Ameliorative Effect of Thymoquinone-Loaded PLGA Nanoparticles on Chronic Lung Injury Induced by Repetitive Intratracheal Instillation of Lipopolysaccharide in Rats
Table 1
Severity of histopathologic lesions recorded in pulmonary airways, blood vessels, and alveoli in LPS-challeneged rats and the ameliorative effect of TQ-PLGA NPs.
Control
TQ-PLGA
LPS
LPS + TQ-PLGA
Control
TQ-PLGA
LPS
LPS + TQ-PLGA
8 weeks
10 weeks
Airways (bronchi and bronchioles)
Submucosal inflammatory cells infiltrations
-
+
+++
++
-
-
+++
++
Proliferated epithelium and goblet cells metaplasia
-
+
+++
++
-
-
+++
++
Bronchostenosis
-
-
+++
++
-
-
+++
++
Peribronchial plasma and fibroblast proliferation
-
+
+++
++
-
-
+++
++
Hyperplasia and apoptosis of bronchial associated lymphoid tissues (BALT)
-
-
+++
+++
-
-
+++
+
Pulmonary blood vessels
Endotheliosis
-
-
+++
+
-
-
+++
+
Perivascular edema
-
-
+++
++
-
-
+++
++
Hyperplasia of smooth muscles
-
-
+++
++
-
-
+++
+
Alveolar tissue (alveoli and blood-air barrier)
Hyperplasia and hypertrophy of pneumocytes I and II
-
+
+++
++
-
+
+++
++
Activated alveolar macrophage
-
+
+++
++
-
+
+++
++
Thickening of alveoli septal
-
+
+++
++
-
+
+++
+
Atelectasis
-
-
+++
++
-
-
+++
+
Chronic pneumonia
-
-
+++
+
-
-
+++
+
Compensatory emphysema
-
+
+++
++
-
+
+++
++
No. of examined fields (5 fields/rat). The severity of lesion was graded by estimating the percentage area affected in the entire section. -: absence of lesion, +: 5–25%, ++: 26–50%, and +++: ≥51%.