title: Ultrastructural hepatocytic alterations induced by silver nanoparticle toxicity.
abstract: Silver nanoparticles (SNPs) are widely used in nanomedicine and consuming products with potential risk to human health. While considerable work was carried out on the molecular, biochemical, and physiological alterations induced by these particles, little is known of the ultrastructural pathological alterations that might be induced by nanosilver materials. The aim of the present work is to investigate the hepatocyte ultrastructural alterations that might be induced by SNP exposure. Male rats were subjected to a daily single dose (2 mg/kg) of SNPs (15-35 nm diameter) for 21 days. Liver biopsies from all rats under study were processed for transmission electron microscopy examination. The following hepatic ultrastructural alterations were demonstrated: mitochondria swelling and crystolysis, endoplasmic reticulum disruption, cytoplasmic vacuolization, lipid droplets accumulation, glycogen depletion, karyopyknosis, apoptosis, sinusoidal dilatation, Kupffer cells activation, and myelin figures formation. The current findings may indicate that SNPs can induce hepatocyte organelles alteration, leading to cellular damage that may affect the function of the liver. These findings might indicate that SNPs potentially trigger heptocyte ultrastructural alterations that may affect the function of the liver with potential risk on human health in relation to numerous applications of these particles. More work is needed to elucidate probable ultrastructural alterations in the vital organs that might result from nanosilver toxicity.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Zoology , College of Science, King Saud University , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mansour
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Almansour
authors.affiliation: b Nanotechnology Department , Laser Zentrum-Hannover , Hannover , Germany.
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sajti
authors.affiliation: c Electron Microscopy Unit , College of Medicine, King Faisal University , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Walid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Melhim
authors.affiliation: d Department of Biological Sciences , College of Science, Jerash University , Jordan.
authors.forename: Bashir M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Jarrar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D015388:Organelles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012834:Silver / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D012834:Silver
keywords: Hepatocytes; liver; nanotoxicity; oxidative stress; silver nanoparticles; ultrastructural alterations