Effects of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles on Biochemical Parameters and Histopathological Changes in Lead-Intoxicated Rats

Background: The present study was conducted to investigate the potential protective effect of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeNPs) against lead acetate-induced toxicity. Materials and Methods: In this study, 30 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups and treated simultaneously, except for the normal control, for 5 weeks with lead acetate in drinking water (1000 mg/L). Control rats and negative control rats received saline intraperitoneally. At the same time, the third group was treated with intraperitoneal injections of CeNPs at the dose of 0.5 mg/kg 1 week before lead administration, and continued with its administration. Finally, serum was obtained by the conventional methods and rats were sacrificed to obtain liver, heart, testis, and kidney tissue for histopathological examinations. Results: The lead-treated group showed significant increases in blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (P<0.01). Lead-intoxicated rats treated with CeNPs showed a significant decrease in serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), AST, and ALT levels compared to the untreated negative control group (P<0.01). The histopathological examination of liver and kidney tissues showed signs of lead-induced injuries, necrotic hepatocytes, and glomerulosclerosis. The CeNPs-treated group showed noticeable reductions in histopathological signs of lead-induced injuries. Lipid peroxidation levels were also lower in CeNPs-treated rats than negative controls (P<0.05). Conclusion: The current experimental study proved the protective effects of CeNPs in rats exposed to chronic lead-induced toxicity; however, more experiments are required to evaluate the possible side effects and interactions.