Abstract
Background: Cardiotoxicity is one of the most serious complications of radiation. Nanoparticles, has gained increasing attention as therapeutic agents. This work aims to evaluate the beneficial effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on the cardiotoxicity induced by ionizing radiation. Materials and Methods: Twenty eight male rats were included in the study. Animals were categorized into four groups (n=7), group I: (control), group II: rats were irradiated with a single dose of gamma radiation (6Gy), group III: rats injected with ZnONPs (10mg /Kg b.wt), intrapritoneally for two weeks (5days/week), group IV (treated): irradiated rats received ZnONPs intrapritoneally with the same dose for two weeks after 24hr of irradiation. Results: gamma-irradiation caused a significant elevation in the levels of creatine phosphokinase, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, troponin I, fibrinogen and C-reactive protein. Additionally, a noticeable increase in the lipid content including cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein with concomitant decline in high density lipoprotein and finally, a marked decrease in hematological parameters as compared to the control group. These changes manifested good amelioration in the groups injected with ZnONPs. Conclusion: Based on these findings, it can be argued that treatment with ZnONPs reduces the extent of radiation damage by providing significant hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in irradiated rats.