Abstract
Very little, if any, is known about propolis protective effect against the toxicity induced by gold nanoparticles (GNPs). The present investigation was conducted to explore the protective role of propolis against the toxicity induced by GNPs on the hepatic tissues. Male Wistar albino rats were exposed to 10 or 20 nm GNPs at a dose of 2000 mu g/kg together with or without propolis for15 days. Hepatic biopsies from all rats were subjected to histological and histochemical examinations. Exposure to GNPs has induced hepatocyte cytoplasmic vacuolation, hydropic degeneration, sinusoidal dilatation, Kupffer cells hyperplasia, pyknosis, inflammatory cells infiltration and glycogen depletion. Propolis demonstrated partial hepatoprotectivity against hydropic degeneration, glycogen depletion and inflammatory cells infiltration but showed no protection for the hepatic tissues from nuclear alterations, Kupffer cells hyperplasia and sinusoidal dilatations. In conclusion, the findings may reveal hepatoprotective effect of propolis against some alterations induced in the hepatic tissues by GNPs toxicity due to its antioxidant properties.