact endpoint measures and need to be considered when evaluating BPA exposures and their health effects.