Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are the most commonly used nanoparticles owing to their antimicrobial properties. The motivation of the present study was (1) to analyze the effect of silver particle size on rat tissue distribution at different time points, (2) to determine the accumulation of AgNPs in potential rat target organs, (3) to analyze the intracellular distribution of AgNPs and (4) to examine the excretion of AgNPs by urine and feces. AgNPs were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential measurements, BET surface area measurements, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. AgNPs (20 and 200 nm) were administered intravenously (i.v.) to male Wistar rats at a dose of 5 mg kg(-1) of body weight. Biological material was sampled 24 h, 7 and 28 days after injection. Using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) it was observed that AgNPs translocated from the blood to the main organs and the concentration of silver in tissues was significantly higher in rats treated with 20 nm AgNPs as compared with 200 nm AgNPs. The highest concentration of silver was found in the liver after 24 h. After 7 days, a high level of silver was observed in the lungs and spleen. The silver concentration in the kidneys and brain increased during the experiment and reached the highest concentration after 28 days. Moreover, the highest concentration of AgNPs was observed in the urine 1 day after the injection, maintained high for 14 days and then decreased. The fecal level of silver in rats was the highest within 2 days after AgNPs administration and then decreased.
Neurodegeneration is a feature of many debilitating, incurable age-dependent diseases that affect the nervous system and represent a major threat to the health of elderly persons. Because of the ongoing process of aging experienced by modern societies, the increasing prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases is becoming a global public health concern. A major cause of age-related dementia is Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Currently, there are no effective therapies to slow, stop, or reverse the progression of this disease. However, many studies have suggested that modification of lifestyle factors, such as the introduction of an appropriate diet, can delay or prevent the onset of this disorder. Diet is currently considered to be a crucial factor in controlling health and protecting oneself against oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, and thus against chronic degenerative diseases. A large number of bioactive food compounds may influence the pathological mechanisms underlying AD. Among them, phenolic compounds, omega-3 fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, isothiocyanates, and carotenoids seem to be promising. They act not only as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents, but also as active modulators of the pathological molecular mechanisms that play a role in AD development, including the formation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, the main hallmarks of AD pathology. In vivo animal model studies as well as clinical and epidemiological research suggest that nutritional intervention has a positive effect on the health of older people and may prevent age-related cognitive decline, especially when the diet contains more than one bioactive nutrient. The Mediterranean diet and in particular its combination with Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, which is called the MIND diet, are nutritional patterns based on many products rich in bioactive compounds that appear to be the most effective in preventing neurodegeneration. The present review gathers evidence that supports the neuroprotective effect of bioactive substances.
Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases are an important health problem. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare the impact of isolated oat beta-glucan fractions of low and high molecular weight, taken as dietary supplementation, on inflammatory markers in the colitis model. Methods: Two groups of Sprague–Dawley rats—control and with experimentally induced colitis—were subsequently divided into three subgroups and fed over 21 days feed supplemented with 1% of low (βGl) or high (βGh) molecular weight oat beta-glucan fraction or feed without supplementation. The level of colon inflammatory markers, cytokines, and their receptors’ genes expressions and immune cells numbers were measured by ELISA, RT-PCR, and by flow cytometry methods, respectively. Results: The results showed moderate inflammation affecting the colon mucosa and submucosa, with significant changes in the number of lymphocytes in the colon tissue, elevated cytokines and eicosanoid levels, as well as disruption of the main cytokine and chemokine cell signaling pathways in colitis rats. Beta-glucans supplementation caused a reverse in the percentage of lymphocytes with stronger effects of βGh and reduction of the levels of the inflammatory markers, and improvement of cytokine and chemokine signaling pathways with stronger effects of βGl supplementation. Conclusions: The results indicate the therapeutic effect of dietary oat beta-glucan supplementation in the colitis in evident relation to the molecular weight of polymer.
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