Ameliorative effect of zinc oxide and silver nanoparticles on antioxidant system in the brain of diabetic rats

ObjectiveTo test the ability of both zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and silver nanoparticles (SNPs) to ameliorate the oxidative stress resulted from diabetes in diabetic rats.MethodsFifty male albino rats were used; ten of them were served as control group and forty, as the experiment group, were injected with streptozotocin at the single intraperitoneal dose of 100 mg/kg. Then, the experiment group was subdivided into, diabetic, diabetic + ZnONPs, diabetic + SNPs and diabetic + insulin groups. The activities and mRNA expression levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase were determined in brain tissues. Malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity, zinc and silver concentrations were estimated in the brain tissues of all rats.ResultsA significant increase in the activities and mRNA expression levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase was shown. Malondialdehyde levels were significantly decreased while there was a significant increase in the zinc, silver concentrations and total antioxidant capacity in brain of ZnONPs and SNPs treated rats, compared with diabetic or diabetic + insulin group and their control group.ConclusionsZnONPs and SNPs can be used to ameliorate the oxidative stress in brain resulted from diabetes mellitus.