Silver nanoparticles provoke apoptosis of Dalton’s ascites lymphoma in vivo by mitochondria dependent and independent pathways

Pictorial representation of the molecular mechanism of antitumor activity of AgNPs. [Display omitted] •The antitumor effect of AgNPs in Swiss albino against DAL was determined.•AgNPs were efficient in prolongation of life span, reduction of tumor volume and body weight in tumor animals.•The molecular mechanism of antitumor activity of AgNPs is by the mitochondrial dependent and independent pathways. The aim of this report was to investigate the antitumor and apoptotic effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the Dalton’s ascites lymphoma cells in vivo. Thirty Swiss albino male mice were assigned into five groups of six each. Group I were intact animals. Group II animals served as tumor control injected with DAL cells intraperitonially. Group III induced animals received plant extract (17mg/kg BW) and Group IV induced animals received AgNPs (35μg/kg BW). Group V induced animals received standard anticancer drug 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU, 20μg/kg BW). The treatment period was 10 days excluding the day of tumor injection. Tumor cells were collected after euthanizing the animals and real-time PCR was used to analyze p53, caspase-3, 8, 9, 12 and cytochrome C expressions. Results indicate that the AgNPs were efficient in prolongation of life span, reduction of tumor volume and body weight in tumor animals. All the apoptotic genes were upregulated by treatment with AgNPs. To conclude, the present study elicits that AgNPs are potent in antitumor activity and the molecular mechanism is by the induction of apoptosis through the mitochondrial dependent and independent pathways.