Protective effect of green synthesized Selenium Nanoparticles against Doxorubicin induced multiple adverse effects in Swiss albino mice.

Aims: Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used drug against multiple cancers. However, its clinical Use is often restricted due to multiple adverse effects. Recently, Selenium Nanoparticles (SeNPs) are gaining attention due to their low toxicity and higher biocompatibility, making them attractive nanoparticles (NPs) in medical and pharmaceutical sciences. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess if our biosynthesized SeNP from the endophytic fungus Fusarium oxysporum conjugated with DOX could alleviate the DOX-induced adverse effects.

Main Methods: For this purpose, we investigated various genotoxic, biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical parameters and finally analyzed the metabolite profile by LC-MS/MS.

Key Findings: We observed that DOX causes an increase in reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS, RNS), 8-OHdG, and malondialdehyde (MDA), decreases antioxidant defense systems and reduces BCL-2 expression in cardiac tissue. In addition, a significant increase in DNA damage and alteration in the cytoarchitecture of the liver, kidney, and heart tissues was observed by Comet Tail Length and histopathological studies, respectively. Interestingly, the DOX-SeNP conjugate reduced ROS/RNS, 8-OHdG, and MDA levels in the liver, kidney, and heart tissues. It also restored the antioxidant enzymes and cytoarchitectures of the examined tissues, reduced genotoxicity, and increased the BCL-2 levels. Finally, metabolic profiling showed that DOX reduced the number of cardioprotective metabolites, which DOX-SeNP restored.

Significance: Collectively, the present results describe the protective effect of DOX-conjugated SeNP against DOX-induced toxicities. In conclusion, DOX-SeNP conjugate might be better for treating patients receiving DOX alone. However, it warrants further thorough investigation.