已发表论文

向大鼠气管内滴注银纳米颗粒可诱导线粒体分裂和主动脉损伤:亚硒酸钠的保护作用

 

Authors He S, Li PA , He J, Wang Z , Liang X, He Z , Jia S, Ma W

Received 7 March 2025

Accepted for publication 18 August 2025

Published 23 September 2025 Volume 2025:20 Pages 11685—11696

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S524020

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 3

Editor who approved publication: Professor Jie Huang

Shan He,1,2,* P Andy Li,3,* Jing He,4 Zhizhong Wang,5 Xuexing Liang,1 Zhehao He,5 Shaobin Jia,6,* Wanrui Ma1,* 

1Department of General Medicine, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Clinical Medicine at Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technological Enterprise (BRITE), College of Health and Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA; 4Department of Geriatric and Special Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health at Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 6Heart Centre, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Shaobin Jia, Email jsbxn@163.com Wanrui Ma, Email mwr_1984stone@163.com

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the influence of AgNPs intratracheal instillation on mitochondrial fission in aortic endothelial cells of rats and to explore the therapeutic effects of sodium selenite (Se).
Animals and Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups (n=8): Control group (A), AgNPs exposure group (B), Se treated group (C), and Se+ AgNPs treated group (D). Rats in groups B and D received one dose of intratracheal instillation of AgNPs, while groups A and C received the same volume of 0.9% NaCl intratracheally. Rats in groups C and D were also intraperitoneally injected with sodium selenite for 7 days immediately after the AgNPs exposure. Morphological changes of the aorta were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and electron microscopy. Masson’s Trichrome Staining assayed collagen deposition in the aorta. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, caspase-3 activity, and mitochondrial fission markers were analyzed.
Results: Exposure to AgNPs increased collagen deposition and caused ultrastructural damage to endothelial cells in the aorta, including reduction of cytosolic contents, dissolution of mitochondrial cristae, and swollen mitochondria. Levels of ROS and cleaved caspase-3 increased moderately in AgNPs group (p< 0.05 vs Control). Mitochondrial fission markers Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) and mitochondrial fission protein 1 (Fis1) in the aortic tissue homogenate of the AgNPs group nearly doubled the values of those in Control group (p< 0.05 vs Control). Se alleviated AgNPs-induced ultrastructure changes and this effect was associated with suppressed ROS accumulation, inhibited caspase-3 activation, and attenuated mitochondrial fission.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that AgNPs induced oxidative stress, caspase 3 activation, and mitochondrial fission are linked to the morphological alterations of the aortic endothelial cells; and these adverse effects resulted from AgNPs can be alleviated by sodium selenite, suggesting that selenite could be used as a protective agent against AgNPs toxicity.

Keywords: aorta, endothelial cells, mitochondrial fission, reactive oxygen species, selenium, silver nanoparticles