Ameliorating Effects of Silymarin-Loaded PLGA on Acetaminophen-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Mice

 Silymarin (SM) has beneficial effects against numerous different types of toxicants. However, the low bioavailability of SM has limited its therapeutic effects.

 This study investigated the toxic effect of nanostructured SM (NSM) in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles on nephrotoxicity induced by acetaminophen (APAP) in mice.

 The encapsulation of SM in PLGA was performed by the solvent evaporation method. A total of 48 NMRI mice were used in this experimental study. The mice were pretreated with SM or NSM (5 mg/kg) for 7 days, and APAP (300 mg/kg) was administrated on the 6th day. The serum levels of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and uric acid were measured. Histological assessment and messenger ribonucleic acid expression of BAX and BCL-2 genes were also carried out.

 The APAP destroyed the structure of the renal tissue and significantly reduced renal weight and glomerulus diameters (P < 0.01). The APAP also caused a significant increase in the serum levels of biochemical markers (P < 0.001) and expression of the BAX/BCL-2 ratio in the renal tissue (P < 0.001). The NSM could improve the renal structure and significantly increase renal weight and glomerulus in the APAP-intoxicated mice. The NSM significantly reduced the level of the biochemical tests and the BAX/BCL-2 ratio in the APAP-treated group (P < 0.01).

 The obtained data indicate that PLGA effectively enhances the nephroprotective effects of SM on nephrotoxicity induced by APAP.