Figure 9 Micrograms showing neuronal nucleus from the substantia nigra. TEM ultra-structural micrographs of learn more the rat substantia nigra (n = 3) showing the nucleus of a neuron after treatment with (A) ZALH, (B) ZALL, (C) ZAH, (D) ZAL and (E) VC. Arrow pointing to the intact round-shaped nuclei with a densely peripheral nuclear chromatin condensation (opaque nuclei membrane) and mitochondria (M), with well-outlined cristae and intact opaque membrane in the selleck kinase inhibitor control group. Similar nucleic and mitochondrial structure and shape were found in the entire treated groups at ×10,000 magnification. Some nanodelivery-based drug delivery systems were understood to induce oxidative stress characterized by reactive

oxygen species (ROS) generation and depletion

of antioxidant like glutathione (GSH) usually through free radical generation [1]. However, free radicals were incorporated in the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease [30]. They were found to cause injury to neuronal cells through damaging DNA, proteins and lipids of the cell or nuclear membrane. These necessitate the need in looking at the neurones from the substantia ATR inhibitor nigra for these changes after treatment with different doses of ZAL and ZA. Nevertheless, none of the doses used over 28 days cause any cellular damage as seen with electron microscopy. This finding is in agreement with our previous in vitro study (32), where the morphology of a neuronal cell (PC12) was preserved despite treatment Gefitinib cell line with IC50 concentration of ZAL and ZA over 72-h period. Thus, treatment of Parkinson’s disease with zinc

aluminium nanocomposite intercalated with levodopa is not likely to worsen the disease condition in future. Conclusions In this experiment, the potential toxicity of zinc aluminium nanocomposite with and without levodopa (ZAL and ZA) on Sprague-Dawley rats after repeated doses was investigated. Rats treated with low and high doses of nanocomposite showed a sustained weight gain similar to their counterpart in the vehicle control group. AST in ZALH, ZAH and ZAL groups was insignificantly elevated compared to VC (p > 0.05). However, the statistically insignificant elevation of AST (liver) enzyme was followed by a significant change in AST/ALT ratio of ZALH and ZAH compared to VC group. The kidney sections from ZALH and ZAH showed some leucocyte infiltrations of the glomeruli. This implies that orally administered ZAL and ZA at 5 mg/kg or 500 mg/kg do not cause any obvious clinical toxicity or do they resulted in any animal demise. However, more studies are needed to further assess this new delivery system especially its potential in liver and renal toxicity. Acknowledgement We would like to thank Universiti Putra Malaysia and Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation Malaysia for project funding under UPM grant and nanofund NND/NA/(I) TD11-010, VOT Nos. 5489101 and 9399845. References 1.