Effectiveness of Sodium Thiosulfate and Resveratrol in Remodeling Lung Injury and Expression of BCL2 in Nicotine-Stressed Rats

Background and Objective: Nicotine is linked to the development of several illnesses, including cancer The current study aimed to assess the ability of sodium thiosulfate (STS) to decrease the harmful effects of nicotine in lungs and gene expression of Bcl2 gene in rats and compare them with resveratrol (RES) supplement.

Methods: Thirty-six male rats, Rattus norvegicus (weighing 190–220 g) were chosen randomly and separated into six equal groups. Animals in the control group were administered an intraperitoneal injection of normal saline, while those in group G1 were injected (I/P) with nicotine (1.5 mg/kg b.wt.). G2: were injected I/P with STS (450 mg/kg b.wt) and nicotine (1.5 mg/kg b.wt). G3: rats were gavaged with resveratrol supplement (87 mg/kg b.wt) and (I/P) injected with nicotine at the same dose. G4 group were (I/P) injected with STS (450 mg/kg b.wt) and administered (RES) (87 mg/kg b.wt) plus injected with nicotine (1.5 mg/kg b.wt). I/P injections of STS (450 mg/kg b.wt) and Resveratrol (87 mg/kg body weight) were given to group G5. All groups were administered for 28 days, after 24 hours after the last administration, all animals were sacrificed, and tissue specimens were collected from the lung for histopathological changes and for gene expression analysis of Bcl2.

Results: The results of Lung sections for G1 showed severe peribronchiolar and perivascular lymphocytic cuffs, congestion, pulmonary emphysema, cuboidal metaplasia of the bronchiolar epithelium, granulomatous inflammation, thickening in the alveolar walls, and severe hemorrhage with hemosiderosis as compared with other experimental groups while group G2 showed that STS attenuating the effect of nicotine on lung tissue characterized by normal bronchioles which lined by normal columnar epithelium with scattered macrophages slight perivascular lymphocytic cuffs, a few desquamations of the bronchiolar epithelium, G3 group which administered RES showed that some alveoli had thickened walls; others showed slightly distended walls, few infiltrations of macrophages and lymphocytes, and desquamation of the bronchiolar epithelium. Moreover sections of lungs for G4 that administered both STS and RES with nicotine showed that most alveoli were normal, with slight thickening in their walls and slight blood vessel congestion. Furthermore, results represented a significant decrease in expression of the BCl2 gene for G1 compared with other groups. In contrast, a significant increase in the fold change of the BCL2 gene was observed in the G2, G3, G4, and G5 groups, indicating the protective effects of RES and STS on histopathological sections and fold change for the BCL2 gene against nicotine-stressed rats.

Conclusion: Rats who received STS showed more effectiveness in modulating the bad effects of nicotine than those who received RES, which can give an idea that STS is more effective as an antioxidant than RES.