Ameliorative Effects of Quercetin against Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Induced Hepatic Toxicity in Albino Rats

Abotaleb, Amira; EL-Shawarby, Ragab; Abosalem, Mohamed; Abdelaleem, Nabela; Abdelhady, Dania; Hegazy, Ahmed Medhat

doi:10.21608/ejvs.2025.389538.2872

Ameliorative Effects of Quercetin against Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Induced Hepatic Toxicity in Albino Rats

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Forensic medicine and toxicology, faculty of veterinary medicine benha university

² Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University

³ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha

10.21608/ejvs.2025.389538.2872

Abstract

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) are employed in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and industrial sectors. Quercetin (QC) is one of the most abundant dietary flavonoids. QC has anti-apoptotic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. In this investigation, the hepatoprotective ability of QC against CuO-NP-induced hepatotoxicity in rats was assessed. Four equal groups of twenty-eight mature male albino rats were formed. The first group (G1) was received saline (1ml per rat) daily via stomach tube for four weeks. G2 was received QC at a dose of 100 mg/kg b.wt. daily via stomach tube for four weeks. CuO-NPs was administered orally to G3 at a dose of 300 mg/kg b.wt. every day for four weeks. G4 was given CuO-NPs and QC daily in the same dose and route. After the end of experiment, liver specimens and serum samples were taken from all groups. Results demonstrated that QC mitigated the hepatic dysfunctions brought on by CuO-NPs through improvements in serum ALT, AST, and ALP, with a noticeable increase in total proteins and albumin levels, in addition to improving the antioxidant status as seen by elevated reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, catalase (CAT) activity, and lowered levels of malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and AKT (protein kinase B) genes showed highly significant up-regulated mRNA levels, whereas nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT-3) genes were significantly down-regulated. Additionally, QC maintained liver tissue architecture, decreased immunoreactivity against caspase-3 (Cas-3). These results imply that QC might enhance the hepatoprotective benefits against oxidative stress caused by CuO-NPs toxicity.

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