Introduction: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) remain one of the controversial research areas regarding their distribution, dissolution and their toxicity to biological systems.
Aim of the work: To evaluate the potential toxicity of different doses of AgNPs on the spleen of adult Albino rats.
Materials and Methods: Forty adult male albino rats were divided into two main groups; control group: included ten rats that received intraperitoneal saline solution, daily, and experimental group: included thirty rats that received intraperitoneal AgNPs dissolved in saline solution, and were equally subdivided into three subgroups. Subgroup IIa received AgNPs (100 mg/kg/d), subgroup IIb received AgNPs (500 mg/kg/d) and subgroup IIc received AgNPs (1000 mg/kg/d). After 28 days, rats were euthanized and the spleen specimens were prepared for light and electron microscope studies.
Results: Spleen of AgNPs-treated rats revealed dose-dependent structural changes in the form of reduced sized white pulp follicles with depletion of lymphocytes, degeneration and apoptosis. Nanoparticles were seen in both white and red pulps. There was a highly statistical significant increase in the optical density of caspase-3 in subgroups IIa, IIb and IIc when compared to that of the control group.
Conclusions: AgNPs induced structural alterations in the spleen with evidence of inflammatory response and oxidative stress. These effects were dose-dependent.