Studies on the effect of gold nanoparticles on oxidative stress and antioxidants defense indices in various rat tissues

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have a wide range of applications in various fields. It is therefore essential to study their interaction with the biological system. In the present study, the effect of AuNP was studied on oxidative stress and antioxidants in various tissues of rats. In this study, liver was the organ most sensitive to the effects of AuNP. Liver of AuNP treated rats showed a significant increase in lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione and ascorbic acid when compared with the control group. This was followed by kidneys which showed significant increase in reduced glutathione and ascorbic acid when compared to the control group. Spleen showed a significant increase in the ascorbic acid concentration when compared with that of control rats. Heart tissue was most resistant to the effects of AuNP and showed no significant change in any of the oxidative stress and antioxidant indices studied. These results suggest that at low concentration, the properties of AuNP could be exploited for use in nanoimmunology, nanomedicine, nanobiotechnology and various other fields.   Key words:  Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), oxidative stress, antioxidants, rat tissues, antioxidant enzymes.