The role of resveratrol in delivering antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic defense against nephrotoxicity generated by titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide is a prevalent food ingredient for human ingestion. We investigated the nephrotoxic effects of titanium dioxide in Wistar albino rats subjected to oral exposure for 14 days. The rats were categorized into four groups (n = 8): (1) control (saline solution), (2) exposure to titanium dioxide (30 mg/kg), (3) exposure to resveratrol (100 mg/kg), and (4) exposure to both titanium dioxide and resveratrol. The investigations revealed that the administration of titanium dioxide resulted in considerable histological abnormalities and a significant prevalence of apoptotic cells marked by caspase-3 in the titanium dioxide group, with a markedly elevated quantity and strong staining of cells reacting with 4-HN across the tissue in the kidney. Blood serum assessments revealed that BUN and creatinine levels were elevated in the titanium group relative to the other three groups, with a reduction in these levels observed in the group receiving both titanium and resveratrol (P < 0.05). The assessment of oxidative stress markers in kidney tissue revealed that GSH-Px and SOD activity considerably decreased in the titanium dioxide group relative to the other experimental groups. In contrast, MDA levels increased markedly (P < 0.05). The activities of GSH-Px and SOD were significantly elevated in the group receiving both titanium dioxide and resveratrol compared to the titanium dioxide-only group (P < 0.05). The analysis of inflammation markers TNF-α and IL-6 revealed a substantial rise in their levels in the titanium dioxide group compared to the other groups (P < 0.05).