Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41023622›Full record

ArticleBMC biotechnology2025

N-Acetylcysteine as an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent in decreasing histopathological damages and oxidative stress after mercury exposure in lung tissue of rats.

Kebria Diako, Shadi Rahimi, Seyed Ali Mirbagheri Saghaleksari, Seyed Milad Mousavi Eshkelani, Niloofar Keshavarz Taramsari, Asghar Beigi Harchegani, Zhaleh Mohsenifar, Mahdi Shahriarinour, Najmeh Ranji

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Article in BMC biotechnology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Biology · 2026
    Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Kebria DiakoDepartment of Biology, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.
Shadi RahimiDepartment of Biology, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.
Seyed Ali Mirbagheri SaghaleksariDepartment of Biology, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.
Seyed Milad Mousavi EshkelaniDepartment of Biology, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.
Niloofar Keshavarz TaramsariDepartment of Biology, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.
Asghar Beigi HarcheganiDepartment of Biology, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.
Zhaleh MohsenifarTaleghani Hospital, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, P.O.Box: 41335-3516, Tehran, Iran.
Mahdi ShahriarinourDepartment of Biology, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran. ma.shahriarinour@iau.ac.ir.ORCID 0000-0002-4596-591X
Najmeh RanjiDepartment of Biology, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran. na.ranji@iau.ac.ir.ORCID 0000-0001-5233-2427

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring heavy metal with high toxicitythat affects various organs. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on the lung tissue of Wistar rats exposed to mercury.

methodsRats were divided into five groups: H1 (control), H2 (single dose of Hg), H3 (continuous dose of Hg), H4 (single dose of Hg+ single dose of NAC), and H5 (continuous dose of Hg+ continuous dose of NAC). The expression levels of SOD1, NOS, TIMP1, Fibronectin1, HIF1, MPO, MMP2 and TIMP2 were analyzed using qRT-PCR.

resultsMercury levels in the blood and lung tissues significantly increased in the H2 and H3 groups compared to the H4 and H5 groups, respectively. Hg exposure in H3 group significantly (P < 0.001) led to the upregulation of MPO (4.55-fold), HIF1(4.31-fold), MMP2 (4.20-fold), TIMP1(3.18-fold), TIMP2 (4.83-fold), NOS (3.52-fold), and FN1 (3.52-fold), along with the downregulation of SOD1 (0.51-fold) compare to control group (H1). In contrast, rats treated with NAC after Hg exposure in H5 group significantly (p < 0.01–0.001) showed downregulation of MPO (2.49-fold), HIF1(2.12-fold), MMP2 (1.94-fold), TIMP1(1.92-fold), TIMP2 (1.96-fold), NOS (2.00-fold), and FN1 (1.90-fold), and upregulation of SOD1 (0.76-fold) compare to H3 group. A significant reduction in mercury levels was also observed in the blood and lung tissue of rats treated with NAC compared to those exposed Hg alone.

conclusionNAC exerts a protective effect against mercury-induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in rat lungs by scavenging mercury and modulating the expression of oxidative stress-related genes.

Indexed as

AcetylcysteineAnti-Inflammatory AgentsAntioxidantsLungMercuryOxidative StressAnimalsFibronectinsMaleRatsRats, WistarSuperoxide Dismutase-1Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2AcetylcysteineAnti-Inflammatory AgentsAntioxidantsFibronectinsMercurySod1 protein, ratSuperoxide Dismutase-1TIMP1 protein, ratTissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2Gene expression analysisLung inflammationMercury toxicityN-acetylcysteine treatmentOxidative stress

Identifiers

PMID41023622
PMCPMC12481799

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.