Abstract
Male albino Wistar rats were exposed to 10 nm gold nanoparticles at a dose of 2000 mu g/kg together with or without propolis (50 mg/kg) for 15 consecutive days. Fresh renal biopsies from of all investigated rats were cut rapidly, fixed in neutral buffered formalin, subjected to histological processing, and examined for microanatomical alterations. Propolis gave full protection against glomerular congestion and renal tubule hyaline casts. It demonstrated partial amelioration against glomerular capillary dilatation, tubular cloudy swelling, necrosis, and degeneration together with interstitial blood capillaries dilatation and haemorrhage induced by nanoparticle toxicity. On the other hand, propolis showed no protective effect against renal cells pyknosis, karyolysis, apoptosis and renal hydropic degeneration together with collecting tubules atrophy and degeneration induced by the nanoparticles. Thus propolis can augment the antioxidant defence against the severity of some alterations in the renal tissues. This ameliorative role might be related to the antioxidants content of propolis that protect the renal tissues from free radicals and oxidative stress.