Introduction: Zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs) usage is evolving in different industrial and medical applications. However, recently nanoparticles were reported for their harmful effects. Rutin is a flavonoid that presents in plants, many veg‌etables, and fruits. It is considered a strong antioxidant.
Aim: To detect the effect of ZnNPs on the adult rat prostate gland and evaluating the possible protective effect of Rutin.
Materials and Methods: Fifty adult male albino rats were divided into four groups: Group I (control), Group II (ZnNPs group) rats received ZnNPs in a dose of 100 mg/kg via oral gavage feeding needle for 28 days. Group III (Rutin group): rats received rutin in a dose of 50 mg/kg via oral gavage feeding needle for 28 days. Group IV (ZnNPs- Rutin group): rats received Zn NPs and rutin at a dose and route as groups II, III. After 28 days, rats were weighed; blood samples were collected then sacrificed. The prostate glands were dissected and processed for histological (LM and EM), immunohistochemical, and biochemical studies with morphometric analysis.
Results: Light microscopic examination of Group II sections revealed degeneration of acini, vacuolation, and pyknotic nuclei of their lining cells. A highly statistically significant increase in thickness of the fibromuscular stroma (P ˂ 0.001) in Masson Trichrome sections and a highly statistically significant increase (P ˂ 0.001) in positive PCNA immunoreactions in the nuclei of epithelial cells were detected. Ultrathin sections showed vacuolations in acinar cells cytoplasm. Those findings are associated with a highly significant increase in Malondialdehyde, and Prostatic specific antigen. On the contrary, Group IV sections displayed restoration of prostatic acini arrangement with areas of hyperplasia and a statistically decrease in MDA, PSA.
Conclusion: These findings evidenced that Rutin had a natural protective role against ZnNPs induced prostatic cell injury in rats.