Nanoencapsulation of quercetin enhances its dietary efficacy in combating arsenic-induced oxidative damage in liver and brain of rats.
OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of nanocapsulated flavonoidal quercetin (QC) in combating arsenic-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative damage in hepatocytes and brain cells in a rat model.


METHODS
Hepatic and neuronal cell damage in rats was made by a single injection (sc) of sodium arsenite (NaAsO(2), 13 mg/kg b. wt. in 0.5 ml of physiological saline). A single dose of 500 microl of quercetin suspension (QC) (QC 8.98 micromol/kg) or 500 microl of nanocapsulated QC (NPQC) (QC 8.98 micromol/kg) was given orally to rats at 90 min prior to the arsenite injection.


RESULTS
Inorganic arsenic depositions (182+/-15.6 and 110+/-12.8 ng/g protein) were found in hepatic and neuronal mitochondrial membranes. Antioxidant levels in hepatic and neuronal cells were reduced significantly by arsenic. NPQC prevented the arsenite-induced reduction in antioxidant levels in the liver and brain. Arsenic induced a substantial decrease in liver and brain cell membrane microviscosities, and NPQC treatment resulted in a unique protection against the loss. A significant correlation between mitochondrial arsenic and its conjugated diene level was observed both in liver and brain cells for all experimental rats.


CONCLUSIONS
Arsenic-specific antidotes are used against arsenic-induced toxicity. However, the target site is poorly recognized and therefore achieving an active concentration of drug molecules can be a challenge. Thus, our objective was to formulate NPQC and to investigate its therapeutic potential in an oral route against arsenite-induced hepatic and neuronal cell damage in a rat model.
Ghosh
Aparajita
A
Biomembrane Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata-700032, India.
Mandal
Ardhendu K
AK
Sarkar
Sibani
S
Panda
Subhamay
S
Das
Nirmalendu
N
D000818:Animals; D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity*; D018053:Arsenites / Q000633:toxicity*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051336:Mitochondrial Membranes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D053769:Nanocapsules; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011794:Quercetin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017670:Sodium Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*
D018053:Arsenites; D053769:Nanocapsules; D017670:Sodium Compounds; C017947:sodium arsenite; D011794:Quercetin; D005978:Glutathione; D001151:Arsenic