Effects of Thiamine on Cupper oxide nanoparticles Induced Histostereological Alterations in the Rat Small Intestine

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) can destroy the architecture of the small intestine and impair nutrient absorption function. This study examines the protective effect of thiamine on the morphology and stereology of the small intestine in mice exposed to CuO NPs. Seventy-two adult male Wistar rats were divided into one control group and three treatment groups receiving CuO NPs at 20 mg/kg, thiamine at 30 mg/kg, and a combination of thiamine and CuO NPs (20 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg, respectively), administered as a single intraperitoneal dose, each with three replicates (n=6). At the end of 14 days experiments, Samples from the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were prepared with H&E staining, and morphometric and stereological indices including villus height, crypt depth, enterocyte and nuclear height, thickness of tissue layers, and relative epithelial volume were assessed. Copper oxide nanoparticles caused reductions in villus height, thickness of mucosal, submucosal, and muscular layers, enterocyte and nuclear height, and relative epithelial volume, along with an increase in crypt depth. The thiamine-only group did not differ significantly from the control, but concurrent administration of thiamine with copper oxide nanoparticles reduced the nanoparticle-induced alterations, improving villus height, layer thickness, cell height, villus height to crypt depth ratio, and epithelial volume. These findings suggest that thiamine, due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, plays a protective role in preserving the structure and function of the small intestine against damage caused by copper oxide nanoparticles, thereby mitigating their harmful effects.