Green silver nanoparticles ameliorate oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by gamma irradiation in rat pancreas

Abstract

Radiation-related toxicity is a major concern for certain tissues and organs in radiation oncology practice. In abdominal tumor radiation treatment, the pancreas is particularly sensitive to radiation and should be considered at risk. The primary causes of acute pancreatitis after exposure to gamma radiation are oxidative damage and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of matcha silver nanoparticles (M-AgNPs) in mitigating oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by gamma radiation in the pancreas of female rats. Rats were exposed to 6 Gy of gamma radiation and subsequently administered an oral treatment with matcha (M) or M-AgNPs (10 ml/kg/day) for 14 days. We examined apoptotic markers such as caspase 3, B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2), and B-cell lymphoma-2-associated protein X (BAX) to evaluate their impact on cell survival. Additionally, the study investigated the modulation of antioxidants, glutathione S-transferases (GST), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The findings indicated that the administration of M-AgNPs for two weeks post-radiation exposure is more efficacious in diminishing lipid peroxidation and suppressing apoptotic indicators compared to conventional M treatments. M-AgNPs significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the elevation of MDA and demonstrated a considerable (p < 0.05) increase in GST. Moreover, it exhibited a markedly elevated level (p < 0.05) of BCL-2 and a significantly decreased level of Bax and caspase-3 (p < 0.05) in comparison to irradiated rats. The results of the histopathological investigations showed a notable enhancement in the histological characteristics of pancreatic tissue. In conclusion, the finding indicated that the AgNPs synthesized from matcha could potentially mitigate the adverse effects of radiation exposure. Further investigation is required to elucidate specific molecular pathways and their long-term consequences.