Silibinin alleviates small intestine damage induced by aerosol inhalation of ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate

Industrialization and urbanization produce hazardous particulate matter (PM), including ammonium compounds like (NH₄)₂SO₄ and NH₄NO₃, which comprise around 50 % of PM. Despite this, the influence of ammonium on intestinal inflammation remains unclear. We studied an ammonium mixture's effects on the intestine, finding elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress in exposed mice, causing small intestine morphological changes. Investigating mitigation strategies, we assessed silibinin, an antioxidant from milk thistle seeds. Silibinin treatment in (NH₄)₂SO₄- and NH₄NO₃-exposed mice significantly reduced inflammatory markers, alleviated oxidative stress, and preserved intestinal tissue integrity via the PI3K/AKT pathway. Our findings elucidate ammonium's potential impact on intestinal inflammation and highlight silibinin's therapeutic impact against PM-induced small intestine damage.